Effects of ecotourism on forest loss in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot based on counterfactual analyses.

Ecotourism is developing rapidly in biodiversity hotspots worldwide, but there is limited and mixed empirical evidence that ecotourism achieves positive biodiversity outcomes. We assessed whether ecotourism influenced forest loss rates and trajectories from 2000 to 2017 in Himalayan temperate forests. We compared forest loss in 15 ecotourism hubs with nonecotourism areas in 4 Himalayan countries.

Effects of national forest-management regimes on unprotected forests of the Himalaya.

Globally, deforestation continues, and although protected areas effectively protect forests, the majority of forests are not in protected areas. Thus, how effective are different management regimes to avoid deforestation in non-protected forests? We sought to assess the effectiveness of different national forest-management regimes to safeguard forests outside protected areas. We compared 2000-2014 deforestation rates across the temperate forests of 5 countries in the Himalaya (Bhutan, Nepal, China, India, and Myanmar) of which 13% are protected.

Using residents' perceptions to improve park-people relationships in Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar.

The complex and context-specific relationships that local residents have with neighboring protected areas present many challenges for protected area (PA) management. While long-term, interdisciplinary approaches may be necessary to fully understand park-people relationships within a particular PA, the reality is that management decisions for the majority of PAs in the world are made by protected area staff with little or no external assistance. One potential entry point for management to understand park-people relationships and improve management is through understanding people's perceptions of PAs.

The environmental history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area in Myanmar (Burma).

We reconstructed the history of Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to understand how social and economic events, and policy changes affected the sanctuary's condition. We surveyed 25 villages surrounding CWS to evaluate past and present ecological conditions, compare the results with historical accounts and identify causal relationships. During the first half of the 20th century, the primary threat was the government's reduction of old growth forest to supply fuel wood for the British-built railway.