Browsing by Author "Kaislasalmi, Emmi"

Laos is regarded as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Yet, like in many tropical countries, biodiversity in Laos has been decreasing at an alarming rate. Forest degradation and deforestation have led to many flora and fauna species becoming threatened or even extinct. Furthermore, they have also had detrimental impacts on ecosystem services, compromising human safety and well-being. This research aimed to investigate the floristic diversity and forest structure across different Lao forest categories and understand the socio-ecological implications on forests in Laos. The research was divided into three segments: a forest inventory, interviews with local people within two villages, and an interview with a local forest officer. The forest inventory was conducted in three different forest categories: conservation, protection, and production forests in Luang Prabang Province, using systematic plot sampling. The total sampling size was 1.2 hectares within 60 plots, 20 in each forest site, each plot measuring 200 m2. Furthermore, the interviews with the local people were conducted as focus group discussions in villages near the inventory sites, and the forest officer was interviewed in the city of Luang Prabang. These interviews aimed to understand how socioeconomic and other social factors influence the forests and conservation efforts. The study found significant differences between the forest categories. The conservation and protection forests shared similarities both structurally and in terms of species composition but were different from the production forest. Moreover, the woody and climber species richness were significantly lower in the production forest compared to the two other forest categories. The interviews revealed that the local people depend on access to forests and forest products, but the low-income households were particularly reliant on them. The study also found that even if the local people had positive attitudes towards forest conservation, the lack of alternative livelihood opportunities and insufficient funding are the primary barriers to effective conservation efforts. These findings highlight the need to address the diversity differences between the forest categories through adequate forest planning and management. However, this requires funding, which proved to be one of the critical factors in achieving more effective and sustainable forest management in Laos. The findings also underscore the urgency of addressing socio-economic factors in conservation planning. The study found that diversifying livelihood opportunities is crucial for forest sustainability and human well-being. Future conservation initiatives should enhance socio-economic aspects and the well-being of local people in addition to caring for the environmental aspects. This integrated approach ensures the sustainability of both natural ecosystems and local livelihoods, increasing the potential for sustainable and long-term positive outcomes.