Tropical Production Forests Observatory

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The Tropical managed Forests Observatory (TmFO) is a new project that aims to assess the impact of logging on managed forest dynamics, carbon storage and tree species composition at a regional level in the Amazon basin, Congo basin and South East Asia. The project is coordinated by CIRAD, involves 15 different research institutions and is funded by the Sentinel Landscape program of the CGIAR.

TmFO brings together data from 489 permanent sample plot networks set up by the research institutions involved in TmFO, representing an area of more than 900 ha. Meta-analyses are used to answer questions such as the following:

1. How does the provision of different forest products and services vary across gradients of timber harvest intensity?
2. Are there trade-offs in management practices aiming to enhance the production of different forest products and services?
3. Do responses of forests vary across the region, and does this follow trends in forest functional composition?

Insights into forest responses to logging will contribute to assessing their resilience in the context of climate change and their capacity to provide goods and services sustainably. This will allow TmFO to make new recommendations towards more sustainable and profitable forest management.

Click here to view the official TmFO site.

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Site Selection

• located in tropical forests with total surface ≥ 1 ha
• all trees ≥ 20 cm diameter measured
• good reliable species identification
• mean annual precipitation ≥ 1000 mm
• consistent information on logging treatments;
• at least one pre-logging and at least two post-logging censuses

The Amazon Basin

• 11 Experimental sites
• 5 countries
• 245 Plots (672 ha)
• 35 Control plots (164 ha, 25 %)
• Mean period of monitoring 15
• Years

The Congo Basin

• 6 Experimental sites
• 2 countries
• 92 Plots (84 ha)
• 13 Control plots (13ha)
• Mean period of monitoring 13 yrs

South East Asia

• 7 Experimental sites
• 2 countries
• 153 Plots (158 ha)
• 11 Control plots (69 ha)
• Mean period of monitoring16yrs

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