Afforestation: Policies, Planning and Progress

Deforestation is a global issue that attracts much concern, with the fate of the tropical rain forest in particular at the forefront of the debate. However, this has tended to overshadow the achievements of afforestation, especially but not only in the developed world. In many countries the forest area has rapidly expanded (and in some cases more than doubled) during the present century. Both the US and Australia are planning widespread tree planting during the course of this decade. The aim of this volume is to provide a comparative review of selected national experiences of afforestation within a broad framework that establishes the global extent and significance of the process, focusing on major issues of policy and achievement rather than on technical details of silviculture. Individual chapters on national experiences cover topics such as the extent, type and pattern of afforestation, policy setting and problems encountered, and the various countries are arranged in distinct groups according to level of progress in the field.