Abstract :
[en] Tropical forests are important providers of natural resources and ecosystem services but their ecological functions are facing increasing human pressure, linked to economic development. The preservation of tropical forest ecosystems is interrelated with effective land use planning and identification of priority areas for conservation. Initially defined by Greenpeace and the World Resources Institute (WRI) in 2000, Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) are large areas of forest minimally impacted by human activities. IFLs were identified by mapping industrial activities, road networks and infrastructure using remote sensing. Since 2014, when IFLs were recognized and adopted by the certification scheme Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the IFLs have become integrated into forest management policies. In order to trace the history and evaluate the applicability of IFLs for forest management policy in the Central African context, we searched for documents related to the IFL method, and previous similar concepts. The IFL method is simple and cost-effective and enables the monitoring of forest degradation at a global scale. However, the approach mainly considers forest cover and is imprecise at the local scale. For example, hunting, one of the main threats faced by Central African ecosystems, cannot be detected by satellite imagery and is therefore disregarded in IFL identification processes. In contrast, there are other considered anthropogenic activities, such as reduced-impact selective logging, which may be compatible with forest ecosystem conservation. To better tailor the IFL approach to Central African forests, we recommend (i) the consideration of wildlife communities distribution in the analysis of disturbance, (ii) a thorough evaluation of the impacts of different human activities on forest ecosystems, and (iii) the integration of local stakeholders and governments in the design of land management strategies devised to address social, economic and environmental needs.
