The Nan Project, directed by Assist. Prof. Dr. Dia Shannon comprises 3 research initiatives:
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From a Bare Mountain to a Regenerated Forest: compared landscape planting designs for forest restoration in Nan Province, sponsored by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 2017 to 2020.
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Forest Landscape Restoration and Community Well-being: supported by the Program Management Unit on Area Based Development (PMU A), 2020 to 2021.
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Evaluating Changes and Ecosystem Services of Nan Restored Forests: funded by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 2021 to 2022.
The research spans three districts of Nan Province—Pua, Phu Phiang and Wiang Sa—with three plots in each district. The project commenced with a survey of reference forest remnants, near the restoration sites, including i) the Nam Kaen - Nam Sa Watershed Forests (Phu Phiang District), supervised by the Royal Forest Department; ii) Mon Hin Kaew Community Forest (Pua District) and iii) Ban Muang Noeng Community Forest (Wiang Sa District). The survey involved documenting tree density, species diversity and phenology, as well as bird diversity, over three years. Such data were then compared with the same in restoration forests, established in the 3 districts.
Knowledge of the framework species method of forest ecosystem restoration was transferred to local communities and restoration plots of various sizes were planted with a range of indigenous framework tree species. Post-restoration activities include frequent weeding and fertilizer application, as well as the cutting of firebreaks in the dry season. Monitoring focused on survival and growth rates of each species, as well as the diversity of soil microbial communities. Ecosystem services, provided by the restored forests, including climate control, were evaluated, along with forest products used by local people. The effects of restoration on the quality of life of local people was also assessed. Currently, villagers who are project members continue to actively contribute to the care of the restored forest, to ensure its long-term health and growth.
In collaboration with:
Biodiversity
Biodiversity recovery is one of the main aims of forest restoration - but what to measure? Plants? Birds? Mammal? Learn simple monitoring techniques here.
11: Seed dispersal and seed predation between natural forest and restored forest area in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai
ABSTRACT: Seed dispersal and seed predation are natural mechanisms reflecting natural regeneration. The objective of this study was to compare seed dispersal and the effect of seed predators in a...
12: Comparative study on tree seedling growth rate and diversity between a natural forest and a restored forest area in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai
ABSTRACT: In 1967, Thailand had forest cover as high as 53.22 percent of the country's land area, but in 2021 the forest area was reduced to 31.68 percent, of which 63.99 percent was forested in...
13: The diversity of mammal in natural and restored forest in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai Province
Forest areas in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai Province, have been converted to farmlands, causing the area to deteriorate and affecting wildlife habitats. Various organizations are working to...
14: Distribution of Castanopsis calathiformis (Skan)Rehder & E.H.Wilson Seedlings Beneath Maternal Tree Crowns in Forest Restoration Plots
ABSTRACT: Castanopsis calathiformis (Skan) Rehder & E.H.Wilson is one of indigenous tree species in the Fagaceae that was planted in 1998 in a restoration plots in a deforested area near Mae Sa...
15: UAV-derived forest degradation assessments for planning and monitoring forest ecosystem restoration: towards a forest degradation index
ABSTRACT: Global initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests have prompted large-scale forest restoration projects to combat land degradation, preserve...
16: Soil bacterial communities and their associated functions for forest restoration on a limestone mine in northern Thailand
ABSTRACT: Opencast mining removes topsoil and associated bacterial communities that play crucial roles in soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding the community composition and functioning of...
17: Comparison of the Reproductive Phenology of Evergreen Forest Trees
ABSTRACT: In an evergreen forest at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Chiang Mai Province, ten tree species were observed for their phenology, monthly between March 2020 and February 2021: Baccaurea...
18: Comparison of Soil Microbial Communities in Opencast Limestone Mine and Mine Rehabilitation Sites
Opencast mining is considered as an extreme form of land degradation, requiring an intensive array of rehabilitation practices. The mine rehabilitation practice, in the semiopencast limestone mine...
19: Developing a Forest-Degradation Index for Forest Ecosystem Restoration Using UAV-based RGB Photography
Abstract: Forest degradation assessment is essential to plan restoration. This study was a first attempt to develop a forest-degradation index (FDI), based on data from unmanned aerial vehicles...
20: Effect of microsite light on survival and growth of understory natural regeneration during restoration of seasonally dry tropical forest in upland northern Thailand
ABSTRACT: The framework species method (FSM) of forest restoration involves planting mixtures of native forest trees to catalyze or complement natural regeneration and accelerate recovery of a...