Trees, Forests and People最新文献

{"title":"Air temperature and particulate matter 2.5 are key environmental drivers of negative air ion dynamics: Results from long-term monitoring in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest","authors":"Aibo Li ,&nbsp;Ziqing Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuhao Yang ,&nbsp;Kun Sun ,&nbsp;Jilai Chen ,&nbsp;Benzhi Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100944","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100944","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Negative air ions (NAIs) are widely studied for their role in evaluating the therapeutic effects of forests on human health and mitigating air pollution through mechanisms such as neutralizing airborne particulate matter and reducing reactive gaseous pollutants via oxidative pathways. This study examined NAI temporal dynamics and key environmental drivers in forests. On-site monitoring (June 2021-May 2023) included NAIs, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, direct radiation, and particulate matter. We found that NAI concentrations in the forest generally met the World Health Organization's clean air threshold, averaging 1698 ± 347 ions·cm⁻³. NAI concentrations followed a single-peak diurnal pattern, peaking at 12:00–15:00 and reaching a minimum at 5:00–8:00. Seasonal variations in NAI concentrations were significant, with the highest levels in summer (1919 ± 260 ions·cm⁻³), followed by autumn (1734 ± 115 ions·cm⁻³), spring (1580 ± 338 ions·cm⁻³), and winter (1535 ± 226 ions·cm⁻³). Correlation analyses indicated significant positive correlations between NAI concentrations and air temperature, wind speed, and direct radiation, while relative humidity and particulate matter showed significant negative correlations. Multiple regression and random forest analyses identified air temperature and particulate matter 2.5 as the primary factors influencing NAI concentrations. A predictive model (NAIs = 18.4 × Ta–17.5 × WS–3.6 × RH–8.0 × PM_2.5 + 5.3 × PM₁₀ + 1.8 × 10³) was developed to estimate NAI concentrations in forest environments. Given these temporal patterns of NAI, the findings support scheduling forest therapy in summer and autumn afternoons to maximize exposure to NAI at peak concentrations. Additionally, the predictive model offers a practical tool for air quality management in forested areas, supporting evidence-based decisions in urban green space planning, forest therapy zone scheduling, and environmental health policy development. This study addresses a crucial knowledge gap regarding NAI dynamics and environmental drivers in forests, potentially informing evidence-based decision-making in forest-based health interventions and ecological planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100944"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forest fire dynamics in Nepal: Regional trends and socio-ecological drivers","authors":"Khagendra Prasad Joshi ,&nbsp;Susma Giri ,&nbsp;Dipesh Kuinkel ,&nbsp;Sajesh Kuikel ,&nbsp;Rohini Devkota ,&nbsp;Dhiraj Pradhananga ,&nbsp;Suresh Marahatta ,&nbsp;Binod Pokharel","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100942","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100942","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest fires pose a significant threat to global ecosystems and communities. In Nepal, the country’s diverse vegetation, climates, and socioeconomic settings contribute to unique regional fire dynamics, which are often underrepresented in national forest fire analyses. This study investigates fire trends, key drivers, and public perceptions of management strategies across Nepal’s four major physiographic regions: the Terai, Chure, Middle Mountains, and High Mountains. We employed remote sensing data, questionnaire surveys (<em>n</em> = 337), and statistical modelling to assess regional fire dynamics and evaluate management approaches. We found that over the past two decades, fire incidents and burned areas have increased significantly in the Chure and Middle Mountains. Broad-leaf deciduous forests in lower regions and needle-leaf forests in higher regions were the most significant contributors. While topographical factors played a major role in most regions, they had minimal influence in the Chure. In the High Mountains, anthropogenic factors—such as proximity to roads and agricultural land cover—were strongly negatively correlated with burned area. Pre-monsoon precipitation consistently showed a significant negative relationship with fire occurrence across all regions, whereas pre-monsoon temperature had no discernible impact. Survey responses highlight strong community support for awareness programs and training, and a widespread belief in the importance of local institutions in fire management. However, labor-intensive fire prevention practices, such as creating fire lines and collecting leaf litter, were less preferred. To mitigate future fire risks, we recommend strengthening community involvement, expanding fire management training, and increasing economic incentives linked to forest resources. These findings offer valuable insights into Nepal’s fire regimes and support evidence-based forest fire management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100942"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A coffee corridor for biodiversity and livelihoods: climatic feasibility of shade coffee cultivation in western Rwanda","authors":"Tom Reckmann ,&nbsp;Marina Frietsch ,&nbsp;Christoph Schwenck ,&nbsp;Athanase Mukuralinda ,&nbsp;Dula Wakassa Duguma ,&nbsp;Joern Fischer","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Around the world, restoration activities are underway to halt and reverse ecosystem degradation. A key challenge is to identify restoration approaches that work for both people and nature – i.e. approaches that can sustain livelihoods as well as biodiversity. Here, we focused on a mosaic landscape in western Rwanda. The landscape features two strictly protected remnant patches of Afromontane rainforest (Gishwati and Mukura forests), which are of high conservation value, but are isolated from one another by some 30 km of smallholder farmland. Connecting Gishwati and Mukura forests would be valuable from a biodiversity perspective, but to date, it is unclear how this could be done in a way that is consistent with local people’s livelihoods. To that end, we modelled the climatic suitability for growing shade coffee in the area between Gishwati and Mukura forests. We systematically evaluated plausible scenarios of future climate change and found that much of the study area is already suitable for growing coffee, and will become increasingly suitable in the future. In addition, we identified a series of local species that could be used as shade trees. With the study area becoming increasingly suitable for growing coffee over the coming decades, and with suitable shade trees being native to the study area, we argue there is high potential for establishing a shade coffee corridor between Gishwati and Mukura forests. Such a corridor, in turn, could provide a win-win opportunity for biodiversity conservation and local people’s livelihoods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100941"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing household, plant-based, and animal-based dietary diversity and their determinants among Sundarbans mangrove forest resource-dependent communities in Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Tanvir Hossain ,&nbsp;Tunvir Ahamed Shohel ,&nbsp;Md. Nasif Ahsan ,&nbsp;Md. Nazrul Islam","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100936","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100936","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Household Dietary Diversity Scale (HDDS) is a widely accepted measure of dietary and nutritional intake patterns of individuals or households. However, it comprises two components: the plant-based dietary diversity score (P-BDDS) and animal-based dietary diversity score (A-BDDS). However, there is no empirical study regarding the pattern of HDDS, P-BDDS, and A-BDDS among Sundarbans mangrove forest resource-dependent communities (SMFRDCs). Thus, this endeavor attempts to assess the HDDS, P-BDDS, and A-BDDS of SMFRDCs and identify the factors associated with these measures of dietary diversity. Administering a structured interview schedule, data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 782 participants from three southwestern coastal districts of Bangladesh, selected following multistage stratified random sampling, and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. The findings suggest that the average score of HDDS, P-BDDS, and A-BDDS was 4.8 (±1.8), 2.8 (±1.0), and 2.0 (±1.2), respectively. The hierarchical multiple regression (HMR), explaining 33 % of the variance for HDDS, indicates that education, seasonal occupation, transport and land assets, social, financial, and political capital, institutional vulnerability, and food insecurity significantly determined the HDDS of SMFRDCs. For P-BDDS, the HMR, explaining 20 % variance, showed that seasonal occupation; <em>Upazila</em>; savings; transport; livestock; land assets; natural, financial, and political capital; institutional vulnerability; and food insecurity were the key predictors of P-BDDS of SMFRDCs. For A-BDDS, it is apparent that education, <em>Upazila</em>, type of family, savings, domestic, livestock, land assets, human, social, natural, and political capital, institutional vulnerability, and food insecurity were important determinants of A-BDDS among the SMFRDCs, explaining over 40 % variance. To ensure dietary diversity with proper nutritional intake by SMFRDCs, the complex interplay between livelihood resources and food access in ecologically vulnerable and economically marginalized communities should be addressed through context-specific, evidence-based collaborative interventions from the government and its non-government partners to ensure and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of poverty and hunger reduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100936"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144662740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecosystem response to management of an invasive N2-fixing tree in Hawaiʻi","authors":"R.Flint Hughes ,&nbsp;Caitlin Morrison ,&nbsp;Edward Bufil ,&nbsp;James Leary","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100932","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100932","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many non-native tree species are recognized as problematic to ecosystems they have invaded, and subsequent control efforts have met with varying levels of success. <em>Falcataria falcata</em> is a fast-growing, N-fixing tree that has aggressively invaded landscapes across the Hawaiian Archipelago. Due to their ability to alter Hawaiʻi’s native forest ecosystems, large stature at maturity, and potential for catastrophic tree fall, <em>F. falcata</em> stands pose threats to Hawaiʻi’s native forests, residential communities, and agricultural lands. We investigated responses to chemical control of <em>F. falcata</em> stands immediately after control and during ensuing initial stages of succession. Herbicide treatment of <em>F. falcata</em> stands increased litter inputs of N and P that translated to increased soil nutrient availability. Such increases were exploited by extant understory vegetation consisting of non-native grasses and forbs that formed a continuous layer to severely limit the documented maximum potential germination of nearly 8 million <em>F. falcata</em> seedlings per hectare. Although trajectories of post-control vegetation development were dominated by non-native species in this case, control strategies could be employed to incorporate purposeful plantings of native Hawaiian species, non-native but bio-culturally important species, or desired agricultural species. In the absence of such interventions, however, non-native vegetation dominance following <em>F. falcata</em> control presents a daunting barrier to any hope for native species establishment. Overall, findings indicated that <em>F. falcata</em> control is possible and feasible where understory vegetation is allowed to respond to increased light and nutrient resources and limit potential seedbank recruitment that would otherwise lead to <em>F. falcata</em> stand reestablishment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100932"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of altitudinal gradients on composition, biomass and soil nutrients of Cedrus deodara forests in the Northwestern Himalaya","authors":"Pooja ,&nbsp;Prem Prakash ,&nbsp;Praveen Kumar ,&nbsp;Rohit Bishist ,&nbsp;Pradeep Kumar ,&nbsp;Shilpa ,&nbsp;Rupali Singh ,&nbsp;Avinash Kumar Bhatia","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100937","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100937","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Himalayan forest ecosystems provide a wide range of ecological services, including climate regulation, water purification, biodiversity conservation and the production of forest goods. These ecosystems are critical for maintaining ecological balance and human well-being. Sustaining these functions requires healthy floristic composition, high biological productivity and balanced nutrient cycling. This study evaluates the vegetation structure, biomass, carbon stock and soil nutrient status of moist temperate <em>Cedrus deodara</em> forests across three altitudinal gradients (1600–1900 m, 1900–2200 m and &gt;2200 m) and three forest ranges (Bhajji, Mashobra and Koti) within the Shimla Forest Division. A total of 38 plant species were recorded, including 7 tree species, 11 shrubs and 20 herbaceous species. Key ecological parameters such as density, basal area, Importance Value Index (IVI) and diversity indices were assessed. Tree density ranged from 553.33 to 786.67 individuals ha⁻¹ and basal area varied from 52.52 to 121.05 m² ha⁻¹. Tree and shrub densities declined with increasing altitude, while herb density exhibited no consistent trend. Species richness and Shannon diversity index also declined with elevation. Biomass and carbon stock of <em>Cedrus deodara</em> followed a hump-shaped pattern, peaking at mid-altitudes, with total biomass ranging from 458.06 to 835.93 t ha⁻¹ and carbon stock from 219.28 to 382.48 t ha⁻¹. Soil pH and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were highest at lower elevations, while soil organic carbon was greatest at higher altitudes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100937"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the socio-psychological implications of Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights for forest-dwelling communities in Central India","authors":"Anirban Roy ,&nbsp;Asmita Sengupta","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100938","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100938","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In India, the Forest Rights Act (2006) legally recognizes the land rights of forest-dependent and forest-dwelling communities by granting them decision-making power over the lands they have traditionally depended on. Through the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights, a key provision under this Act, communities are entitled to protect biodiversity, manage forest produce, and participate in forest planning and decision-making in their customary lands. While CFR rights have been studied for their socio-economic and material outcomes, their socio-psychological implications remain relatively underexplored. We addressed this critical gap by using a combination of household interviews, focus group discussions, and narrative walks in three CFR-entitled villages in Vidarbha Maharashtra, India. Responses were transcribed and analyzed using value coding and descriptive statistics. An inductive approach guided the identification of key themes, followed by multiple rounds of interpretation situated within the context of CFR governance. The five key themes that emerged were satisfaction with CFR-based forest management, inclusion in decision-making, freedom to express opinions, values of environmental stewardship, and aspirations for empowered village futures. We found that CFR rights had positive socio-psychological implications for most respondents by fostering a greater sense of agency, belonging, inclusion, and empowerment in relation to forest governance. However, some respondents reported concerns about power asymmetries and limited representation. These findings suggest that policies need to move beyond procedural recognition of CFR rights to actively enable inclusive governance practices. Strengthening representation, supporting community-led stewardship, and addressing local power dynamics are essential for advancing both equity and effectiveness in CFR implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100938"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144662739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Public policies and pollinator conservation: Implications for agricultural sustainability","authors":"Emilio José Medrano-Sánchez ,&nbsp;Lourdes Sofia Cuenca-Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for agricultural products and intensive practices such as monocropping and pesticide use has put pollinators, essential to biodiversity and agricultural sustainability, at risk. This study examines public policies implemented between 2009 and 2024, evaluating their influence on pollinator conservation and highlighting challenges and opportunities to enhance their effectiveness. The research was conducted through a documentary review of 46 scientific articles sourced from the Scopus database. The results identified eight key thematic areas: ecosystem services, food security, protection policies, and economic valuation, among the most relevant, reflecting both achievements and areas for improvement in pollinator conservation. It concludes that the most effective policies are those that integrate scientific evidence with economic and social considerations. However, challenges such as excessive reliance on economic valuation in policy design and a lack of awareness persist. Therefore, a more holistic approach in future policies is recommended to ensure sustainable pollinator protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100921"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon sequestration potential of Alnus nepalensis at different land use systems and elevations of Gyalshing Forest Division, Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India","authors":"Ningwa Hangma Limboo ,&nbsp;Sarswati Prakash Sati ,&nbsp;Bhupendra Singh ,&nbsp;Deepa Rawat ,&nbsp;Manoj Kumar Riyal ,&nbsp;Vinod Prasad Khanduri","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100939","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100939","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estimation of vegetation composition, biomass, and soil properties along an elevational gradient is important to understand the variation in forest composition, biomass production, and physicochemical properties of the soil. In the present study, two land use systems were selected, i.e., <em>Alnus nepalensis</em> forests and <em>A. nepalensis</em>-based Silvi-horticulture systems in different elevations of Tashiding Range under Gyalshing Forest Division, Sikkim, to estimate the variation in vegetation structure, carbon storage potential, and soil characteristics. Four sites for each land use systems have been chosen at different elevations. Ten sample plots 10 × 10 m in size were laid out in each elevation. Physico-chemical properties of soil were analyzed at two different soil depths, i.e., 0–15 cm and 16–30 cm. The maximum tree density (540 trees per ha) and total basal area (19.72 m² ha⁻¹) were reported in <em>A. nepalensis</em> forests, while the tree density and tree basal area in <em>A. nepalensis</em>-based Silvi-horticulture system were recorded 430 trees per ha and 17.51 m² ha^-1, respectively. <em>A. nepalensis</em> forests stored a greater amount of tree carbon (150.74 C Mg ha⁻¹) as compared to the <em>A. nepalensis</em>-based Silvi-horticulture system (93.68 C Mg ha⁻¹). Soil pH and CEC were higher in <em>A. nepalensis</em> forests as compared to the <em>A. nepalensis</em>-based Silvi-horticulture system, while SOC, SOM, available N, available P, and available K were higher in the <em>A. nepalensis</em>-based Silvi-horticulture system. The study inferred that the forests with nitrogen-fixing species like <em>Alnus</em> increase the capability to sequester carbon and improve soil quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100939"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Palm oil conflict and social transformation: Exploring the intersection of farmer autonomy and conflict resolution","authors":"Herdis Herdiansyah ,&nbsp;Randi Mamola","doi":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100934","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tfp.2025.100934","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agrarian conflict between commercial and sub-commercial oil palm plantation production in Sumatra Province has been a long-standing issue, significantly affect the welfare of local farmers. By analyzing agrarian law and human freedom indices, this study identifies key production gaps and stages of consensus concerning farmers’ autonomy rights in plantation land ownership. Drawing on a matching analysis approach, supported by interviews, surveys, and FGD observations, this research examines the bias present in current policies governing farmer autonomy. Overall, farmers in five rural areas of Sumatra Province demonstrated that those working in sub-commercial oil palm plantations experienced lower levels of production freedom compared to those in commercial plantations. The study also shows that the division of land ownership tends to be a key factor to the emergence of agrarian conflicts, which remains a significant challenge to the sustainability of the autonomy system in oil palm plantations. To solve the problem of agrarian conflicts, this study proposes a strategic approach that extends beyond the assessment of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) policies to emphasize<del>s</del> the importance of institutional policies. This study highlights that strengthening institutional policies at all administrative levels contributes to promoting accountability in the reform of the peasant autonomy system. In addition, the active engagement of both formal and informal institutions plays a critical role in mitigating future agrarian conflicts, particularly defending farmers’ production rights throughout the plantation development process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36104,"journal":{"name":"Trees, Forests and People","volume":"21 ","pages":"Article 100934"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}