Tropical rainforests and agroforests under global change: Ecological and socio-economic valuations — an introduction

Abstract

Tropical rainforests are disappearing, causing irreversible species losses, especially of rare and specialised species (e.g. Owens and Bennett 2000, Acebey et al. 2003, Kessler et al. 2009, Maas et al. 2009). Despite an increasing recognition of the value of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services at national and international levels, rainforests continue to be seriously threatened by human-induced global change such as agricultural intensification and climate change.