In this breaking through research, Patrick Lavelle from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) together with a transdisciplinary team figure out the tipping point between landscape intensification and ecoefficiency in the Amazonia . First, the team determines a measure scale to landscape intensification in Amazonia. Degraded pastures are on the extensive extremity of the scale and tropical forest on the intensive extremity. The following indicators measures the change in socio-environmental components and landscape use intensification: i) human development, ii) economical efficiency, iii) biodiversity, and iv) ecosystem services. The sum all four indicators indicates the prevailing ecoefficiency. Two regions composed of six landscape windows, 54 farms and 270 sampling points enables the collection of the data. To study the relationship between ecoefficiency and landscape intensification in Amazonia, the data is plotted together. The resulting curve draw a tipping point. This point represents the optimal ecoefficiency and landscape intensification level. In Amazonia, ecoefficiency is optimal when there is a 50 % level of forest (20% pristine and 30% fallows/tree based systems). According to Dr. Lavelle, to reach a woody cover of 50 %, the actual mainstream agricultural practice need to be stopped in Amazonia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reporting from China: A fire has ravaged one of the world's most advanced projects for rainforest restoration projects following the Rainforestation Farming technology, previously presented in Tropentag conferences. The blaze conferred a biological damage of increased significance as many acres of precious forest were burned. An international delegation of researchers and sponsors had to make an emergency evacuation of the site as the fire engulfed the project, designed and implemented by the TianZi Biodiversity Research & Development Center, in collaboration with numerous international partners. Hundreds of local people have been fighting the blaze at the site of the project in the Bulang mountains of Xishuangbanna in the Yunnan Province of China, but they have been unable to prevent a severe loss of bio-culture.