The configurations of local action, such as resource extraction, and national or global structures, such as regulatory institutions, have been described as mutually creative. Significant differences may exist between the intention of regulation and the actual practices of actors, however, particularly in the context of a resource boom. This doctoral dissertation research project will link a commodity-chains analysis of the trade in shihuahuaco timber (Dipteryx spp.) and an integrated agent-structure approach to assess the interplay between Peruvian and global forestry policy and the realities of timber extraction and trade. The doctoral candidate will consider the development of supply arrangements by various sets of industry actors to satisfy new demand from China in the context of structural adjustments to forest governance. The results of this trade study will be correlated to original research on the post-logging regeneration ecology of shihuahuaco, which has been the subject of an export boom from Peruvian Amazonia to China over the last decade.
This project will integrate and advance thinking from several disciplines, including political ecology, human geography, and forestry. It will assess the interplay between national and global forestry policy and the realities of timber extraction and trade, with special attention given to correlating sociopolitical findings with research on the post-logging regeneration ecology of hardwood timber. The research also will have practical benefits, as it will enable policy makers to assess current forest policy in terms of the sustainable management of forest resources as well as forestry strategies promoted by global institutions. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.
