Micro Finance as a Tool of Empowerment: Evidence from Two State Sponsored Micro Finance Projects in Sri Lanka

Microfinance provides a variety of small-scale financial products including credit, savings, insurance and business development services to poor people who do not have access to commercial banks and other formal financial institutions. It is widely believed that such credit enables poor people to engage in their own small enterprises, thereby to raise their incomes, and to accumulate assets. Microfinance is increasingly recognized as an effective instrument for poverty reduction and local economic development especially through empowering women economically, politically and socially. This research was carried  with an objective to assess the extent to which these micro finance projects contribute for the economic empowerment, social empowerment, interpersonal empowerment of women beneficiaries in Hingurakgoda DS division in Polonnaruwa district in Sri Lanka. 200 beneficiaries from 2nd community development and livelihood improvement project and  Samurdhi Bank Society were selected randomly and information was collected through structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis shows that’s loans, advisory & counseling service, skills development & training and women empowerment are in high level. Correlation between predictors and empowerment is also reveals positive and significant relationship. Regression analysis shows that variables skills development & training and advisory & counseling service are contributing more to women empowerment

A review of forest and tree plantation biomass equations in Indonesia

Key message: We compiled 2,458 biomass equations from 168 destructive sampling studies in Indonesia. Unpublished academic theses contributed the largest share of the biomass equations. The availability of the biomass equations was skewed to certain regions, forest types, and species. Further research is necessary to fill the data gaps in emission factors and to enhance the implementation of climate change mitigation projects and programs. Context: Locally derived allometric equations contribute to reducing the uncertainty in the estimation of biomass, which may be useful in the implementation of climate change mitigation projects and programs in the forestry sector. Many regional and global efforts are underway to compile allometric equations. Aims: The present study compiles the available allometric equations in Indonesia and evaluates their adequacy in estimating biomass in the different types of forest across the archipelago. Methods: A systematic survey of the scientific literature was conducted to compile the biomass equations, including ISI publications, national journals, conference proceedings, scientific reports, and academic theses. The data collected were overlaid on a land use/land cover map to assess the spatial distribution with respect to different regions and land cover types. The validation of the equations for selected forest types was carried out using independent destructive sampling data. Results: A total of 2,458 biomass equations from 168 destructive sampling studies were compiled. Unpublished academic theses contributed the majority of the biomass equations. Twenty-one habitat types and 65 species were studied in detail. Diameter was the most widely used single predictor in all allometric equations. The cumulative number of individual trees cut was 5,207. The islands of Java, Kalimantan, and Sumatra were the most studied, while other regions were underexplored or unexplored. More than half of the biomass equations were for just seven species. The majority of the studies were carried out in plantation forests and secondary forests, while primary forests remain largely understudied. Validation using independent data showed that the allometric models for peat swamp forest had lower error departure, while the models for lowland dipterocarp forest had higher error departure. Conclusion: Although biomass studies are a major research activity in Indonesia due to its high forest cover, the majority of such activities are limited to certain regions, forest types, and species. More research is required to cover underrepresented regions, forest types, particular growth forms, and very large tree diameter classes

Wind dispersed tree species have greater maximum height

AimWe test the hypothesis that wind dispersal is more common among emergent tree species given that being tall increases the likelihood of effective seed dispersal.LocationAmericas, Africa and the Asia‐Pacific.Time period1970–2020.Major taxa studiedGymnosperms and Angiosperms.MethodsWe used a dataset consisting of tree inventories from 2821 plots across three biogeographic regions (Americas, Africa and Asia‐Pacific), including dry and wet forests, to determine the maximum height and dispersal strategy of 5314 tree species. A web search was used to determine whether species were wind‐dispersed. We compared differences in tree species maximum height between biogeographic regions and examined the relationship between species maximum height and wind dispersal using logistic regression. We also tested whether emergent tree species, that is species with at least one individual taller than the 95% height percentile in one or more plots, were disproportionally wind dispersed in dry and wet forests within each biogeographic region.ResultsOur dataset provides maximum height values for 5314 tree species, of which more than half (2914) had no record of this trait in existing global databases. We found that, on average, tree species in the Americas have lower maximum heights compared to those in Africa and the Asia Pacific. The probability of wind dispersal increased significantly with tree species maximum height and was significantly higher among emergent than non‐emergent tree species in both dry and wet forests in all three biogeographic regions.Main conclusionWind dispersal is more prevalent in tall, emergent tree species than in non‐emergent species and may thus be an important factor in the evolution of tree species maximum height. By providing the most comprehensive dataset so far of tree species maximum height and wind dispersal strategies, this study paves the way for advancing our understanding of the eco‐evolutionary drivers of tree size

Wind dispersed tree species have greater maximum height

Aim We test the hypothesis that wind dispersal is more common among emergent tree species given that being tall increases the likelihood of effective seed dispersal. Location Americas, Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Time period 1970–2020. Major taxa studied Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Methods We used a dataset consisting of tree inventories from 2821 plots across three biogeographic regions (Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific), including dry and wet forests, to determine the maximum height and dispersal strategy of 5314 tree species. A web search was used to determine whether species were wind-dispersed. We compared differences in tree species maximum height between biogeographic regions and examined the relationship between species maximum height and wind dispersal using logistic regression. We also tested whether emergent tree species, that is species with at least one individual taller than the 95% height percentile in one or more plots, were disproportionally wind dispersed in dry and wet forests within each biogeographic region. Results Our dataset provides maximum height values for 5314 tree species, of which more than half (2914) had no record of this trait in existing global databases. We found that, on average, tree species in the Americas have lower maximum heights compared to those in Africa and the Asia Pacific. The probability of wind dispersal increased significantly with tree species maximum height and was significantly higher among emergent than non-emergent tree species in both dry and wet forests in all three biogeographic regions. Main conclusion Wind dispersal is more prevalent in tall, emergent tree species than in non-emergent species and may thus be an important factor in the evolution of tree species maximum height. By providing the most comprehensive dataset so far of tree species maximum height and wind dispersal strategies, this study paves the way for advancing our understanding of the eco-evolutionary drivers of tree size