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Secondary forests comprise a large and growing proportion of the forest cover in the tropics and are very important at the local, national and regional levels for a wide range of products and environmental services. However, knowledge and expertise regarding secondary forests is still limited, and they are inadequately addressed in forest policy, planning and research. Interest in secondary forests, however, is emerging both at the national and the international levels starting with a 1997 workshop in Latin America and the subsequent formation of a regional coalition to coordinate research and other initiatives related to secondary forests. A similar workshop focusing on Asia was held in Samarinda, Indonesia from April 10-14, 2000 to raise awareness about secondary forests, promote their sustainable management and guide their progression along desirable pathways. The analyses and recommendations presented here arose from the Samarinda workshop process.
