Joel Persson

I am a postdoctoral researcher with interests at the intersection of forest governance, rural livelihoods, and globalisation. I employ integrative methodological approaches and mixed methods to understanding complex land-use change processes and their effects on landscapes. My current project focuses on the processes shaping geographically uneven forest transitions - i.e. the shift from net loss to net gain in forest and tree cover across the geographies of a country. The goal is to uncover distinct yet interconnected generative structures fostering particular features of resurging forests, and understand their implications for multifunctional forest landscapes. The research has two tracks: (1) A critical examination of narratives underlying diverse forest and tree system expansion strategies, using Q-methodology; and (2) Comparative case studies on industrial tree plantations and protected areas in landscapes undergoing (or expected to undergo) forest and tree cover expansion. Focusing on Laos, the research aims to systematically map visions of forests and tree systems, how they link to enacted expansion strategies, and evaluate prospects for transformative change in forest governance.