Email: Pawara.P@chula.ac.th

Affiliation: Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Nationality: Thai

Ecological Restoration for Agrarian Futures: Forests, Fungi, and Food Security in the Climate Crisis in Thailand

Abstract

Amid the intensifying impacts of climate change, smallholder agriculture faces growing uncertainty and vulnerability due to its reliance on predictable seasonal weather patterns and rainfall. The increasing irregularity of climate conditions poses substantial threats to rural livelihoods, food security, and agrarian sustainability. In response to these challenges, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) derived from community forests have gained prominence as a potential livelihood strategy. However, access to such products presupposes the successful ecological restoration of degraded forest landscapes. Forest restoration not only facilitates the recovery of ecological functions but also strengthens carbon sequestration capacities, enriches biodiversity, and provides food security through the establishment of localized food banks. These outcomes directly align with global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 15: Life on Land.

Effective forest restoration in tropical regions necessitates the use of native tree species adapted to specific local conditions, supported by beneficial microbial symbionts. Ectomycorrhizal fungi, in particular, play a critical role in enhancing nutrient uptake, tree seedling establishment, and resilience to environmental stress. Beyond their ecological utility, various ectomycorrhizal fungi also produce edible fruiting bodies, such as Astraeus odoratus, which are culturally valued and economically significant within many rural communities. These fungi thus represent a unique convergence of ecological function and local livelihood opportunity, rendering them an ideal component of integrated restoration strategies.

In Thailand, two community-based case studies illustrated the viability of incorporating ectomycorrhizal fungi into forest restoration efforts. These initiatives focused on the regeneration of dipterocarp seedlings—dominated by species from the family Dipterocarpaceae—which are foundational to several forest ecosystems across the country. The inoculation of seedlings with A. odoratus resulted in improved survival rates and growth performance following transplantation, while simultaneously enabling future access to valuable NTFPs. These biological interventions were complemented by participatory processes of knowledge exchange, where research outputs were translated into community workshops, training sessions, and demonstration plots. Such activities enhance local capacities for forest management, while reaffirming the role of traditional ecological knowledge in sustaining and adapting rural livelihoods.

This study underscored the importance of combining scientific innovation with local participation in addressing climate vulnerability and ecological degradation. It advocated for a holistic, community-centered approach to forest restoration—one that is rooted in local ecologies, responsive to socio-economic realities, and oriented toward long-term sustainability. By foregrounding the political ecology of forest use and restoration, the findings speak to broader debates on agrarian transitions, resource governance, and peasant strategies of resilience under climate change. In doing so, the work contributes to an evolving discourse on how rural communities can reconfigure their relationships with land, labor, and nature in ways that are both ecologically restorative and socially just.

Bio

Pawara Pachit is a lecturer in the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She joined the department in 2024 after completing her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the same university in 2022, where she also earned her B. Sc. and M. Sc. in Botany. She was a recipient of the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) Scholarship. Her academic interests center on mycology, particularly mycorrhizal fungal communities and their applications in forest restoration and sustainable agriculture.

During her doctoral research, she gained practical experience working on forest restoration projects involving ectomycorrhizal fungi and participated in related community workshops. Alongside her advisors, she co-authored public-facing articles in Thai to share this knowledge more broadly. Her current work explores the intersection of ecological science, forest governance, and rural livelihoods. She is also increasingly interested in writing for social science audiences to promote sustainable reforestation and management. Pawara currently serves as a committee member of the Native Species Reforestation Foundation.