Future governance options for large-scale land acquisition in Cambodia: Impacts on tree cover and tiger landscapes

Simulations suggest that both interventionist (reclaim unconverted areas) and preventive (avoid non-conversion) policies dramatically reduce underuse. Interventionist policies perform best in limiting tree cover loss and in preserving natural areas, but preventive measures lead to sig- nificantly less fragmentation. Noninterventionist policies (no enforced policies) make tiger reintroduction in the Eastern Plains impossible.

Preventive policies with well-enforced protected areas succeed in creating the largest potential for tiger reintroduction. Our results suggest that Cambodia can reconcile LSLAs with tiger re- introduction in the Eastern Plains only when using preventive land use policies. In the absence of such policies, tiger survival in the Eastern Plains is unlikely and only the Cardamom or Virachey forest may offer such po- tential.