• ELC issuance frequently results in very rapid and extensive deforestation of the concession area, while displacing forest-dependent populations that transfer pressures that degrade or deforest neighbouring areas.

• Extensive clearing of native vegetation and alteration of drainage patterns should be avoided in and around these ponds.

• The first trend probably reflects the year-to-year variation in factors that affect the ability of land-users to clear forest, such as disposable income (which in turn might reflect factors such as the state of the national economy and inflation rates) and the length of the dry season (e.g. the long dry seasons of El Nin˜o years facilitate extensive land-clearing with fire)