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Coffee yields and soil nutrients under the shades of Inga sp. vs. multiple species in Chiapas, MexicoBackgroundThe type of canopy structure that provides shade to shade-grown coffee may make a difference in production. While Mexican coffee producers have often sought to replace a natural diverse canopy with Inga latibracteata alone, the benefits of either method for yield and for ease of management have not been adequately studied. Available with subscription or purchase |
Effects of Inga densiflora on the Microclimate of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and Overall Biomass under Optimal Growing Conditions in Costa RicabackgroundThis article compares a coffee agroforestry system shaded with Inga densiflora to a coffee monoculture in optimal coffee growing conditions in Costa Rica. The two systems were investigated to determine differences in microclimate, coffee yield, and vegetative development of the coffee plants. Available with subscription or purchase |
Ecological Interactions, Management Lessons and Design Tools in Tropical Agroforestry SystemsbackgroundThis article discusses efforts to model and predict the outcomes of competition between tree and crop species in agroforestry systems. It provides an overview of the positive and negative effects of intra- and inter-specific competition and describes narious methods for quantifying the net effects of tree-crop interactions. Available with subscription or purchase |
Restoration of a Sri-Lankan rainforest: Using Caribbean Pine Pinus caribaea as a nurse for establishing late-successional tree speciesBackgroundIn the moist tropics, studies have demonstrated poor seedling establishment of late-successional trees on lands cleared of forest. This study examines the potential for establishing late-successional tree species that dominate the canopy of rainforest by planting within and adjacent to experimental openings that were created within a Pinus caribaea plantation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Silvicultural and economic aspects of pure and mixed native tree species plantations on degraded pasturelands in humid Costa RicaBackgroundReforestation of degraded land in tropical regions provides one means of restoring ecosystems and improving rural livelihoods. Most plantations in humid tropical regions are established in pure plots using few species of high commercial value, generally exotics. This study compares growth and economic viability of native trees in pure and mixed plantations on degraded land. Available with subscription or purchase |
Evaluation of Trees Indigenous to the Montane Forest of the Blue Mountains, Jamaica for Reforestation and AgroforestrybackgroundThis study investigates local knowledge of native species and their uses in agroforestry systems, as well as the establishment of native species in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Research Goals & MethodsInterviews were conducted with 27 local participants to determine the use of 80 taxa of trees and shrubs, 43 of them native taxa; the value of each species was calculated for 10 uses. Available with subscription or purchase |
Experiments on Ecological Restoration of Coal Mine Spoil using Native Trees in a Dry Tropical Environment, India: A SynthesisbackgroundThis article outlines a series of experiments on the growth performance of 17 native tree species, as well the suitability of select species for use in plantations and to restore soil fertility on an abandoned coal mine in India. All 17 species grew in degraded mine soil, with A. catechu, B. racemosa, D. strictus, L. coromandelica and T. arjuna showing the highest biomass accumulation in mine soil; certain species showed higher biomass accumulation in mine soil fertilized with full or half doses of NPK. Available with subscription or purchase |
Seed Dispersal Distances and Plant Migration Potential in Tropical East AsiaBackgroundMost predictions of vegetation responses to anthropogenic climate change over the next century are based on plant physiological tolerances and do not account for the ability of plant species to migrate over the distances required in the time available, or the impact of habitat fragmentation on this ability. This review assesses the maximum routine dispersal distances achievable in tropical East Asia and their vulnerability to human impacts. Available with subscription or purchase |
Carbon sequestration in tropical agroforestry systemsBackgroundAgricultural lands are considered to be a major potential carbon sink, especially if trees are re-integrated with crops and/or animal agriculture. However, agroforestry systems are very diverse and are frequently used in small-scale settings, presenting challenges to carbon sequestration estimates. Available with subscription or purchase |
Applying Indigenous Knowledge to the Restoration of Degraded Tropical Rain Forest Clearings Dominated by Bracken FernbackgroundThe indigenous Lacandon Maya people of southern Mexico use a rotational agriculture system known in Spanish as the milpa for production of maize and other crops. This system rotates production to different plots, allowing the forest and soil to recover in the fallow years between production periods. In some cases, the Lacandon people actively manage forest recovery, sowing Balsa trees to prevent plots from being taken over by the invasive Bracken fern. Available with subscription or purchase |
