Open access copy available
Guidance on Coffee Carbon Project Development Using the Simplified Agroforestry Methodology (Lineamientos Para el Diseño de Proyectos de Carbono en Cafetales Usando La Metodología Agroforestal Simplificada)EspañolAntecedentesEsta guía fue preparada por el “Rainforest Alliance” con el objetivo de proveer a dueños y gerentes de fincas cafetaleras información práctica y detallada sobre el desarrollo de proyectos agroforestales o de repoblación forestal; esto con la meta final de establecer elegibilidad para programas de bonos de carbono. Se provee una vista amplia de proyectos agroforestales de carbono, incluyendo información sobre las distintas labores necesarias para la implementación de los mismos. Open access copy available |
Woody Plant Diversity and Structure of Shade-Grown-Coffee Plantations in Northern Chiapas, MexicobackgroundThis article presents research on coffee stand structure and diversity, with data collected from 61 coffee plots in Chiapas, Mexico. Research Goals & MethodsThe following variables were measured: coffee density, slope, plot aspect, the number of individuals of each shade species (divided into 9 diametric classes), number of strata, species use, and presence of woody plant species. Open access copy available |
Tree species diversity and vegetation structure in shade coffee farms in Veracruz, MexicoBackgroundWhile some studies have argued that shade coffee enables similar biodiversity to remnant forest fragments, others contest that the ecological functions of shade coffee can be assumed to be the same or that policies promoting shade coffee will also benefit remnant forest fragments. Not all taxa have been thoroughly studied in shade coffee. This study reports on tree species diversity and vegetation structure in shade coffee farms in Veracruz, Mexico. Open access copy available |
Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: I. A Review of Quantitative Information on Physiological and Ecological ProcessesBackgroundCoffee (Coffea arabica, L.) is the most widely grown cash crop in Central America. While previous research identified various environmental factors that affect its growth and yield, the authors believe that quantitative knowledge of coffee and other tropical agroforestry systems is still limited. This article provides both a literature review and a summary of quantitative data necessary to develop process-based models for coffee agroforestry systems in Central America. Open access copy available |
Vilcanota Valley Rehabilitation and Management ProjectOpen access copy available |
Biodiversity Conservation in Traditional Coffee Systems of MexicoBackgroundThis article discusses the capacity of traditional coffee agroforestry systems for maintaining biodiversity levels. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors describe five coffee plantation systems based on differing vegetational and structural complexity: (1) traditional rustic, (2) traditional polyculture, (3) commercial polyculture, (4) shaded monoculture, and (5) unshaded monoculture. Open access copy available |
ITTO Guidelines for the Restoration, Management, and Rehabilitation of Degraded and Secondary Tropical ForestsbackgroundThis guide provides detailed information on the tools and concepts for rehabilitating and managing degraded forests and secondary forests. These lands have an often unrecognized ability and potential for providing valuable ecosystem services and provisioning timber, NTFPs, and other goods. Open access copy available |
Multifunctional Shade-Tree Management in Tropical Agroforestry Landscapes – A ReviewbackgroundThis article discusses the benefits of shade systems in the production of cacao and coffee crops, with a particular focus on the long-term cycle of cacao production. Open access copy available |
Use of the Amazonian Tree Species Inga edulis for Soil Regeneration and Weed ControlbackgroundThis article presents research on leguminous tree-based fallows using Inga edulis in Peru. Research Goals & MethodsFour treatments were compared over a period of nearly 3 years: 1) natural fallow, 2) fallow with I. edulis, 3) fallow with I. edulis combined with a cover crop of kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides), and 4) continuous cropping of cassava. Open access copy available |
Biomass Growth and Farmer Knowledge of Inga edulis in Peruvian AmazonbackgroundThis study develops an equation for diameter-based biomass estimation of Inga edulis. The tree is widely grown in the Peruvian Amazon as a naturally occurring early-successional tree and in small farms and gardens for fruit and fuelwood. Open access copy available |
