Montane Forest
Contextual Analysis of Agroforestry Adoption in the Buffer Zone of Podocarpus National Park, EcuadorBackgroundPromoting sustainable agriculture and community development has been an important strategy both to alleviate resource pressures on Ecuador’s Podocarpus National Park (PNP) and surrounding forested areas in its buffer zone, and to aid local communities. However, many contextual factors drive neighboring rural and agricultural communities to put pressure on PNP and the surrounding landscape. Available with subscription or purchase |
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 |
Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: II. Development of a Simple Process-Based Model and Preliminary ResultsBackgroundGlobally, coffee (Coffea arabica, L.) is an important cash crop. In past decades, there was a growing trend in Central America towards high-input monocultures, but most recently, agroforestry is again becoming a common system. However, it is difficult to optimise the selection of shade tree species in an agroforestry system. This article provides information on a simple dynamic model for coffee-agroforestry systems in Central America. Available with subscription or purchase |
Vilcanota Valley Rehabilitation and Management ProjectOpen access copy available |
Shade management in coffee and cacao plantationsBackgroundShade trees reduce the stress of coffee (Coffea spp.) and cacao (Theobroma cacao) by ameliorating adverse climatic conditions and nutritional imbalances and increase the biodiversity of coffee farms, but they may also compete for growth resources. This review summarizes the literature on ecological aspects of shade-grown coffee and cacao and on management of shade trees, but does not address economic and social aspects of shade-grown coffee and cacao. Available with subscription or purchase |
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 |
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 |
Estimación de la cantidad de carbono capturado por el fuste del hualtaco (Loxopterigium huasango) en el bosque seco de Sullana, Piura - PerúEsta investigación evalúa la habilidad del Hualtaco (Loxopterigium husango) de capturar el carbono en el Bosque Seco del Perú. Los datos de biomasa y carbono fueron obtenidos de forma directa con base a las muestras recolectadas del bosque seco semidenso de Colina del Distrito de Lancones, provincia de Sullana en la región Piura, Perú. Los autores presentan sus resultados incluyendo la fracción de carbono para la especie (0,47), el contenido promedio de carbono (66,61 kg) y carbono equivalente (245,41 kg) por individuo, y la correlación entre la cantidad de carbono otros indicadores de crecimiento. Open access copy available |
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 |
