Seasonal Tropical Wet, Moist, and Monsoonal Forest
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 |
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 |
Arboles de Centroamerica: un Manual para Extensionistas (Trees of Central America: a Manual for Extentionists)EspañolAntecedentesLos agricultores de Centro América afrontan una compleja realidad que usualmente no es considerada en las iniciativas de manejo sostenible, lo que repercute en la falta de éxito de estas. En un esfuerzo por insertar las necesidades reales de los agricultores a estas actividades, este manual busca cubrir la brecha de información relacionada a especies arbóreas nativas de América Central. Available with subscription or purchase |
Shade effect on coffee production at the northern Tzeltal zone of the state of Chiapas, MexicoBackgroundShade-grown coffee has been a preferred method in the tropics largely due to its benefits for biodiversity. However, impacts on yield are not yet fully understood, nor are the potentials for multiple uses of canopy species. Open access copy available |
Impacts of Native Trees on Tropical Soils: A Study in the Atlantic Lowlands of Costa RicabackgroundThis article describes the results of a study in Costa Rica that compared the soil fertility in a 2.5 year-old plantation of 6 native tree species, grass pasture, and 20 year-old secondary forest. Research Goals & MethodsSoil extractable Ca, Mg, K, P, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn, the pH, exchangeable acidity, organic matter and total N were measured in three plots. Available with subscription or purchase |
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 |
Shade coffee farms promote genetic diversity of native treesBackgroundIn the tropical Americas, coffee is typically cultivated under shade canopy cover. Unlike coffee grown in full sun, shade-grown coffee plays host to an increased diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the contributions of shade-grown coffee patches in tropical landscapes towards preserving genetic flows have not yet been studied. Open access copy available |
A Comparative Study of Tree Establishment in Abandoned Pasture and Mature Forest of Eastern AmazoniaBackgroundThis study compares seedling establishment, seed availability, seed predation, seedling herbivory, and abiotic barriers to tree establishment in recently abandoned pasture, treefall gaps, and mature forest understory in Pará State, Brazil. Open access copy available |
Strategies for the Recovery of Degraded Ecosystems: Experiences from Latin AmericabackgroundThis paper reviews the rehabilitation potential of native species forest plantations in lowland Costa Rica, the Atlantic Forest of Bahia, Brazil, and sub-tropical Argentina. Native species can improve forest regeneration where soils are degraded and where sources of propagules are limited. While most tropical plantations are dominated by exotic species, native trees may be more appropriate because they are better adapted to the local environment, are already familiar to local farmers, and their propagules are locally available. Open access copy available |
