Tropical Dry Forest

Growth, carbon sequestration, and management of native tree plantations in humid regions of Costa Rica

Background

The Costa Rican government has provided incentives for reforestation programs since 1986 and initiated a Payment for Environmental Services program in 1996. These incentives yielded native species reforestation programs throughout the country. This study examines growth, carbon sequestration, and management of seven native tree species (Vochysia guatemalensis, Vochysia ferruginea, Hyeronima alchorneoides, Calophyllum brasiliense, Terminalia amazonia, Virola koschnyi, and Dipteryx panamensis) in single-species plantations managed by small landowners.

Available with subscription or purchase

Evaluation of 15 Indigenous and Introduced Species for Reforestation and Agroforestry in Northeastern Mexico

Background

This article presents the results of a reforestation study in the Sierra Madre Mexico.

Research Goals & Methods

Ten native species (Pithecellobium, Prosopis, Helietta, Cordia, and Acacia spp.) and five exotic species (Leucaena and Eucalyptus spp.) were raised in a nursery and planted in June of 1984. Measurements took place between 1985 and 1999.

Available with subscription or purchase

Cloning of erect, thornless, non-browsed nitrogen fixing trees of Haiti's principal fuelwood species (Prosopis juliflora)

Background

Prosopis juliflora (bayawon in Creole) is a spiny leguminous tree that is used throughout arid regions of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean for fuelwood and fodder.  Due to its genetic diversity, pod protein and carbohydrate content varies widely, suggesting advantages of clonal reproduction. This Haiti-based study tests exotic and native varieties of Prosopis for growth rates.

Open access copy available

Restoring rainforest fragments: Survival of mixed-native species seedlings under contrasting site conditions in the Western Ghats, India

Background

Historical fragmentation and a current annual deforestation rate of 1.2% in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot have resulted in a human-dominated landscape of plantations, agriculture, and developed areas, with embedded rainforest fragments that form biodiversity refuges and animal corridors. This study evaluates restoration efficacy for tropical rainforest under three different site conditions in the Anamalai hills, India.

Available with subscription or purchase

An Evaluation of Farmers' Experiences Planting Native Trees in Rural Panama: Implications for Reforestation with Native Species in Agricultural Landscapes

background

The Panamanian government has created reforestation incentive programs to encourage farmers to plant trees in order to restore ecosystem services to degraded lands. However, many farmers and landowners choose not to participate in these programs. Additionally, many such incentive programs result in large plantations of non-native species. In 2001, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute created a native species reforestation project known as PRORENA (Proyecto de Reforestación con Especias Nativas) to study strategies for successful native species reforestation in a social, economic, and scientific context.

Open access copy available
Subscribe to Tropical Dry Forest