Costa Rica
Assisted restoration interventions drive functional recovery of tropical wet forest tree communitiesBackgroundIntegrating science and practice is one of the main goals of the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. A variety of factors can influence the application of restoration treatments across tropical ecosystems. Deciding where to apply a restoration strategy on the spectrum between natural regeneration an active restoration planting can be challenging and there is not enough current knowledge that compares these methods. Open access copy available |
Pollinator recognition by a keystone tropical plantBackgroundThe evolution of flowering plants is complex and has resulted in a great amount of diversity in species both genetically and structurally. Pollination is the key to providing this variability and is responsible for evolutionary patterns and trends in flowering plant species. Some flowering plants are generalists, allowing for many types of pollinators to visit, while others are highly specified. The mechanism for this specialization is not well understood. Open access copy available |
How feasible are global forest restoration commitments?BACKGROUNDMany countries pledged large pieces of land for Forest Landscape Restoration to the Bonn challenge and the UNFCCC Paris Accords. The highest pledges came from the global South. Two countries have met their Bonn challenge so far. Some countries are facing challenges including deficit of the land committed, and there are competing land uses between FLR agricultural land. Open access copy available |
Restoration of Degraded Tropical Forest LandscapesBACKGROUNDForest loss and degradation negatively affect rural communities whose livelihoods are dependent on forests for ecological goods and services. To address the challenge, three solutions have been proposed, expanding networks of protected areas, improving agricultural productivity on abandoned lands and reforestation. Of the three, new approaches to restoration have shown to have the potential to address forest degradation and rural poverty. Available with subscription or purchase |
Vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change in Central America and Mexico: current knowledge and research gapsBackgroundThis article recognizes that smallholder farmers are both critical to the global agricultural sector yet are one of the most vulnerable populations to climate change. Specifically, farmers in Central America and Mexico are experiences particularly high threats, thus the authors focus on this subgroup. Open access copy available |
The biogeochemical heterogeneity of tropical forestsBackgroundThis paper states that there has been a breadth of knowledge in relation to the biodiversity of tropical forests but limited about on the abiotic diversity, particularly biogeochemical effects. These later factors are becoming increasingly important to understand due to human perturbations in these forests. Open access copy available |
Nitrogen-fixing trees inhibit growth of regenerating Costa Rican rainforestsBACKGROUNDNitrogen fixing plants are the primary source of nitrogen in forests, and it is expected that more nitrogen fixers will bring in faster growth. Hence this study conducted, in a humid tropical rainforest North- East Costa Rica, challenged this notion. The area of study had similar dominant species, with P. macroloba being the most dominant Nitrogen fixer. Open access copy available |
Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restorationBackgroundSoil and litter arthropods play critical roles in tropical ecosystem function including driving organic matter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization. With the increasing need for forest restoration projects, it is important to know how these arthropod communities respond to a variety of restoration strategies and techniques in order to maintain healthy ecosystem function. This study was conducted in a mixed-use agricultural landscape in southern Costa Rica, in an effort to contribute to local restoration research efforts. Open access copy available |
Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons learned from a 15‐year studyBackgroundThis study examines the technique of applied nucleation, which is based on the planting of tree islands, as a means of cost-effective assisted natural regeneration. Open access copy available |
Tropical Montane Forest Restoration in Costa Rica: Overcoming Bariers to Dispersal and EstablishmentBackgroundThe article addressed different types of environmental and ecological factors limiting forest regeneration on a tropical montane abandoned pasture in Costa Rica, and the subsequent forest restoration strategies that could be feasible. The authors sought to answer the following questions: 1) What factors limit tropical forest recovery in abandoned pasture? and (2) How can we use this information to design strategies to facilitate ecosystem recovery? Open access copy available |
