General
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 |
Ecological Interactions, Management Lessons and Design Tools in Tropical Agroforestry SystemsbackgroundThis article discusses efforts to model and predict the outcomes of competition between tree and crop species in agroforestry systems. It provides an overview of the positive and negative effects of intra- and inter-specific competition and describes narious methods for quantifying the net effects of tree-crop interactions. Available with subscription or purchase |
PhytoImagesAboutHosted by the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University and served from the University of Southern Illinois Carbondale, the Phytoimages is a crowdsource database for both flora and fauna. ContentPhytoimage provides images of over 10,000 flora and fauna species to help with identification. Species can be explored by order or searched based on taxon name, common name, and/or region and geography in which it was found.
Open access copy available |
Carbon sequestration in tropical agroforestry systemsBackgroundAgricultural lands are considered to be a major potential carbon sink, especially if trees are re-integrated with crops and/or animal agriculture. However, agroforestry systems are very diverse and are frequently used in small-scale settings, presenting challenges to carbon sequestration estimates. Available with subscription or purchase |
Agroforestry for Ecosystem Services and Environmental Benefits: An OverviewbackgroundThis article reviews research on the ecosystem services and environmental benefits of agroforestry, focusing on the following: 1) carbon sequestration, 2) biodiversity conservation, 3) soil enrichment, and 4) air and water quality. Open access copy available |
Sustaining Tropical Forest Resources: Reforestation of Degraded LandsbackgroundThis government report provides background material on tropical reforestation and discusses techniques to reforest degraded tropical lands. It considers species planting issues such as: native v. exotic species, monoculture v. polyculture, single purpose v. multipurpose trees, and genetic improvement and plant breeding. Open access copy available |
Manual de Reforestación para América Tropical (Reforestation Manual for Tropical America)Este documento aporta una visión general de la reforestación a partir de muchas perspectivas diferentes. Open access copy available |
The Agroforestree DatabaseAboutThe Agroforestree (AFT) Database was created in 2009 by the World Forestry Centre and provides specifics and selection guides on both native and exotic agroforestry trees. ContentThe database contains information about 600 tree species useful in agrofrorestry. Species descriptions include the tree's characteristics, ecology, native range, management, and agroforestry uses. The database is searchable by country, native or exotics species, products and/or services provided, and by the first letter of the species.
Open access copy available |
Catalyzing native forest regeneration on degraded tropical landsbackgroundForest clearing, forest degradation, and the deterioration of land productivity due to inappropriate management is a major problem in the tropics. While traditionally, restoration of forest lands abandoned from human use has relied on natural forest regeneration, this paper explores the potential of plantations to catalyze forest regeneration in the tropics. Open access copy available |
The Role of Animal Seed Dispersal in Accelerating Native Forest Regeneration on Degraded Tropical LandsbackgroundThis article reviews the role of seed-dispersal in forest regeneration. In natural forest, species with animal-dispersed species tend to predominated in both early and mid-stages of succession, while wind-dispersed species tend to be vines and canopy species. The implications of wind versus animal seed dispersal are briefly summarized. Available with subscription or purchase |
