Guatemala

Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: II. Development of a Simple Process-Based Model and Preliminary Results

Background

Globally, 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.

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Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: I. A Review of Quantitative Information on Physiological and Ecological Processes

Background

Coffee (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

Maya Nut Reforestation

Background

Maya Nut is an NGO that seeks to find balance between people, forests, and food. While they do not run a reforestation program directly, they do work closely with communities to reforest degraded lands throughout Latin America. The mission of the program is to conserve the Maya nut tree, Brosimum alicastrum, by planting trees and teaching rural and indigenous women to harvest and process the seed for food and income.

Open access copy available

The Bigger Picture: Tropical Forest Change in Context, Concept and Practice

background

This article discusses differing concepts of reforestation between the fields of forest science and land change science. Most data from the field of forest science is small in scale and evaluates growth and production from the perspective of use of wood products.

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