Latin America and Caribbean
Actitudes de los productores ganaderos de El Petén, Guatemala, respecto a la implementación de sistemas silvopastoriles (Cattle farmers’ attitudes toward the implementation of silvopastoral systems in El Petén, Guatemala)EspañolantecedentesHay evidencia que sugiere que los sistemas silvopastoriles son ecológicamente sustentables, económicamente rentables y contribuyen a la mitigación de riesgos a nivel finca. No obstante, productores ganaderos en Centroamérica han tardado en adoptar e implementar estos sistemas. Este estudio presenta la interrogativa y explora las razones por las cuales ganaderos no han adoptado sistemas silvopastoriles de manera más amplia. Open access copy available |
Using Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Tropical Forest RecoveryBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Live Fences and Landscape Connectivity in a Neotropical Agricultural LandscapeBackgroundThis article describes the role and importance of live fences in the tropical regions of Central America. The study site covered an area of 4483ha and is located in a wet tropical forest zone in the Province of Heredia, Costa Rica. The landscape is dominated by cattle pasture and possesses a small, fragmented and homogenous structure with small patches of forests. Open access copy available |
Designing Pest-Suppressive Multistrata Perennial Crop Systems: Shade-Grown Coffee in Central AmericabackgroundThis paper analyzes opportunities to realize the benefits of the presence microflora and fauna in coffee plantations by considering species selection, complimentary characteristics, density, and spatial arrangement of tree species . This study addresses reducing the presence of pests and pathogens such as leaf rust, coffee leaf minor, berry borer, and the American leaf spot. The authors hypothesize that for every soil and climate for coffee, a multistrata system creates a micro-environment that can create a complex ecosystem to resist pests as a whole as opposed to a pest-by-pest strategy. Open access copy available |
Can Pinus Plantations Facilitate Reintroduction of Endangered Cloud Forest Species?backgroundThis study tested the hypothesis that pine plantations can simulate the conditions of early forest succession, acting as a habitat for other native or endangered species to establish. In the cloud forest region of central Mexico, some tree species have become endangered due to land use change for both livestock production and tree plantations. Open access copy available |
Coffee Agroforests Remain Beneficial for Neotropical Bird Community Conservation across SeasonsBackgroundThis study compares bird community composition in coffee agroforestry systems with secondary forest fragments, while accounting for seasonal bird migration and differences in bird detectability between habitats. It was conducted in the San Luis Valley of northwest Costa Rica, a montane forest region that encompasses many microhabitats. Open access copy available |
The role of species mixtures in plantation forestryBackgroundForest plantations are increasingly being established around the world, yet many are often monocultures. While the paper recognizes that all plantations are beneficial in terms of restoration, it specifically seeks to explore the advantages of mixed-species plantations. Available with subscription or purchase |
Growth in pure and mixed plantations of tree species used in reforesting rural areas of the humid region of Costa Rica, Central AmericaBackgroundDespite government incentives in Costa Rica for establishing and maintaining native tree plantations since the 1990s, farmers and small landowners often lack adequate knowledge about plantation management. Yield and rotation periods for each of the ten most common species grown in monoculture have previously been published. This paper compares productivity in monoculture and mixtures at La Selva Biological Station in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Open access copy available |
Bird Perches Increase Forest Seeds on Puerto Rican LandslidesBackgroundForest regeneration is typically difficult after landslides due to loss of above- and below-ground vegetative structure, the soil seed bank, soil nutrients, and soil structure. Landslides are a common occurrence in Puerto Rico due to its steep topography and heavy rainfall periods and often transform into grass- or fern-dominated terrain. Insufficient seed rain is thought to be one contributing factor. Open access copy available |
Combining ecological, social and technical criteria to select species for forest restorationBackgroundThis study explores the role of ecological, social and technical criteria in selecting species for restoration in highly diverse ecosystems such as tropical riparian forests. A criteria-based index can help identify target species for restoration. Open access copy available |
