Latin America and Caribbean
Neotropical Secondary Forest Succession: Changes in Structural and Functional CharacteristicsBackgroundThis paper reiviews the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence patterns of secondary forest succession in the Neotropics after complete forest clearance due to human activities. Research Goals & MethodsThe authors look at patterns of species replacement and various processes that occur during succession and suggest that the sequence of processes may be predictable even if species composition is not. Open access copy available |
Methodology for Comparative Analysis of Sustainability in Agroforestry SystemsbackgroundThis paper analyses different forms of agroforestry systems, including political and institutional linkages in the Caí and Taquari river valleys of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul in an effort to determine their sustainability. Open access copy available |
Intensive Silvopastoral Systems: Improving Sustainability and Efficiency in Cattle Ranching LandscapesBackgroundThe article summarizes productivity benefits from implementation of intensive silvo-pastoral systems (ISPS) in Colombia, Mexico and Brazil, including benefits for the well-being of cattle, heightened biodiversity, and decreased area needed for production (allowing for greater quantities of forest area). The authors also summarize challenges inhibting greater adoption of intensive silvo-pastoral systems, and potential policy solutions for overcoming these challenges. Open access copy available |
ANCON, ANARAP, CCIAP: PanamaEspañolAntecedentesPara el 2014, Panamá había perdido mas del 65% de sus áreas forestales, con una tasa anual de deforestación de mas de 20 mil hectáreas. Hasta el 2009, esfuerzos de restauración forestal solo habían logrado regenerar aproximadamente 75 mil hectáreas, correspondiendo a 14% de lo destruido. La economía de Panamá es altamente dependiente de bosques y servicios forestales por lo cual es imprescindible la restauración sostenible de las areas restantes. Open access copy available |
Reforestation with Native Species in the Dry Lands of PanamaBACKGROUNDNatural populations of precious timber species in Panama are being overexploited, and some have been registered in the IUCN Red List in recent years. Within the overall framework of natural resource scarcity and mounting effects of climate change, the need for sustainable production of native trees that offer added values of water cycle regulation, soil improvement, and biodiversity conservation is stressed. Open access copy available |
Ecosystem Restoration of Riparian Forests in Sao Paulo ProjectBackgroundSince the 1970s, the Sao Paulo region of Brazil has experienced extensive expansion of the agro-industry, reducing native vegetation coverage, increasing strain on natural resources, and contributing to land degredation. The Ecosystem Restoration of Riparian Forests in Sao Paulo Project was created in 2005 and ran until 2011 to correct these trends. Open access copy available |
Cooperative Republic of Guyana National Forest Plan 2018BackgroundThe National Forest Plan 2018 was developed in conjunction with the Guyana National Forest Policy Statement with technical and stakeholder input. The Forest Plan describes the implementation steps for the Forest Policy, which will be carried out by the Guyana Forest Committee. Open access copy available |
Farmer Strategies for Dealing with Climatic Variability: A Case Study from the Mixteca Alta Region of Oaxaca, MexicobackgroundClimate change is likely to disproportionally effect tropical regions. Yet effective adaptation requires an understanding of climate variability at specific locations and most data is regional. This is particularly true for small-scale farmers, who are highly vulnerable. This paper calls for a bridging of scientific and traditional knowledge in order to construct this location-specific understanding. This article discusses participatory research in the mixteca alta region of oaxaca, mexico that facilitated a process whereby farmers evaluated the ability of their agroecosystems to withstand the vagaries of climate. Open access copy available |
Mitigation of Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management and Capacity Building in the Southern States of MexicoBackgroundIn 2007/8 the Government of Mexican and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) developed a proposal for a forestry value chain project. The Community-based Forestry Development Project in the Southern States of Campeche, Chiapas, and Oaxaca, otherwise known as DECOFOS, was the project that emerged from this proposal. Open access copy available |
The Mountain Pine Ridge Reforestation ProjectBackgroundBy 2000, the pine trees in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Preserve in Belize were heavily attacked by the Southern Pine Bark Beetle (Dendroctomus frontalis). The beetle did so much damage that the natural restoration of the pine forest was practically unattainable due to a lack of seed resources and continuing fires. The alternative is to abandon management and allow a pine savannah to develop. This paper compares the carbon sequestion potentional for a pine forest and a pine savannah in this region. Open access copy available |
