Latin America and Caribbean
Recuperación estructural en bosques sucesionales andinos de Porce, Antioquia, Colombia (Structural recuperation in secondary successional Andean forests in Porce, Antioquia, Colombia)EspañolAntecedentesDurante décadas los bosques de la región de Porce (Antioquia, Colombia) han sido talados y quemados para establecer fincas ganaderas y, en menor proporción, agricultura. Este tipo de prácticas pudieron ser decisivas para el proceso sucesional del sitio, ya que la degradación producida en el suelo pudo afectar las características estructurales de la vegetación secundaria establecida. Open access copy available |
Restauração florestal: do diagnóstico de degradação ao uso de indicadores ecológicos para o monitoramento das ações (Forest restoration: from the diagnostics of degradation to the use of ecological indicators in the monitoring of actions)Open access copy available |
Indigenous Community-Based Forestry in the Bolivian Lowlands: Some Basic Challenges for CertificationbackgroundOpen access copy available |
Amelioration of degraded rain forest soils by plantations of native treesbackgroundWhile much has been studied about the ability of tree growth to improve degraded soils in temperate zones, less is known about the impacts of tree growth on degraded soils in tropical zones. research goals & methodsThis study looks at the effects of trees planted in abandoned pasture land in northeastern Costa Rica, 25 years after that land had been cleared of rainforest. The soil was sampled before tree planting and 4 years after the trees became established. Available with subscription or purchase |
Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto RicoBackgroundTree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. Open access copy available |
Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forestBackgroundForest soil properties are influenced by the complex interactions of vegetation, soil type, geology, management, and climactic patterns. Tree species can differ in their long-term effects on soils. This study resamples one of the earliest replicated experimental sites at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, used to examine the effects of native tropical tree species on soil properties, to examine longer term effects on soil properties. Open access copy available |
Payments for Environmental Services through the Local Lens: Preliminary evidences from the “Bolsa Floresta” Program in the Brazilian AmazonBackgroundThis master's thesis evaluates the differences in perceptions between the local beneficiaries and the proponents of a payment for exosystem services (PES) project in the Brazilian Amazon region. The document discusses the debate about whether Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes improve the livelihood of the poor rural population — a debate which is also critical to current discussions on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Open access copy available |
Soil carbon differences among forest, agriculture, and secondary vegetation in lower montane EcuadorBackgroundChanges in land use and land cover may affect soil properties and processes. Conversion of forest to cultivation is assumed to result in a decrease in soil nutrients. In the lower montane region of Ecuador, shifting cultivation patterns mean that forest clearing is occurring simultaneously with recolonization of secondary vegetation on abandoned agricultural lands. Open access copy available |
Effects of forest clearing and succession on the carbon and nitrogen content of soils in Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsBackgroundConversion of tropical forest lands to agriculture or pasture affects soil organic matter, moisture, and nutrients. This study examines the effects on soil carbon, nitrogen, and moisture at depths up to 100 cm of conversion from forest to agriculture and pasture. Available with subscription or purchase |
Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae): ethnobotanical studies in GuatemalaBackgroundThis article reviews an ethnobotanical survey and a prelimary agronomic study in order to understand the popular uses and viability of Moringa oleifera, a widely-used and well-known plant in Guatemala. Available with subscription or purchase |
