Latin America and Caribbean
Shade effect on coffee production at the northern Tzeltal zone of the state of Chiapas, MexicoBackgroundShade-grown coffee has been a preferred method in the tropics largely due to its benefits for biodiversity. However, impacts on yield are not yet fully understood, nor are the potentials for multiple uses of canopy species. Open access copy available |
Impacts of Native Trees on Tropical Soils: A Study in the Atlantic Lowlands of Costa RicabackgroundThis article describes the results of a study in Costa Rica that compared the soil fertility in a 2.5 year-old plantation of 6 native tree species, grass pasture, and 20 year-old secondary forest. Research Goals & MethodsSoil extractable Ca, Mg, K, P, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn, the pH, exchangeable acidity, organic matter and total N were measured in three plots. Available with subscription or purchase |
Coffee yields and soil nutrients under the shades of Inga sp. vs. multiple species in Chiapas, MexicoBackgroundThe type of canopy structure that provides shade to shade-grown coffee may make a difference in production. While Mexican coffee producers have often sought to replace a natural diverse canopy with Inga latibracteata alone, the benefits of either method for yield and for ease of management have not been adequately studied. Available with subscription or purchase |
Effects of Inga densiflora on the Microclimate of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and Overall Biomass under Optimal Growing Conditions in Costa RicabackgroundThis article compares a coffee agroforestry system shaded with Inga densiflora to a coffee monoculture in optimal coffee growing conditions in Costa Rica. The two systems were investigated to determine differences in microclimate, coffee yield, and vegetative development of the coffee plants. Available with subscription or purchase |
Shade coffee farms promote genetic diversity of native treesBackgroundIn the tropical Americas, coffee is typically cultivated under shade canopy cover. Unlike coffee grown in full sun, shade-grown coffee plays host to an increased diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the contributions of shade-grown coffee patches in tropical landscapes towards preserving genetic flows have not yet been studied. Open access copy available |
The Role of Rustic Coffee Plantations in the Conservation of Wild Tree Diversity in the Chinantec Region of MexicobackgroundThis study examines the potential of shade coffee systems to promote native tree diversity across the landscape of southern Mexico. Research Goals & MethodsTwenty-two coffee plantations, representing a range of elevation and age of development, were sampled to assess their species compositions. In total, 45 species (34 tree species) were recorded in the plantations, and 77% of them were native species. Open access copy available |
A Comparative Study of Tree Establishment in Abandoned Pasture and Mature Forest of Eastern AmazoniaBackgroundThis study compares seedling establishment, seed availability, seed predation, seedling herbivory, and abiotic barriers to tree establishment in recently abandoned pasture, treefall gaps, and mature forest understory in Pará State, Brazil. Open access copy available |
Silvicultural and economic aspects of pure and mixed native tree species plantations on degraded pasturelands in humid Costa RicaBackgroundReforestation of degraded land in tropical regions provides one means of restoring ecosystems and improving rural livelihoods. Most plantations in humid tropical regions are established in pure plots using few species of high commercial value, generally exotics. This study compares growth and economic viability of native trees in pure and mixed plantations on degraded land. Available with subscription or purchase |
Strategies for the Recovery of Degraded Ecosystems: Experiences from Latin AmericabackgroundThis paper reviews the rehabilitation potential of native species forest plantations in lowland Costa Rica, the Atlantic Forest of Bahia, Brazil, and sub-tropical Argentina. Native species can improve forest regeneration where soils are degraded and where sources of propagules are limited. While most tropical plantations are dominated by exotic species, native trees may be more appropriate because they are better adapted to the local environment, are already familiar to local farmers, and their propagules are locally available. Open access copy available |
Tropical Dry Forest Recovery: Processes and Causes of ChangeBACKGROUNDThis paper aims at unraveling processes and pathways of tropical dry forest (TDF) secondary succession occurring after traditional shifting-cultivation practices. It focuses on the study of community dynamics, the development of forest structure, and changes in floristic composition, to understand what makes a group of species to be present, dominant, and eventually disappear, at a certain space and time. The work begins with a section on the use of tree rings to determine the ages of fallows. Open access copy available |
