Panama
The Transformation of a Frontier: State and Regional Relationships in Panama, 1972- 1990BackgroundFollowing the trend of anthropologists that examine the settlement of frontier regions, this study describes the consequences of building the Bayano Hydroelectric Complex in eastern Panama. The authors stress that governments must not looked at as monolithic entities but instead should be examine as a set of social and political relationships among various stakeholders at local, national, and international scales. Along with documenting the social, political, and ecological effects that emerged from the dam, the study also describes the internal conflicts between agencies in the Panamanian government. Available with subscription or purchase |
Artisan Non-Timber Forest Products in Darien Province in Panama: The Importance of ContextBackgroundNon-timber forest products (NTFP) have been used for centuries to obtain useful materials. There has been a recent shift in the study of NTFP use, expanding from focusing on a single species or a single community to consider more variables, such as spatial, temporal and socio-political variables of NTFP harvest, use and management. This study aims to continue this trend by examining the use of NTFP by artisans of Wounaan and Emberâ households in Panama. Open access copy available |
The tree planting and protecting culture of cattle ranchers and small-scale agriculturalists in rural Panama: Opportunities for reforestation and land restorationBackgroundDeforestation rates are high in mesoamerican, particularly within dry forests, thus threatening the regions biodiversity and livelihoods of local peoples. To address these trends, there has been a push to support and promote farming strategies that are compatible with conservation goals, particularly those that pursue a range of activities. This study focuses in Panama where these strategies are expanding and examines the tree planting and land protecting activities of cattle ranchers and small-scale agriculturalists. Available with subscription or purchase |
Initial performance and reforestation potential of 24 tropical tree species planted across a precipitation gradient in the Republic of PanamaBackgroundPanama has experience significant forest loss due to the conversion of forest lands to agriculture and pasture, causing significant negative effects on ecosystems. Since natural regeneration is slow, the country has recently turned to plantation forestry in order to restore these degraded. Yet, many of these initiatives simply use a few exotic species. This study explores the performance of a range of species, including both native and exotic, in order to better ensure the success and adoption of diversified reforestation strategies. Available with subscription or purchase |
Use of native tree species by a Hispanic community in PanamaBackgroundForest provide countless resources yet many of them go unreported since they are used locally and never make it to national or international markets. This study examines the uses of wild plants by a small farming community in central Panama as a case-study for timber and non-timber forest products used by tropical, nonforest-dwelling, nonindigenous peoples. Available with subscription or purchase |
Sustainable ranching and restoring forests in agricultural landscapes, PanamaBackgroundConventional cattle ranching in Panama has led to significant ecological issues, including loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, decreased ecosystem services, and more. This article highlights the experiences of Asociación de Productores Pecuarios y Agro-silvopastoriles de Pedasí (APASPE), a local cattle ranching association pioneering sustainable cattle ranching techniques, along with the capacity building and financial support provided by the Environmental Leadership and Training Initiatives (ELTI) based at Yale University. Open access copy available |
Increasing local capacities in rural PanamaBackgroundWhile Panama continues to have high levels of biodiversity, the country loss large swaths of forest between 1950 to 2000 primarily due to the expansion and intensification of cattle ranching. Drawing from their work with local ranchers, the authors review the emergence of cattle ranching in Panama along with potential solutions and unique approaches to halting these trends. Open access copy available |
The Humid Tropics Cattle Ranching Complex: Cases from Panama ReviewedBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Crecimiento Comparativo de Especies Nativas y Teca plantadas en parcelas puras y mixEspañolantecedentesEl interés por la reforestación como una alternativa a la deforestación se ha incrementado en los últimos años en Panamá. Sin embargo, en las iniciativas de reforestación las exigencias de las plantas no son usualmente consideradas y las mas utilizadas son especies introducidas. Open access copy available |
A tree-based approach to biomass estimation from remote sensing data in a tropical agricultural landscapebackgroundDue to increased global dominance of agricultural lands in the tropics, methods to establish biomass and carbon in agricultural areas are necessary for monitoring and modeling global C stocks. Since tropical agriculture often includes some tree cover, the study seeks to develop above ground biomass estimates using landscape-scale surveys with LiDAR in comparison to plot-level data. Available with subscription or purchase |
