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ANCON, ANARAP, CCIAP: PanamaEspañolAntecedentesOpen 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 |
Identifying Hotspots of Deforestation and Reforestation in Colombia (2001–2010): Implications for Protected AreasbackgroundThis article uses satellite imagery, MODIS MOD13Q1 Vegetation Indices 250 , the Virtual Interpretation of EarthWeb-Interface Tool (VIEW-IT) to conduct a land-use analysis of Colombia, mapping trends and "hotspot" areas of deforestation and of reforestation from 2001 to 2010. Open access copy available |
The Role of Silvopastoral Systems in the Rehabilitation of Andean Stream HabitatsbackgroundOpen access copy available |
Differential Seedling Establishment of Woody Plants along a Tree Density Gradient in Neotropical SavannasBackgroundOpen access copy available |
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. 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 LandscapesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Land Cover Change in Colombia: Surprising Forest Recovery Trends between 2001 and 2010backgroundThis study mapped annual land-use and land-cover from 2001 to 2010 in Colombia using MODIS (250 m) products coupled with reference data from high spatial resolution imagery (QuickBird) in Google Earth. Open access copy available |
Variation in the Population Structure Between a Natural and a Human-Modified Forest for a Pioneer Tropical Tree Species not Restricted to Large GapsBackgroundThe study was conducted in a permanent plot in a primary forest at Caetetus Ecological Station (CES), and in an early successional forest adjacent to the state reserve at Torrão de Ouro Farm, state of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil. This forest originally covered nearly the entire plateau in the state of São Paulo, and it is currently the most threatened forest in the State due to past fragmentation. Open access copy available |
Drug Policy as Conservation Policy: Narco-DeforestationBackgroundCentral America exploded into prominence as a drug trafficking corridor in the last decade. The authors document that an unprecedented flow of cocaine into Central America “coincided with a period of extensive forest loss”. The authors discuss the evidence that supports the idea that "trafficking of drugs (principally cocaine) has become a crucial—and overlooked—accelerant of forest loss” in Central America. Open access copy available |
Sixty-Seven Years of Land-Use Change in Southern Costa RicaBackgroundHabitat loss and fragmentation of forests are among the biggest threats to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in tropical landscapes. This paper uses the vicinity of the Las Cruces Biological Station in southern Costa Rica as a regional case study to comment on seven decades of land-use change in one of the most intensively studied sites in the Neotropics. Open access copy available |
Functional Diversity Changes during Tropical Forest SuccessionbackgroundThis paper evaluates changes in species richness and functional diversity during tropical secondary forest succession following shifting cultivation in Chiapas, Mexico. It examines whether speces richness is a good predictor of functional diversity. Open access copy available |
Trade-offs in nature tourism: contrasting parcel-level decisions withlandscape conservation planningBackgroundA landscape approach to conservation has increasingly taken prominence as scientists and policymakers consider the role of landscape patches and connectivities. However, understanding trade-offs in policy decisions and land management strategies in a landscape dominated by privately held patches presents a challenge. This study discusses trade-offs with the nature tourism industry in Monteverde, Costa Rica, considering effects across parcel-level decisions. Open access copy available |
Mapping Priority Areas for Forest Landscape Restoration and Improvement of Rural Community Livelihoods in Guatemala's San Marcos HighlandsbackgroundThis study maps priority areas for forest landscape restoration in three watershades of south-western Guatemala. This rural region has received attention from local government and international socio-economic development projects. Open access copy available |
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 |
Lattice-Work Corridors for Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework for Biodiversity Conservation and Social-Ecological Resilience in a Tropical Elevational GradientbackgroundIn the region of Monteverde, communities rely on ecotourism, coffee farming, dairy cattle farming and sugarcane production to making their livings. The Pacific-slope forests are highly fragmented, and while a large biological corridor has already been proposed, it neglects certain key riparian corridors that would facilitate species migrations and range shifts, as well as protect the downstream water sources. Open access copy available |
Influence of Tree cover on Diversity, Carbon Sequestration and Productivity of Cocoa Systems in the Ecuadorian AmazonBackgroundOpen access copy available |