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Growth and effects of thinning of mixed and pure plantations with native trees in humid tropical Costa Rica

Background

As reforestation with native tree species gains in popularity, more information about proper management is needed. This study examines the growth and responses to thinning of ten native species in mixed and pure-species plantations in the Caribbean Lowlands of Costa Rica.

Open access copy available

Studies on the Seed Biology of 100 Native Species of Trees in a Seasonal Moist Tropical Forest, Panama, Central America

Background

Since 1998, the Panama Canal Watershed has experienced a decline in forest cover. The watershed ensures a functioning canal, thus there has been a significant investment in resources to reforest and restore the region. While these projects have focused primarily on native species, there has been issues with seed-handling. 

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How Successful is Tree growing for Smallholders in the Amazon?

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Open access copy available

Temporary Storage of Jussara Palm Seeds: Effects of Time, Temperature and Pulp on Germination and Vigor

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The seeds of the jussara palm (Euterpe edulis) are recalcitrant and immediate sowing is not always possible after harvest; hence, research that examines the ability of the seeds to be stored and the effect of this storage on germination proves important.

Open access copy available

Applying Indigenous Knowledge to the Restoration of Degraded Tropical Rain Forest Clearings Dominated by Bracken Fern

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The indigenous Lacandon Maya people of southern Mexico use a rotational agriculture system known in Spanish as the milpa for production of maize and other crops. This system rotates production to different plots, allowing the forest and soil to recover in the fallow years between production periods. In some cases, the Lacandon people actively manage forest recovery, sowing Balsa trees to prevent plots from being taken over by the invasive Bracken fern.

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Emerging Threats and Opportunities for Large-Scale Ecological Restoration in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

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This article presents a policy model known as the Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (AFRP) and discusses the vital role the Brazilian Forest Act and other legislation has played in preventing deforestation and encouraging reforestation.

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Restoring abandoned pasture land with native tree species in Costa Rica: Effects of exotic grass competition and light

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New Options for Land Rehabilitation and Landscape Ecology in Southeast Asia by "Rainforestation Farming"

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The authors describe a methodology for reforestation called "Rainforestation Farming" developed in the Philippines in the 1990s to restore forest cover on degraded lands covered with Imperata cylindrica grass in the Visayas region

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A Comparative Study of Tree Establishment in Abandoned Pasture and Mature Forest of Eastern Amazonia

Background

This 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

Strategies for the Recovery of Degraded Ecosystems: Experiences from Latin America

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Open access copy available

Optimising Seedling Management: Pouteria sapota, Diospyros digyna, and Cedrela odorata in a Mexican Rainforest

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This study compares the height growth of three native tree species (Pouteria sapota, Diospyros digyna, and Cedrela odorata) during the first two years after transplantation from a nursery in three plot types (primary rainforest, secondary forest, and open pasture) in Veracruz, Mexico.

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Shade effect on coffee production at the northern Tzeltal zone of the state of Chiapas, Mexico

Background

Shade-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 Rica

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This 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.

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Coffee yields and soil nutrients under the shades of Inga sp. vs. multiple species in Chiapas, Mexico

Background

The 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.

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Effects of Inga densiflora on the Microclimate of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and Overall Biomass under Optimal Growing Conditions in Costa Rica

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This 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.

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Shade coffee farms promote genetic diversity of native trees

Background

In 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

Tree biodiversity in farmer cooperatives of a shade coffee landscape in western El Salvador

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Conservation of tropical biodiversity in agricultural landscapes has become more important as the area covered by natural ecosystems decreases. Understanding the types of biodiversity common in agriculturally managed lands, and involving farmers in conservation planning, is important for regional conservation goals.

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Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: I. A Review of Quantitative Information on Physiological and Ecological Processes

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Open access copy available

Coffee Agroforestry Systems in Central America: II. Development of a Simple Process-Based Model and Preliminary Results

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Biodiversity Conservation in Traditional Coffee Systems of Mexico

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This article discusses the capacity of traditional coffee agroforestry systems for maintaining biodiversity levels.

Open access copy available