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Species

Establishment and Growth of Living Fence Species: An Overlooked Tool for the Restoration of Degraded Areas in the Tropics

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This article describes three studies conducted in Honduras which examined the potential of using living fence species in restoration.

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The Agroforestree Database

About

The Agroforestree (AFT) Database was created in 2009 by the World Forestry Centre and provides specifics and selection guides on both native and exotic agroforestry trees. 

Open access copy available

Forest Plantations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Performance of Species and Preferences of Farmers

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This paper presents data on the survival and growth of mixed native and exotic forest plantations established on abandoned pastures in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The article also includes information on farmer species preference and socioeconomic information.

Open access copy available

Manual of Reforestation and Erosion Control for the Philippines

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This manual provides a detailed guide to reforestation, including information about species selection, nursery techniques, site preparation and plantation design, weed and fire control, stand improvement and other practical aspects of establishing and managing tree plantations. Additionally, there is a large portion devoted to erosion control, using trees and engineered structures to stabilize slopes and decrease the velocity of water runoff.

Open access copy available

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

Background

Open access copy available

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

Background

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Shade management in coffee and cacao plantations

Background

Shade trees reduce the stress of coffee (Coffea spp.) and cacao (Theobroma cacao) by ameliorating adverse climatic conditions and nutritional imbalances and increase the biodiversity of coffee farms, but they may also compete for growth resources. This review summarizes the literature on ecological aspects of shade-grown coffee and cacao and on management of shade trees, but does not address economic and social aspects of shade-grown coffee and cacao.

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Bwa Yo: Important Trees of Haiti

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This book, published in 1996, presents important tree species in Haiti as part of a USAID effort to address environmental degradation in Haiti. The trees presented are mainly those in the agricultural landscape, providing food or fuel, although trees with cultural or ecological importance are also presented.

Open access copy available

A Survey of Small-Scale Farmers Using Trees in Pastures in Herrera Province, Panama

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The Herrera Province on the Azuero Peninsula of Panamá has experienced significant deforestation for the purpose of cattle ranching.

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Germinación de semillas de 32 especies de plantas de la Costa de Guerrero: su utilidad para la restauración ecológica (Seed germination of 32 species of plants for ecological restoration)

Open access copy available

Vinculación entre el sustento de los agricultores, los árboles y el proceso de agua y suelos en las buenas prácticas de gestión de áreas de captación (Linking farmers livelihoods, trees and soils in water catchments management practices)

Open access copy available

Annual report of the director of forestry of the Philippine Islands for the period 1907-1913

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This report contains a number of sections relevant to early reforestation activities in the Philippines, including research on succession pathways, restoration experiments on degraded lands, tree nursery operations, and native species.

Open access copy available

Agroforestry Adoption in Haiti: The Importance of Household and Farm Characteristics

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Les légumineuses arborescentes dans les systèmes de production des zones sèches de Côte d'Ivoire (Arborescent leguminous plants in the production systems of dry zonesin Côte d’Ivoire)

The authors saught to identify woody legumes adapted to dry conditions of Côte d’Ivoire and to determine their success in reforestation. They describe 18 species of woody plants that were successful seven years after planting while also noting several species that responded well to coppicing under tropical dry conditions.

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Tree Canopy Management Affects Dynamics of Herbaceous Vegetation and Soil Moisture in Silvopasture Systems Using Arboreal Legumes

Background

It is important to understand how herbaceous and arboreal species interact with each other, specifically how shade effects understory plants. Silvopasture functions best when both strata of the forest are thriving. Silvopasture is impacted by species chosen, spacing of tree plantings, and other management practices. Tree legume species such as Gliricidia sepium and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia hold a potential value for commercial use while also fixing soil nitrogen in the soil.

Open access copy available

Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forest

Background

Forest 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

Resilencia en Bosques Tropicales Húmedos: Reensamblaje de las Comunidades en Bosques Secundarios (Resilience in tropical humid forests: Reassemblies of the communities in secondary forests)

Open access copy available

Nitrogen-fixing trees inhibit growth of regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

BACKGROUND

Nitrogen fixing plants are the primary source of nitrogen in forests, and it is expected that more nitrogen fixers will bring in faster growth. Hence this study conducted, in a humid tropical rainforest North- East Costa Rica, challenged this notion. The area of study had similar dominant species, with P. macroloba being the most dominant Nitrogen fixer.

Open access copy available