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A Case Study Assessment of Agroforestry: The Panama Canal WatershedbackgroundThis article provides a qualitative assessment of three agroforestry sites in the Panama Canal watershed based on management objectives, project life span, incentives, technology, economic feasibility, community involvement, and extension. It seeks to guide sustainable forest management options for the Panamanian government. Available with subscription or purchase |
Environmental Services of Native Tree Plantations and Agroforestry Systems in Central AmericaBackgroundPlantations and agroforestry systems supply wood and environmental services such as carbon sequestration and recovery of biodiversity. At the time of writing (2004), Central American countries were developing systems of payments for environmental services to encourage the development of these systems. Available with subscription or purchase |
Forest Regeneration in a Chronosequence of Tropical Abandoned Pastures: Implications for Restoration EcologyBackgroundDuring the mid‐1900s, most of the island of Puerto Rico was deforested, but a shift in the economy from agriculture to small industry beginning in the 1950s resulted in the abandonment of agricultural lands and recovery of secondary forest. This research examines the natural regeneration patterns on these abandoned agricultural lands in four different regions of Puerto Rico. Available with subscription or purchase |
Cattle and Weedy Shrubs as Restoration Tools of Tropical Montane RainforestbackgroundIn abandoned Latin American pastures, grasses often inhibit the establishment of woody species. This study tests the effect of cattle grazing on woody and herbaceous vegetation establishment in pastures of P. clandestinum and M. minutiflora. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tree biodiversity in farmer cooperatives of a shade coffee landscape in western El SalvadorbackgroundConservation 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. Available with subscription or purchase |
Can tropical farmers reconcile subsistence needs with forest conservation?backgroundDespite efforts to protect tropical rainforests through various policy initiatives, forests continue to face pressure from smallholders' subsistence needs, especially in montane regions. This paper proposes a means to turn abandoned montane pastoral land into productive agroforestry land as a viable alternative to further encroachment on existing forests. Available with subscription or purchase |
Connecting sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation: Does shade coffee provide habitat for mammals?BackgroundShade coffee systems are believed to support diverse wildlife. However, most research on wildlife in shade coffee has focused on bird and insect diversity, with few studies that have focused on mammals living within coffee-dominated landscapes. Available with subscription or purchase |
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 |
Changing gears during succession: shifting functional strategies in young tropical secondary forestsBackgroundAdaptations toresource availability strongly shape patterns of community composition along successional gradients in environmental conditions. This study examines the extent to which variation in functional composition explains shifts in trait-based functional strategies in young tropical secondary forests during the most dynamic stage of succession (0–20 years). Open access copy available |
Globalization and Forest Resurgence: Changes in Forest Cover in El SalvadorBackgroundThe authors study certain globalization impacts in land-use change in El Salvador. The legacy of war, remittances and international migration are among other factors that have allowed tree resurgence even in highly urban populated areas. This study tracks the different trajectories of forest recovery by analysing remote-sensing satellite images from 1970's to the early 2000's. Open access copy available |
Carbon stocks in biomass and soils of woody species fodder banks in the dry tropics of MexicobackgroundFodder banks are a common feature of tropical silvopasture. This study evaluates the C concentration and storage in above- and belowground tree biomass and soils of fodder banks of Leucaena leucocephala, Guazuma ulmifolia, and a combination of the both species. Available with subscription or purchase |
Screening Trial of 14 Tropical Hardwoods with an Emphasis on Species Native to Costa Rica: Fourth Year ResultsBackgroundA lack of silvicultural information on native timber species in the tropics has contributed to the propogation of fast-growing exotic tree species in reforestation efforts. The plantations evaluated at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica were considered marginal lands with low input of forest maintenance, reflecting the conditions of many lands that farmers would use for reforestation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Genetic Consequences of Tropical Second-Growth Forest RegenerationBackgroundThis article is an examination of the genetic impacts of old-growth deforestation among 24 year-old second-growth Iriartea deltoidea, a canopy palm, in a lowland Costa Rican forest. Iriartea is widely distributed throughout neotropical rainforests and displays a diverse range of size classes in mature forests. This species recolonizes second-growth forests with newly generated seeds, which are dispersed by birds and mammals. Open access copy available |
Applied nucleation facilitates tropical forest recovery: Lessons learned from a 15‐year studyBackgroundThis study examines the technique of applied nucleation, which is based on the planting of tree islands, as a means of cost-effective assisted natural regeneration. Open access copy available |
Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restorationBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Safety Nets, Gap Filling and Forests: A Global-Comparative PerspectiveBACKGROUNDThis paper seeks to prove how forests and wildlands are utilized in developing countries as safety nets to shocks, and how they provide resources for seasonal gap filling. The study was carried out in various developing countries in different continents. Areas where there is no forest at all were excluded and those completely forest covered such as those dominated by hunter- gatherers were not considered. Open access copy available |
Pest management through tropical tree conservationBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Growth of native tree species planted in montane reforestation projects in the Colombian and Ecuadorian Andes differs among site and speciesBACKGROUNDAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Environment and landscape rather than planting design are the drivers of success in long‐term restoration of riparian Atlantic forestIntroductionWhile identifying factors that contribute to restoration is difficult, it is ultimately critical in order to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the restored landscape. Available with subscription or purchase |
A tree-based approach to biomass estimation from remote sensing data in a tropical agricultural landscapeIntroductionDue to increasing agricultural landcover throughout the world, it is critical to develop methods that estimate above ground biomass and carbon in order to accurately monitor terrestrial carbon stocks and predicting carbo dynamics. This paper claims that while active remote sensing data may be a means to achieve these estimates, the plot-based methods may not be suitable for these agricultural areas. Thus, the authors seek an alternative. Available with subscription or purchase |