Alnus acuminata

Growth of native tree species planted in montane reforestation projects in the Colombian and Ecuadorian Andes differs among site and species

BACKGROUND

Tropical Andes in Columbia and Ecuador have been affected by forest clearance and degradation for several centuries. Agriculture has been the primary driver of land use change as well as mining to a lesser extent. To restore the degraded sites, native species have been used in various projects, however with little information on growth performance of the planted tree species in relation to site and soil nutrient status. A greater part of the northern Andes has volcanic ash derived soils.

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Reserva Encenillo, Fundacion Natura, Colombia

This reserve is located in high montane forest of the Colombia Andes, designed to protect the locally important forest tree Weinmanniatomentosa (Encenillo in Spanish). The total size of the reserve is 135 ha of forest, and serves as a forest corridor in a matrix of pasture, potato, and remnant forest landscape.

Approximately 2-3 ha of degraded pasture were planted with Alnus acuminata in 2007. Alnus is planted in rows with approximately 3 meter spacing. Trees average mean annual increment is 1.35 cm at breast height, which is an average growth for the region; however, many trees had multiple stems, so total biomass is even larger.

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Restoration of the Cerros Orientales de Bogota - Jardin Botanico de Bogota

The Jose Celestino Mutis Botanic Garden of Bogota works with the Municipal government of Bogota in order to restore and rehabilitate various areas of forest habitat around the city of Bogota.

The most extensive plantings are conducted in the Cerros Orientales, hills located on the outskirts of Bogota. This very steep mountain area had been cleared and was subject to severe erosion, and was planted with exotic pine and eucalyptus throughout the 19th and 20th century. Parts of this forest continue to be grazed for cattle, and many areas have also been invaded by the invasive European gorse (Ulex europaeus).

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Rio Bogota - Fundacion al verde vivo

This project attempts to restore riparian forest along the headwaters of the Rio Bogota, upstream of the city of Bogota.

Since 2003, the Fundacion al verde vivo has worked with volunteers to plant trees along the riparian corridor. Many areas along the riverbanks were previously used for cattle pasture, leather tanneries, or other small constructions. Local laws require that certain distances of riparian buffer are maintained as forest, but these regulations are rarely enforced.

Plantings are conducted in rows with 1-2 meter spacing. Alnus plantings from 2005 form a canopy, and mid-successional species of oak, Spanish cedar, and other highland Andean trees are planted in gaps and in the understory.

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Can tropical farmers reconcile subsistence needs with forest conservation?

background

Despite 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.

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Efecto de la zona de vida y la altitud en la mortalidad y adaptabilidad al primer año de especies forestales en la Cordillera Volcánica Central de Costa Rica

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Antecedentes

El entendimiento comprensivo de la restauración de bosques requiere de la comprensión del fenómeno de la mortalidad incluyendo su magnitud y ubicación espacial. En Costa Rica, no existe suficiente información capturando los efectos de climas pluviales sobre la mortalidad de especies forestales, especialmente en zonas altas.

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Establecimiento de un sistema silvopastoril mediante las especies Alnus acuminata H.B.K. y Acacia decurrens Willd y respuesta al empleo de organismos rizosféricos en San Pedro (Antioquia)

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Antecedentes

EL monocultivo y uso excesivo de  fertilizantes  en pasturas del trópico alto, han desencadenado problemas ambientales así como un inadecuado manejo sanitario y nutricional del ganado.

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Sobrevivencia del duraznillo (Prunus annularis) en plantación forestal y en sistemas agroforestales (Survival of Prunus annularis in agroforestry systems)

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Enriquecimiento de plantaciones forestales como herramienta para la rehabilitación de ambientes degradados en la region sur Ecuatoriana (Enrichment and rehabilitation of degraded environments in southern Ecuador)

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Antecedentes

El estudio analiza el potencial de adaptación de especies nativas a las condiciones de plantaciones de Pinus patula, en una plantación cerca de la Estación Científica San Francisco en la región sur del Ecuador.

Objetivos y Metodología

El trabajo estudia dos micro-ambientes: claros y bajo dosel de plantación, instalando cuatro parcelas en cada uno de ellos, con un total de 648 individuos de nueve especies nativas.

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A Review of the Agroforestry Systems of Costa Rica

Background

This literature review provides a historical overview of agroforestry systems in Costa Rica from the 1970s to the present.

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