Agroforestry
Reforestation, coffee and carbon in Sierra Piura, Peru: can carbon financing promote sustainable agriculture?BackgroundPrevious research has suggested that certain agricultural practices can protect, enhance, and reverse environmental degradation. One way to achieve this beneficial connection can be encouraged is through financial mechanisms, such as payment for ecosystem services. This document examines a similar approach in which carbon revenues drive sustainable coffee agriculture in the Sierra Piura region of Peru. Open access copy available |
Combinations of trees and crops in the taungya method as applied in ThailandBackgroundIn this article, the authors desribe the 'taungya' methods used in Thailand for reforestation and agroforestry in the 1980s. This method was primarily used under theForest Village Programme, during which landless people were given 1.6 ha of land to reforest and raise their crops. Available with subscription or purchase |
Scolel'te Plan Vivo ProjectBackgroundStarting with a pilot program in 1994, the Scolel'te Project is one of the longest running projects in the Plan Vivo network. It is an ecosystem services program that focuses primarily on reforestation in the Chiapas region of Mexico. Open access copy available |
Evaluation of 15 Indigenous and Introduced Species for Reforestation and Agroforestry in Northeastern MexicoBackgroundThis article presents the results of a reforestation study in the Sierra Madre Mexico. Research Goals & MethodsTen native species (Pithecellobium, Prosopis, Helietta, Cordia, and Acacia spp.) and five exotic species (Leucaena and Eucalyptus spp.) were raised in a nursery and planted in June of 1984. Measurements took place between 1985 and 1999. Available with subscription or purchase |
Analysis of the Carbon Sequestration Costs of Afforestation and Reforestation Agroforestry Practices and the Use of Cost Curves to Evaluate their Potential for Implementation of Climate Change MitigationbackgroundThis article analyzes the carbon sequestration costs of agroforestry afforestation/reforestation projects (ARPs) as part of the UN's Clean Development Mechanism by evaluating both economies of scale and opportunity costs that affect total sequestration costs. The study uses an agroforestry project called Scolel Té in Chiapas, Mexico to calculate the average net present value (ANPV) of the project in terms of carbon price and project area. Available with subscription or purchase |
Geographic Variation in Tree Growth and Wood Density of Guazuma crinita Mart. in the Peruvian AmazonbackgroundThis research addresses intra-specific variation in the native Peruvian tree species Guazuma crinita, a fast-growing pioneer species and priority timber tree used in reforestation and agroforestry systems. It also evaluates the tree growth and wood density of G. crinita varieties from 11 provenances in the Peruvian Amazon. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tree Management in the Northwestern Andean Cordillera of PeruBackgroundPeasant communities in the northwestern Andean Cordillera of Peru utilize many indigenous and introduced trees and shrubs to satisfy a variety of material needs. However, forest resources are over-harvested and over-grazed, contributing to soil erosion. This study aims to identify the major tree and shrub species in the region and understand their ecologies and usages, and to recommend priorities for reforestation in the region taking human usage into account. Available with subscription or purchase |
An Evaluation of Farmers' Experiences Planting Native Trees in Rural Panama: Implications for Reforestation with Native Species in Agricultural LandscapesbackgroundThe Panamanian government has created reforestation incentive programs to encourage farmers to plant trees in order to restore ecosystem services to degraded lands. However, many farmers and landowners choose not to participate in these programs. Additionally, many such incentive programs result in large plantations of non-native species. In 2001, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute created a native species reforestation project known as PRORENA (Proyecto de Reforestación con Especias Nativas) to study strategies for successful native species reforestation in a social, economic, and scientific context. Open access copy available |
Promoting Biodiversity: Advances in Evaluating Native Species for ReforestationbackgroundThis article describes the design of a long-term species screening trial conducted at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. Research Goals & MethodsGrowth and survivability data is presented for 84 species (17 popular exotics used for timber and 67 little-known local species with timber potential) at 3 years of age. Available with subscription or purchase |
Leaf Litter Decomposition and Mulch Performance from Mixed and Monospecific Plantations of Native Tree Species in Costa RicabackgroundThis research looks at leaf litter decomposition rates and mulch performance of four native tree species in mixed and monospecific plantations at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. The four species considered were Callophylum brasiliense, Jacaranda copaia, Vochysia guatemalensis, and Strypnodendron microstachyum. The faster the decomposition, the faster the nutrient transfer from the trees into the soils for uptake by other trees or by crops when the leaves are used as mulch. Available with subscription or purchase |
