Ecosystem Services and Ecological Processes
Croissance et assimilation nette foliaire de jeunes plants de dix arbres de la forêt guyanaise, cultivés à cinq niveaux d'éclairementbackgroundThis study assesses the growth of ten species of tropical rainforest trees under 5 different light conditions. Conclusions & TakeawaysThe authors find that juveniles of most species did best in 25-45% sun light conditions and that the lowest light levels severely decrease growth across species.
Open access copy available |
Rôle des perturbations actuelles et passées dans la dynamique et mosaique forestière (Role of current and past disturbances on dynamics and forest mosaics)The author broadly discusses community and population dynamics in tropical forests, including mortality and dispersal. He highlights the role of animal dispersal and disturbances in modifying stand heterogeneity.
Open access copy available |
Aspects de la régénération naturelle en forêt dense de Côte-d’Ivoire (Aspects of natural forest regeneration in Ivory Coast)The author describes forest dynamics in the Ivory Coast. He discusses primarily forest regeneration as a process disturbed by perturbations that leave a gap in the canopy and notes that leading up to these disturbances, forested areas build up seed banks. The author concludes that characteristics of the disturbance determine future forest vegetation.
Open access copy available |
Successions Post-Culturales en Foret Tropicale: Essai de Synthèse Bibliographique (Secondary succession in tropical forests: essay and bibliographic synthesis)This article discusses four models of secondary succession (facilitation, inhibition, tolerance, and random). The authors examine the differences between the fundamental niche and the realized niche and they note that very little has been studied about ecosystem function of tropical forests.
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 |
Etude environnementale de la Réserve naturelle forestière de Bururi (Environmental study of the Bururi forest reserve)The author presents a study of the Buruni forest reserve in Burundi (RNFB). He puts the current state of the forest in a historical context and provides a survey of animals and plants living in the reserve. The author details the forest reserve's ecological functioning and provides hydrologic and climatic data about the reseve along with discusses the threats to the Buruni forest reserve and offers suggestions for its protection.
Open access copy available |
Gestion durable des ressources forestières: Rapport pour les états généraux de la forêt, de la faune et des ressources en eau (Sustainable management of forest resources: report on the state of forest, fauna, and water resources)The authors discuss causes for ecosystem degradation in Ivory Coast. They highlight problems of governance, inappropriate management techniques, industrial exploitation of minerals and production of charcoal, ultimately offering recommendations to improve forest management.
Open access copy available |
La pratique de la gestion durable des terres: Directives et bonnes pratiques en Afrique subsaharienne (The practice of sustainable land management: Guidance and best practices in sub-Saharan Africa)The authors present the state of land management in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on unsustainable exploitation of soils, vegetation, and water resources. The authors end by discussing the urgent need for a new system of governance and sustainable land management in sub-Saharan Africa.
Open access copy available |
Initiative pour la restauration des forêts et paysages forestiers en Afrique (Initiative for the restoration of forests and forest corridors in Africa)The authors present an overview of the African forest landscape initiative, a cooperatoin between WRI, NEPAD, BMZ and The World Bank. The document reviews opportunities and challenges for forest land restoration projects in Africa as well as opportunities for collaboration with governments, NGOs, and intergovernmental agencies.
Open access copy available |
Understanding the Interaction of Rural People with Ecosystems: A Case Study in a Tropical Dry Forest of MexicoBackgroundThis paper reports on the effort to understand the relationship between the rural communities and the often-studied tropical dry forest. While many papers from scientists have focused on the biology and ecology of the Chamela-Cuixmala region, relatively few have considered human element to their work. Available with subscription or purchase |
