Restoration and Management Strategies
Tree diversity in a tropical agricultural‑forest mosaic landscape in HondurasBackgroundTropical forests hold high biodiversity values, but are also valued for agricultural land uses. Particularly in Central America, a region with particularly high biodiversity, intensive land management practices have reduced and continue to reduce forest and species abundance. There is a push to change land use practices in order to restore and promote biodiversity, though the potential for biodiversity on agricultural landscapes is an understudied subject. Open access copy available |
Soil Biological Activity, Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Modified Coffee Agroforestry Systems in MexicoBackgroundCoffee agroforestry systems bring a plethora of economic, social, and ecological benefits. Specifically, they aid soil biological activity. In Mexico, due to cost and production challenges, coffee is being replaced by avocado plantations. The impact of coffee agroforestry systems on specific soil biological characteristics and processes is not fully understood. Nor are the impacts of avocado plantations on soil biological activity. Open access copy available |
Shaded-Coffee: A Nature-Based Strategy for Coffee Production Under Climate Change? A ReviewBackgroundCoffee agroforestry systems are a natural climate solution that are used to reduce the impact of coffee cultivation on ecosystem health. Coffee generates over $200 billion in income globally each year, so ensuring the efficiency and success of cultivation is crucial for human livelihood. Coffee agroforestry systems are often variable, and there lacks a compiled knowledge base about these systems and practices. Open access copy available |
Bird Assemblages in Coffee Agroforestry Systems and Other Human Modified Habitats in IndonesiaBackgroundDeforestation in tropical regions such as Indonesia is mainly driven by need for agricultural expansion. Agroforestry systems for a major agricultural crop, coffee, are becoming increasingly popular as the need for forest restoration is more apparent. Coffee agroforestry provides benefits to biodiversity, though specific impacts of coffee shade trees on bird populations outside of the Neotropics and Africa are understudied. Birds are a highly important taxa and serve many vital ecological roles. Open access copy available |
The Embedded Agroecology of Coffee Agroforestry: A Contextualized Review of Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption and ResistanceBackgroundAgroforestry crops are known to provide many benefits to both people and nature. Implementing agroforestry practices can be complex and requires improvement in certain regions and practices. Coffee agroforestry is not widely adopted and there is a lack of knowledge about the implementation of agroforestry techniques for coffee production. Goals and MethodsThe authors conduct a literature review including coffee production in Colombia, Malawi, and Uganda to understand their perceptions of coffee agroforestry, decisions on implementation, local policies, and capacity to adopt new practices. Open access copy available |
Small scale eucalyptus cultivation and its socioeconomic impacts in Ethiopia: A review of practices and conditionsBackgroundIn order to support growing populations in developing countries such as Ethiopia, people turn to fast-growing crop and timber species to support their livelihoods. Eucalyptus is introduced to Ethiopia for its fuel and construction as well as for its high growing rate and low maintenance costs. There is a current conflict around Eucalyptus cultivation, with many smallholder communities depending on it but clear environmental issues and expansion across farmland boundaries. Open access copy available |
Fire and tree species diversity in tropical peat swamp forestsBackgroundIndonesia houses a large quantity of peat swamps, an ecosystem type that contains diverse plant species, and provides a habitat for endangered animals. Peat swamps are degraded due to logging and agriculture expansion, specifically with the use of fire. Peat swamps are highly susceptible to fires due to peat flammability. Peat swamps also house a large quantity of carbon, so restoration is a high priority. Available with subscription or purchase |
Disrupted montane forest recovery hinders biodiversity conservation in the tropical AndesBackgroundIn the U.N. Decade on Restoration, recovering degraded forests is a high priority. Andean montane forests are a biodiversity hotspot, storing large quantities of carbon, and providing many sources for human livelihood. Many parts of the Andean forests are recovering after agriculture abandonment, but it is not yet known how the dynamics of these recovery processes progress over time. Knowledge of forest regeneration trajectory is crucial for further restoration planning. Open access copy available |
Ten principles for restoring campo rupestre, a threatened tropical, megadiverse, nutrient-impoverished montane grasslandBackgroundIn the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, one of the most overlooked ecosystem types is tropical grasslands. Studies on these ecosystems are lacking, as are the foundations for restoration. These foundational points of policy, practice, and governance in addition to science need to be addressed. The authors provide 10 principles to restore the campo rupestre, a tropical grassland that is threatened by human activities including mining. Available with subscription or purchase |
Listening for change: quantifying the impact of ecological restoration on soundscapes in a tropical dry forestBackgroundTropical forest host a large portion of global biodiversity and carbon reserves. Heavy loss of these landscapes calls for restoration projects to conserve biodiversity as well as other ecosystem services related to human livelihood. Tropical dry forests are understudied compared to tropical wet forests, though they contain similar quantities of biodiversity, carbon, and sources for livelihood. One threat to tropical forest restoration is species invasion, which is linked to reduced native vegetation and habitat. Open access copy available |
