Species Characteristics
Seed Production and 22 Years of Climatic Changes in an Everwet Neotropical ForestBACKGROUND:Yasuní National Park in western Amazonia hosts one of the world’s most biodiverse and everwet tropical forests, with minimal seasonal variation in rainfall and temperature. Its stable climate and relative insulation from large-scale disturbances such as ENSO make it an ideal site to investigate long-term ecological responses to climate change. The forest’s biological richness and global conservation importance underscore the need to understand how shifting climatic conditions influence seed production and, by extension, forest regeneration and community dynamics. Available with subscription or purchase |
REDD’ing Forest Conservation: The Philippine PredicamentBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Hope for Threatened Tropical Biodiversity: Lessons from the PhilippinesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Improving Sustainable Tropical Forest Management with Voluntary Carbon MarketsBackgroundTropical forests play a vital role in global carbon sequestration, absorbing around 1 petagram (Pg) of carbon annually—more than any other terrestrial ecosystem. However, deforestation and forest degradation weaken their ability to mitigate climate change. While reduced-impact logging and sustainable forest management (SFM) aim to minimize damage, many SFM plans overlook differences in tree growth rates, species characteristics, and local site conditions. As voluntary carbon markets grow, they create new opportunities to fund improved forest practices through “carbon-focused sustainable forest management” (SFM + C), which integrates carbon sequestration goals into existing frameworks. Open access copy available |
Wild Meat Consumption in Tropical Forests Spares a Significant Carbon Footprint from the Livestock Production SectorBackgroundTropical forest communities widely consume wild meat, which provides essential protein and micronutrients. While most discussions around hunting emphasize its ecological impacts—such as defaunation and biodiversity loss—this study shifts focus to its potential climate benefits. It investigates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided when people consume wild meat instead of livestock products, especially bovine beef, a major driver of deforestation and emissions. By quantifying the carbon footprint of substitution, the study explores how sustainable hunting could contribute to climate change mitigation. Open access copy available |
Synergistic Effects of Seed Disperser and Predator Loss on Recruitment Success and Long-Term Consequences for Carbon Stocks in Tropical RainforestsBackgroundDefaunation—the loss of animal species due to hunting, habitat destruction, and other human activities—affects tropical forests profoundly. Large frugivores play a key role in seed dispersal, while seed predators influence recruitment success and plant population dynamics. Previous studies focus mainly on how defaunation impacts seed dispersal but often overlook the role of seed predators and potential compensatory ecosystem effects. This study examines how losing both seed dispersers and seed predators simultaneously affects tree recruitment and long-term carbon storage in tropical forests. Open access copy available |
Soil organic carbon pool under native tree plantations in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa RicaBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Biodiversity conservation in Costa Rica: a correspondence analysis between identifi ed biodiversity hotspots (Araceae, Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, and Scarabaeinae) and conservation priority life zonesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
The soil C pool in different agroecosystems derived from the dry tropical forest of Guanacaste, Costa RicaBACKGROUND:Seasonally dry tropical forests, constituting 42% of all tropical forests, are critically endangered, with less than 0.1% protected in Pacific Mesoamerica. The preservation of these forests is severely threatened by the invasive, highly flammable grass Hyparrhenia rufa, which has aggressively colonized the area since the 1940s. The paper focuses on examining soil carbon pools across various ecosystems derived from these forests in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive research on their soil carbon dynamics. Available with subscription or purchase |
Publicaciones del Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (Peru)El Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA) genera conocimiento científico e integra este conocimiento para elaborar iniciativas de gestión ambiental para promover el desarrollo sostenible y, cuando sea necesario, la restauración y la reforestación en la Amazonia peruana. -- The Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation (CINCIA) generates scientific knowledge and integrates this knowledge to craft environmental management initiatives to promote sustainable development and, where needed, restoration and reforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Open access copy available |
