Enriching the rainforest with native fruit trees: An ecological and economic analysis in Los Tuxtlas (Veracruz, Mexico)
Por:
Ricker M., Mendelsohn R.O., Daly D.C., Ángeles G.
Publicada:
1 ene 1999
Resumen:
Tropical forests continue to be deforested because forest owners believe they can earn more income through land uses involving forest conversion. A case study in a Mexican rainforest revealed that enrichment planting with the native tree species Pouteria sapota ('mamey') is a management approach that can increase the commercial value of the forest enough to compete with these destructive land uses. Depending on the land value, planting more than 40-200 seedlings per hectare into the natural forest is expected to have a higher net present value than one hectare of existing cattle pasture. To arrive at this conclusion, we were able to project long-term tree growth and fruit production from a few years' increment measurements, based on a new method for estimating ages of tropical trees without annual growth rings. This approach facilitates rather rapid cost-benefit analysis of tropical forest management with native species.
Filiaciones:
Ricker M.:
Jardin Botanico del Inst. de Biol., Univ. Nac. Auton. Mex., Apdo. P., Delegación Coyoacán, Mexico
Mendelsohn R.O.:
Sch. of Forest. and Environ. Studies, Yale University, 360 Prospect Street, New Haven CT 06511, United States
Daly D.C.:
The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, NY 10458-5126, United States
Ángeles G.:
Estac. de Biol. 'Los Tuxtlas', Univ. Nac. Auton. Mex., Apdo. P., Veracruz, Mexico
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