Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is cultivated in the states of Bahia and Espı́rito Santo in eastern Brazil under the so-called ‘cabruca system’, where the understorey of native Atlantic forest is cleared and the canopy is thinned out to provide adequate shading for the cocoa trees. Apart from its economic and social role, the cabruca system is said to be important for the conservation of Atlantic forest biodiversity. In this paper we studied tree species richness and forest structure of cabrucas to examine the demographic health of these forests and discuss their long-term survival. Data were collected in 20 farms located alongside a 30 km track of the northern margin of the Rio Doce, in northern Espı́rito Santo. All trees 5 cm DBH were identified and their diameter was measured in 80 plots (600 m2), totalling 4.8 ha of sampled area. Recorded trees were also allocated to four different regeneration phases (pioneers, early secondary, late secondary and climax). The inventory resulted in 507 trees belonging to 105 species in 39 families. This species richness is much lower than in less disturbed forests located in the region. Pioneers and early secondary species dominate the cabruca forest in terms of number of species (56.2%), density (71.0%) and basal area (72.3%). The distribution of diameter frequency showed an imbalance in tree regeneration. Most trees in the range of 5–30 cm DBH were pioneers (40.7%), or early secondary species (32.6%), while late secondary and climax trees were less frequent (10.2 and 16.5% of the sampled trees, respectively). The dominance of species of early regeneration phases was also observed for trees >30 cm DBH (69.0% of pioneers or early secondary and 31.0% of late secondary or climax species). The results indicated that the cabruca forests are not only less diverse and less dense than secondary or primary forests of the region, but also, and more importantly, their natural succession and gap dynamics are being severely impaired. As a consequence, cabrucas present a structure where tree species of late successional phases are becoming increasingly rare while pioneers and early secondary species are becoming dominant. If current management practices of thinning and clearing of native trees are not improved, the long-term survival of these forests is questionable and their role in maintaining biodiversity in the long run is limited.

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Main Authors: 112908 Rolim, S.G., 57138 Chiarello, A.G. autores/as
Format: biblioteca
Language:eng
Published: Berlín (Alemania): Springer, 2004
Subjects:BIODIVERSIDAD, ALMACENAMIENTO, PLANTAS DE SOMBRA, COMPOSICION BOTANICA,
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-2142-5
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id KOHA-OAI-BVE:125425
record_format koha
institution IICA
collection Koha
country Costa Rica
countrycode CR
component Bibliográfico
access En linea
En linea
databasecode cat-sibiica
tag biblioteca
region America Central
libraryname Sistema de Bibliotecas IICA/CATIE
language eng
topic BIODIVERSIDAD
ALMACENAMIENTO
PLANTAS DE SOMBRA
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
BIODIVERSIDAD
ALMACENAMIENTO
PLANTAS DE SOMBRA
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
spellingShingle BIODIVERSIDAD
ALMACENAMIENTO
PLANTAS DE SOMBRA
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
BIODIVERSIDAD
ALMACENAMIENTO
PLANTAS DE SOMBRA
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
112908 Rolim, S.G.
57138 Chiarello, A.G. autores/as
Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
description Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is cultivated in the states of Bahia and Espı́rito Santo in eastern Brazil under the so-called ‘cabruca system’, where the understorey of native Atlantic forest is cleared and the canopy is thinned out to provide adequate shading for the cocoa trees. Apart from its economic and social role, the cabruca system is said to be important for the conservation of Atlantic forest biodiversity. In this paper we studied tree species richness and forest structure of cabrucas to examine the demographic health of these forests and discuss their long-term survival. Data were collected in 20 farms located alongside a 30 km track of the northern margin of the Rio Doce, in northern Espı́rito Santo. All trees 5 cm DBH were identified and their diameter was measured in 80 plots (600 m2), totalling 4.8 ha of sampled area. Recorded trees were also allocated to four different regeneration phases (pioneers, early secondary, late secondary and climax). The inventory resulted in 507 trees belonging to 105 species in 39 families. This species richness is much lower than in less disturbed forests located in the region. Pioneers and early secondary species dominate the cabruca forest in terms of number of species (56.2%), density (71.0%) and basal area (72.3%). The distribution of diameter frequency showed an imbalance in tree regeneration. Most trees in the range of 5–30 cm DBH were pioneers (40.7%), or early secondary species (32.6%), while late secondary and climax trees were less frequent (10.2 and 16.5% of the sampled trees, respectively). The dominance of species of early regeneration phases was also observed for trees >30 cm DBH (69.0% of pioneers or early secondary and 31.0% of late secondary or climax species). The results indicated that the cabruca forests are not only less diverse and less dense than secondary or primary forests of the region, but also, and more importantly, their natural succession and gap dynamics are being severely impaired. As a consequence, cabrucas present a structure where tree species of late successional phases are becoming increasingly rare while pioneers and early secondary species are becoming dominant. If current management practices of thinning and clearing of native trees are not improved, the long-term survival of these forests is questionable and their role in maintaining biodiversity in the long run is limited.
format
topic_facet BIODIVERSIDAD
ALMACENAMIENTO
PLANTAS DE SOMBRA
COMPOSICION BOTANICA
author 112908 Rolim, S.G.
57138 Chiarello, A.G. autores/as
author_facet 112908 Rolim, S.G.
57138 Chiarello, A.G. autores/as
author_sort 112908 Rolim, S.G.
title Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
title_short Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
title_full Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
title_fullStr Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
title_full_unstemmed Slow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil
title_sort slow death of atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern brazil
publisher Berlín (Alemania): Springer,
publishDate 2004
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-2142-5
work_keys_str_mv AT 112908rolimsg slowdeathofatlanticforesttreesincocoaagroforestryinsoutheasternbrazil
AT 57138chiarelloagautoresas slowdeathofatlanticforesttreesincocoaagroforestryinsoutheasternbrazil
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spelling KOHA-OAI-BVE:1254252021-12-17T22:06:20ZSlow death of Atlantic forest trees in cocoa agroforestry in southeastern Brazil 112908 Rolim, S.G. 57138 Chiarello, A.G. autores/as Berlín (Alemania): Springer,2004engpdfCocoa (Theobroma cacao) is cultivated in the states of Bahia and Espı́rito Santo in eastern Brazil under the so-called ‘cabruca system’, where the understorey of native Atlantic forest is cleared and the canopy is thinned out to provide adequate shading for the cocoa trees. Apart from its economic and social role, the cabruca system is said to be important for the conservation of Atlantic forest biodiversity. In this paper we studied tree species richness and forest structure of cabrucas to examine the demographic health of these forests and discuss their long-term survival. Data were collected in 20 farms located alongside a 30 km track of the northern margin of the Rio Doce, in northern Espı́rito Santo. All trees 5 cm DBH were identified and their diameter was measured in 80 plots (600 m2), totalling 4.8 ha of sampled area. Recorded trees were also allocated to four different regeneration phases (pioneers, early secondary, late secondary and climax). The inventory resulted in 507 trees belonging to 105 species in 39 families. This species richness is much lower than in less disturbed forests located in the region. Pioneers and early secondary species dominate the cabruca forest in terms of number of species (56.2%), density (71.0%) and basal area (72.3%). The distribution of diameter frequency showed an imbalance in tree regeneration. Most trees in the range of 5–30 cm DBH were pioneers (40.7%), or early secondary species (32.6%), while late secondary and climax trees were less frequent (10.2 and 16.5% of the sampled trees, respectively). The dominance of species of early regeneration phases was also observed for trees >30 cm DBH (69.0% of pioneers or early secondary and 31.0% of late secondary or climax species). The results indicated that the cabruca forests are not only less diverse and less dense than secondary or primary forests of the region, but also, and more importantly, their natural succession and gap dynamics are being severely impaired. As a consequence, cabrucas present a structure where tree species of late successional phases are becoming increasingly rare while pioneers and early secondary species are becoming dominant. If current management practices of thinning and clearing of native trees are not improved, the long-term survival of these forests is questionable and their role in maintaining biodiversity in the long run is limited. Incluye 68 referencias bibliográficas en las páginas 2691-2694Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is cultivated in the states of Bahia and Espı́rito Santo in eastern Brazil under the so-called ‘cabruca system’, where the understorey of native Atlantic forest is cleared and the canopy is thinned out to provide adequate shading for the cocoa trees. Apart from its economic and social role, the cabruca system is said to be important for the conservation of Atlantic forest biodiversity. In this paper we studied tree species richness and forest structure of cabrucas to examine the demographic health of these forests and discuss their long-term survival. Data were collected in 20 farms located alongside a 30 km track of the northern margin of the Rio Doce, in northern Espı́rito Santo. All trees 5 cm DBH were identified and their diameter was measured in 80 plots (600 m2), totalling 4.8 ha of sampled area. Recorded trees were also allocated to four different regeneration phases (pioneers, early secondary, late secondary and climax). The inventory resulted in 507 trees belonging to 105 species in 39 families. This species richness is much lower than in less disturbed forests located in the region. Pioneers and early secondary species dominate the cabruca forest in terms of number of species (56.2%), density (71.0%) and basal area (72.3%). The distribution of diameter frequency showed an imbalance in tree regeneration. Most trees in the range of 5–30 cm DBH were pioneers (40.7%), or early secondary species (32.6%), while late secondary and climax trees were less frequent (10.2 and 16.5% of the sampled trees, respectively). The dominance of species of early regeneration phases was also observed for trees >30 cm DBH (69.0% of pioneers or early secondary and 31.0% of late secondary or climax species). The results indicated that the cabruca forests are not only less diverse and less dense than secondary or primary forests of the region, but also, and more importantly, their natural succession and gap dynamics are being severely impaired. As a consequence, cabrucas present a structure where tree species of late successional phases are becoming increasingly rare while pioneers and early secondary species are becoming dominant. If current management practices of thinning and clearing of native trees are not improved, the long-term survival of these forests is questionable and their role in maintaining biodiversity in the long run is limited. BIODIVERSIDADALMACENAMIENTOPLANTAS DE SOMBRACOMPOSICION BOTANICABiodiversity and Conservation (Países Bajos):https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-2142-5