Harvesting and conservation: are both possible for the palm, Iriartea deltoidea?

Abstract

We consider the mechanism of certification to encourage sustainable harvesting and best management practices of Iriartea deltoidea Ruı́z and Pavón, in the context of current land use and agricultural management in Amazonian Ecuador. Interviews and observations with harvesters, storeowners, and furniture-makers provided information about current and potential markets for goods made from the palm. To understand the demographic variables that are critical for population stability, data from five plots in each of three different forest types (mature, secondary, and dissected) were collected. Matrix models were used to develop harvesting simulations through which biological constraints on sustainable harvesting were explored. These simulations suggest that sparing individuals 5–15 m tall when pastures are cleared and adding this palm to current agroforestry polycultures can improve the likelihood of sustainable harvesting for this species. Results showed that harvesting Iriartea could fit within current land use. Some forest colonists clear pastures to graze cattle, while others devote land to agriculture, including polycultures of annuals and perennials. In either case, palms can be left standing when forests are cleared. Swidden agriculture (slash and burn or slash and mulch) depends on a fallow period during which secondary forest may begin to regenerate. These secondary forests are ideal locations for extraction of forest products that fit within the cycle of fallow regeneration in areas near human settlements. Sparing Iriartea individuals 5–15 m tall could benefit agriculture, encourage the sustainability of future harvests, and help ensure the future of this palm as a part of the Amazonian landscape. Interviews with staff of governmental and non-governmental conservation organizations investigated the policy context for certification as a mechanism for conservation. Establishing guidelines for harvesting requires input from all stakeholders in the decision, not simply an ecological analysis. Such guidelines for certifying good management practices, if they are developed, should include provisions for monitoring unanticipated consequences of harvesting or changes in future environmental conditions. Transportation issues and stem drying processes need to be addressed if efforts to expand markets are to succeed. More generally, guidelines for management of forest resources can be improved by combining ecological and social research perspectives; the potential for carrying out such guidelines can be improved by incorporating the knowledge of local forest dwellers and NGOs.