Abstract
As a contribution to ex-situ conservation and production recovery of the valuable timber tree species Dalbergia palo-escrito Rzed. & Guridi-Gómez, enrichment planting was undertaken in a coffee plantation at 830 m above sea level in the east of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. The purpose of this study was to assess the growth and health status of this species in order to put forward forest management recommendations. Average growth at 11 years of age (n = 56) was as follows: normal diameter, 13.2 ± 2.9 cm; total height, 10.9 ± 1.9 m. These values represent a mean annual increase of 1.2 cm/year in diameter and 1.0 m/year in height. Significant statistical differences in diameter growth (P = 0.0001) and height growth (P = 0.003) were observed as a function of crown position; growth, both in diameter and height, was highest in trees with emergent crowns in comparison with poorly lit trees. An association was also found concerning infestation by Struthanthus sp. mistletoe: differences in diameter growth (P = 0.002) were found between trees with mild infestation in comparison with healthy trees, which showed more growth. On the other hand, no height growth differences were detected (P = 0.102). Diameter and height growth were comparable to other commercially valuable species of fine Dalbergia timber on the international market, such as Dalbergia sissoo in India and Dalbergia retusa in mixed plantations in Costa Rica. The study suggests pruning out the mistletoe as a control strategy is a recommended forest management practice, as well as releasing poorly illuminated trees from competition and preserving the shade canopy of other native species.
Highlights
Cloud forests account for 1% of the national territoryThe species is currently included under threatened in humid mountain ranges; these ecosystems are risk category by the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-SE-under increasing pressure by migratory agriculture, fruit tree MARNAT-2010 (DOF, 2019)
González-Esexistence of the habitat; cloud forests in the region were pinoza et al, (2011) it can be tagged as a critically endangetraditionally thinned to establish coffee (Coffea arabica L.) red species based on International Union for Conservation plantations, and native trees were kept as shade canopy, but of Nature (IUCN) criteria
The present study describes the enrichthe conservation of the landscape matrix as a complemen- ment of coffee plantations using D. palo-escrito in the state tary use of the land (Jardel-Peláez et al, 2014); of Hidalgo as an agroforestry strategy that seeks to serve this agroforestry system should be promoted especially in two different purposes: maintenance of tree cover (source buffer zones (CONABIO, 2010)
Summary
Cloud forests account for 1% of the national territoryThe species is currently included under threatened in humid mountain ranges; these ecosystems are risk category by the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-SE-under increasing pressure by migratory agriculture, fruit tree MARNAT-2010 (DOF, 2019). In the Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 2016), state of Hidalgo, the transformation of cloud forest areas D. palo-escrito was included in the Appendix II along with 12 into agricultural and stockbreeding resources threatens the other Mexican timber species from Dalbergia. González-Esexistence of the habitat; cloud forests in the region were pinoza et al, (2011) it can be tagged as a critically endangetraditionally thinned to establish coffee (Coffea arabica L.) red species based on International Union for Conservation plantations, and native trees were kept as shade canopy, but of Nature (IUCN) criteria. The traditional shade coffee agrofo- inexistent (Rzedowski and Guridi-Gómez, 1988; Winfield et restry system allows the preservation of native tree species al., 2016), and as Millet et al (2013) have reported, this and associated fauna, such as migratory birds (González-Es- gap has been identified as an important limitation in using pinoza et al, 2012). Some shade coffee plantations pre- native species for biodiversity preservation purposes, espesent a multi-strata structure similar to that of cloud forests; cially among small farmers (Schneider et al, 2014)
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