Cohune Research Articles

Soil fertility of cohune palm (Attalea cohune) dominant forests compared to non-cohune forests in northwestern Belize

We studied how soils vary between cohune palm and non-cohune forests and assessed whether the forests differed in soil fertility. We sampled soil profiles from six cohune palm forests and eleven non-cohune forests. Our laboratory analyses included soil organic matter (SOM), extractable phosphorous, and the total concentration of 10 elements. Each soil characteristic was subjected to a mixed-effects model with depth, forest type, and the interaction between the two as factors that were grouped by excavation. Total phosphorous, sulfur, and SOM differed significantly between the two forest types, with higher values in non-cohune forests, on average. SOM, extractable phosphorous, and nine elements showed statistically significant changes with depth. The interaction between depth and forest type was significant for eight elements and SOM. The elemental concentrations were consistently maintained with depth in the cohune forests. Meanwhile, the elemental concentrations in non-cohune forest soils decreased with depth for all elements except calcium and magnesium, which increased concentration with depth. Cohune forest soils and non-cohune forest soils differ in distinct ways but these differences do not relate to key measures of soil fertility. Cohune palm forest soils exhibit consistent elemental concentrations with depth, which suggests bioturbation or another phenomenon that redistributes nutrients.

Explorations in ancient Maya blood-letting: Experimentation and microscopic use-wear analysis of obsidian blades

Auto-sacrificial blood-letting was an important ritual practice for the ancient Maya. Letting blood using implements like sharpened bone, stingray spines, thorny ropes, and obsidian blades provided the Maya the means to petition their ancestors and the gods for rain, good harvests, and success in warfare, among other needs and desires. The prevailing assumption is that obsidian blades recovered from ceremonial or ritual contexts, like caches, burials, and caves, were used for blood-letting. This belief is primarily founded on contextual, epigraphic, iconographic, and ethnohistoric information. With some exceptions, however, this interpretation does not typically include any use-wear analysis of the blades themselves. Reasons for the limited application of use-wear analysis to identify obsidian blood-letters recovered from ceremonial or ritual contexts include observational difficulties associated with the minimal wear development resulting from their short term use in this activity and contact with a soft and yielding medium like human flesh. This paper explores an approach to assist in identifying obsidian blades likely used for auto-sacrificial blood-letting based on high-power microscopic (400×) use-wear analysis. The need for this experimental work was initiated by the recovery of some obsidian blades from Actun Uayazba Kab, an ancient Maya cave in Belize, that were suspected blood-letters. Emphasis is placed on the observation and differentiation of wear features produced on 26 experimental obsidian blade segments used to cut pig skin/flesh, as a proxy for human flesh, as well as soft cow hide, fresh pig bone, fresh cohune palm fronds, and queen conch shell. The wear on the suspected blood-letters from Actun Uayazba Kab is similar to that produced on the experimental replicates after very minimal use (30 strokes). Moreover, the combination of wear features on the skin/flesh, hide, bone, plant, and shell can be distinguished from one another even after short-term use.

What is a “natural” ecosystem?

It's a few days after Christmas, but I'm enjoying a warm tropical day at the top of a pyramid in the ancient Maya city of Kohunlich (in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico; Figure 1). This city is best known for its Temple of the Masks, a massive pyramid of limestone blocks, with a central stairway flanked by large, red-painted stucco masks, that was constructed around 500 CE. This visit is more than a bucket list experience. For most of my career, I have been interested in how various human populations have inter acted with their environment. Kohunlich is named for the cohune palm (Attalea cohune), which is abundant in the surrounding tropical forest and pro vided the Maya with food, oil, thatch, and other products (Schlesinger 2001 ). The city was established about 2000 years ago, during the Pre-Classic period, and developed as a major regional center at the intersection of several trade routes. The ruin includes more than 200 structures, most of which were built during the Early Classic period (250-600 CE). Maya engineering skill is evident in the regularly shaped and tightly placed limestone blocks, balanced multistoried dwellings, and carved doorways, but Maya culture also represented the zenith of mathematics, astronomy, agriculture, silviculture, and writ ing in the pre-Columbian New World. When active, the city would have been surrounded by fields of corn, beans, squash, and other crops, as well as orchards. The Maya cultivated sev eral forest tree species for their food or medicinal resources and conserved resources in protected forests, at least initially (Lentz and Hockaday 2009; Ross and Rangel 2011). Touching the stone blocks that were shaped and placed by these people and feeling a connection with them over the millennia is a moving experience. 1 imagine the city's thou sands of inhabitants going about their daily activities: farm ing, trading, building, cooking, and visiting with one another. What were the Maya thinking as they worked? Did they worry about crop failures? Did they anticipate that overcutting forests could lead to the collapse of their civilization (Lentz and Hockaday 2009)? Or did the Maya (like contemporary humans) take the ecosystem services including food, water, medicine, clothing, building materials, and fuel provided by the forest for granted? Maya civilization began to decline long before the appearance of European explorers, due to a combi nation of influences, including population growth, drought, deforestation, changes in agricultural practices that led to massive erosion, and warfare (Schlesinger 2001; Lentz and Hockaday 2009). The Classic Maya period ended around 900 CE. Although a few inhabited cities survived until the Spanish conquest, many cities including Kohunlich had been abandoned by that time and reclaimed by forest. Unfortunately, the Spanish destroyed Mayan texts that might have explained the reasons for the decline. J

Botanical characterisation of Mexican honeys from a subtropical region (Oaxaca) based on pollen analysis

Melissopalynological analysis of 39 honey samples from Oaxaca, Mexico, enabled us to establish the important plant sources exploited by bees during the principal harvest in four districts of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. A total of 64 taxa belonging to 29 families were recorded. These subtropical honeys were characterised by their botanical origin as follows: (a) monofloral honeys of Bursera simaruba, Clethra mexicana, Cordia alliodora, Lonchocarpus sp., Mangifera indica, Miconia argentea, Orbignya cohune and Quercus sp.; (b) bifloral honeys with an association of Heliocarpus donnell-smithii and Ceiba sp., Lonchocarpus sp. and Mimosa pudica, H. donnell-smithii and Mangifera indica, Miconia argentea and Miconia tenuiflora; (c) oligofloral honeys of Asteraceae; and (d) multifloral honeys with three or four species ≥10%. Monofloral honeys were placed in classes I, II, III, IV and V. Oligofloral were class II, bifloral were classes I and II, and polyfloral honeys were assigned to classes I, II and III. Honey samples of Apis mellifera had a diversity index range of 0.3 to 2.7. It is well known that this bee is polylectic and has a heterogeneous foraging behaviour. In the State of Oaxaca, it prefers resources of secondary vegetation from low deciduous forest, although taxa of economic importance were also utilised, for instance, Mangifera indica and Citrus sinensis. Oaxaca has important and diverse native resources, and beekeeping activity needs to be promoted because of its potential to develop new types of honey.

Microbial and nutrient activity in soils from three different subtropical forest habitats in Belize, Central America before and during the transition from dry to wet season

Significant variations were found in soil texture, levels of organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, nitrate, and nitrification rates in the upper 20 cm of soil from three distinct Uplands forest, Cohune Palm forest, and Bajo forest habitats within the subtropical rainforest of Northwestern Belize. The Cohune Palm forest soils had the most organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, nitrate, and highest nitrification rates, while the soils from the Bajo forests had the lowest levels of these parameters. The heterogeneity in the soil composition is even more significant given that the three habitats studied are part of the same ‘forest’ and are within 2 km of each other. The first rains at the beginning of the wet season had a rapid and significant effect on various components in the soil. A rapid increase in the microbial biomass carbon, organic carbon, and nitrification rates and a decrease in nitrate occurred in the soil from all three habitats within hours after what locals anecdotally consider the start of the wet season. The greatest percent change in all factors following the rains occurred within the soil from the Bajo forests, while the smallest percent change occurred within soil from the Uplands forest. There were also significant correlations found between soil moisture levels and organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and nitrification rates. The variations in the measured parameters were also associated with the amount of clay in the soil. It appears, then, that the amounts of moisture and clay are most critical soil composition factors which when combined with microbial biomass carbon, organic carbon, and nitrification rates may be good predictors of soil quality in these forests.

Corticolous Myxomycetes from Belize

Summary. Sixty bark samples were collected from living trees at seven sites in different ecological regions of Belize and cultured in moist chambers. 37 species of myxomycetes were isolated all of which are new records for Belize. Twelve species are new records for Central America and two, Licea erectoides and Paradiacheopsis rigida, are new to the western hemisphere. The rare Physarum tropicale is recorded for the first time outside Mexico. samples of bark from living trees in several areas of Belize, representing different ecological regions of the country. Sixty samples were collected, later placed in moist chambers in Chester using the standard method devised by Gilbert & Martin (1933). The cultures were maintained for a minimum of three months and in some cases, e.g. Willkommlangea, for up to six months. This allows the slower growing casual species to develop and thus assures a wider range of species is identified from the region. Results are reported here. A total of 37 species were obtained, all of which represent new records for Belize. All specimens are preserved in Herb. B. Ing. The tropical climate and diversity of landscape of mainland Belize provide an environment for some 4000 species of native flowering plants, including 250 species of orchid and approximately 700 species of native trees (Mallan 1993). Belize is divided into several climatic zones which are governed by rainfall, and the still extensive forests form four distinct communities - pine-oak, mixed broad-leaf, riveraine and cohune palm forest. Belize is bordered by off-shore fringing coral reefs and cayes, ranging in size from small coral islands awash at high tide to substantial islets with mangroves and coconut palms. Myxomycetes from Belize have received little study, the few recorded species being included by Farr (1976). Distributional comments given below are based on this reference and, for Mexico, additionally on Hernandez-Cuevas et al. (1991).

La Palma de Corozo (Orbignya cohune, Arecaceae) en Belice: Una investigación de usos

Although common throughout Belize in lowland forests and agricultural systems, the cohune palm,Orbignya cohune is relatively little used compared with its historic importance, according to a 1992 survey discussed here. Among uses found to persist are leaves for thatch, fruits for oil, and palm heart as food. Exploitation required only simple technology and was most notable at socio-economic extremes. Areas from which cohunes were exploited rarely coincided with high-density stands of the species. Alternatives exist for all cohune products. It seems unlikely that this palm will be the basis of a large-scale industry in Belize, primarily because of the uncertainty of wild yields and the widespread availability of alternatives.

Ancient Maya Tree Cropping

AbstractThe predominance of tree crops among abundant, well-preserved plant food remains from coastal sites in southern Belize suggests that these island Maya had a specialized subsistence focus. Limited arable land on offshore islands, together with a maritime economy, may have been important factors in the use of tree crops. The Wild Cane Cay Maya utilized a variety of native palm fruits –Orbignya cohune, Acrocomia mexicana, andBactris major, as well as other wild tree fruits, in addition to corn. These coastal data support the view that specialized adaptation to diverse environments was a feature of ancient Maya subsistence.

Experimental investigations into the feasibility ofex situ preservation of palm seeds; an alternative strategy for biological conservation of this economically important plant family

Given the widespread belief that the conservation of palms, especially the large-trunked species, is only accomplished throughin situ preservation or in plantations, this paper explores the feasibility of a third approach, i.e. cryogenic preservation of their seedsex situ. Seeds of the following palm species were subjected to air-drying to assess their tolerance of dessication:Washingtonia filifera (L. Linden) H. Wendl.;Sabal mexicana Mart. (syn. S. texana; Zong, 1990);Schippia concolor Burret;Orbignya cohune (Mart.) Dahlgren ex Standley;Acoelorraphe wrightii (Griseb. & H. Wendl.) H. Wendl. ex Becc.;Desmoncus orthacanthos Mart.;Attalea crassispatha (Mart.) Burret;Zambia antillarum (Desc.) L.H. Bailey;Pinanga malaiana (Mart.) Scheff.;Pinanga aff. polymorpha Becc.;Daemonorops verticillaris (Griff.) Mart. Of these, only two (W. filifera andS. mexicana) survived drying to moisture contents around 5% (fresh weight basis). Seeds of the remaining spp. would be difficult or impossible to conserveex situ in seedbanks or cryostores. Data are presented to show that the response ofO. cohune embryos to drying is similar to other recalcitrant (dessication intolerant) seeds, while seeds ofA. wrightii may belong to an intermediate seed storage category with limited tolerance of drying. The results are discussed in relation to the inadequacy of current knowledge as a basis for decisions on the broad scaleex situ conservation of palm germplasm.

Mineral cycling in a tropical palm forest

Nutrient cycling and biomass characteristics of a tropical palm forest dominated byOrbignya cohune were found to be different from thsoe of hardwood dominated forests. The cohune palm forest had a high proportion of biomass in leaves (5%), a reduced sapling layer, a large amount of standing forest litter and an exceptionally low decomposition rate factor (0.1 year−1). Mineral concentrations in palm leaves were generally lower than in hardwood species with the exception of Na, which was exceptionally high inOrbignya cohune. Biomass was estimated at 226 tons ha−1 containing 1173 kg ha−1 N; 126 kg ha−1 P; 437 kg ha−1 K; 1869 kg ha−1 Mg; 125 kg ha−1 Ca, and 2177 kg ha−1 Na. Soils of cohune association did not differ significantly from those of neighbouring hardwood dominated associations with the exception of Na which occurred in higher concentration because of bioaccumulation in the dominant. The results suggest that the growth habits and physiology of a dominant can strongly influence some of the ecological parameters used to describe aforest association.

The Significance of the Cohune Palm, Orbignya cohune (Mart.) Dahlgren, on the Nature and in the Development of the Soil Profile

The cohune palm is one of the most abundant trees in Central America, and its distinctive leaf fronds and tap root system play an important role in soil formation. The results of quantitative studies are presented on the effect of infilling of the stump voids and the subsequent inversion of the soil profile, and also on the influence of the organic matter derived from the palm fronds. These results suggest that, over a period of time, the pedogenesis of communities characterized by an abundance of cohunes is very closely allied to the ecology. A STUDY WAS MADE of this interesting palm as part of a wider biogeographical field program in Central America (Furley, Newey, and Spellman 1972). The object of the project described here was to investigate the relationship between the cohune and its edaphic surroundings, together with other aspects of the ecology in so far as they affect this relationship.

Man's Role in the Distribution of the Corozo Palm ( Orbignya spp.)

MAN'S ROLE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COROZO PALM (Orbignya spp.) By CARL L. JOHANNESSEN University of California, Berkeley Those interested in man's past and in his relationships to his environment receive satisfaction and even a certain exhilaration in finding sites of former human occupation. In some cases, vegetation may be an indicator of these sites. Some plants indicate habitation sites while others indicate areas disturbed by agricultural clearings. In central California certain wild tobaccos, Nicotiana bigelovii and N. attenuata, and the buckeye, Aesculus californiens, are often indicators of early Indian occupance. In Central America the tree gourd, Crescentia cujete, and a bromeliad with edible fruit, penguin or penuela, Bromelia karatas, are found near present or past home gardens or fences. Chicle, Achras zapote, ramón or breadnut (a livestock feed), Brosimum alicastrum, and mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla, are good indicators of past clearings whenever these trees occur in large numbers. Many more indicators of former, perhaps long forgotten, occupation by man probably remain to be noted. Such relationships have been observed in Central America in the case of the Corozo palm, and when groves are found they are worth looking into as possible indicators of nearby archeological sites. The Corozo palm (Orbignya cohune [Mart.] Dahlgren and O. guacuyule [Liebm. ex Mart.] H.X.) is widely distributed in Middle America.1 Areas where the Corozo palm may be found as one of the most numerous of the taller trees in the rain forest are shown on the map; much of this land has been cleared at sometime in the past and it appears that the abundance of the Corozo is probably related to such disturbances. Also indicated on the map are locations where the Corozo is more typically found in isolated groves. Description of the Corozo Palm The two species of Orbignya are very much alike in external appearance although they differ in the size and shape of their staminate flowers and in size of nut. Since they also behave similarly in nature they will be treated under the native designation of Corozo. The mature tree grows as high as 100 feet, to a diameter of 2? feet and, when young, has pinnate leaves 25 to 30 feet long. The nuts of the Corozo are produced on a stalk 3 to 4 feet long, each nut being about the size of a turkey egg; the drooping stalk hangs down like a giant bunch of grapes and weighs about 100 pounds. The tree has many uses. The nuts are used as an oil source by the local inhabitants and in the last few years they have become a source of special oils for the soap industry .2 Until recently the oil was also used in lamps in some areas. The flowers are demanded for certain religious services and, on special occasions, for the decoration of graveyards on the West coast of southern Mexico. Wood and wine are obtained from the main trunk and from the "cabbage" at the top of the tree. Thatch, umbrellas, and a bulky kind of cape are made from the leaves. 1 Efraim Hernández Xoloxotzi, "Estudio Botánico de las Palmas Oleaginosas de Mexico." Sociedad Botánica de Mexico, Bol. 9.T7, 1949. The basis of the species designations is presented . Paul C. Standley, The cohune palm an Orbignya, not an Attalea. Tropical Woods, 30: 1-3, 1932. No difference was recorded for the two separate ranges of the species of Orbignya. 2 Two vegetable oil companies with sizeable factories were using the Corozo nuts in 1956, La Blanquita in Honduras and Kong Hnos. in Guatemala. 29 CP=7^l¿rMEXICO 0 \¦--áíWac·-!Bel ire Chilpacinao 01anchoP^l^*»r.:.::> UATEMALA^^,^ DISTRIBUTION OF THE COROZO PALM£] Orbiauyg. cohune — Abundant \n ralnJÔTesl· /^ VICARACUA Q. cohune Usually found in Grave« in fhe valleys O, QUOC uvule Usually found in Groves COSTA RiCl Distribution of the Corozo Palm The definitive study on the distribution of the Corozo palm remains to be made. The designation of O. guacuyule as a separate species from O. cohune was made in 1949 by Hernandez; prior to this time other workers, for example Standley and Lundell, used O. cohune for both forms. (See...

Effect of Corozo Palm Nut Oil Meal in the Baby Chick Diet

THIS continues the series of studies on the nutritional value of feedstuffs indigenous to the American Tropics. Previous reports from this station, Squibb et al. (1950), Squibb and Wyld (1951), and Squibb and Salazar (1951) indicate that the American Tropics contain many feedstuffs of high nutritional value.Corozo palms, probably Orbignya cohune and species of the genus Scheelea, grow wild and in abundance in many areas of tropical America. Rothe (1950) has recorded as many as 1,300 Corozo palms per acre in the Lake Izabal area of Guatemala. These wild palms produce significant quantities of oil-bearing nuts. This indigenous crop has not been fully exploited nor has the cultivation and selection of high-yielding palms been fully explored.Corozo palm nuts are processed chiefly by soap industries. The oil meal, containing approximately 20 percent protein (N×6.25), is highly palatable and has been fed to livestock for a number of years in .

The Digestibility of Six Tropical Fats as Determined on Rats

For 6 partially refined fats of tropical origin, some chemical data were obtained and digestion coefficients determined with rats. The coefficients of digestibility for the 6 were as follows: Corozo (Orbignya cohune, and species of the genus Scheelea), 97.0; morro (Crescentia alata), 96.4; tambor (Omphalea oleifera), 94.5; sapayulo (Calocarpum mammosum), 92.2; cacao volador (Virola guatemalensis), 96.9; and unrefined aceituno fat (Simarouba glauca), 93.5. The data indicate that there are many valuable fats in tropical America which are of strategic importance. These essential vegetable oil resources should be developed through the cultivation of indigenous or introduced oil plants.