Land Forest Research Articles

Benefit-cost analysis of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) control: Incorporating market and non-market values

This study employs a benefit-cost analysis framework to estimate market and non-market benefits and costs of controlling future spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks on Crown forest lands in New Brunswick, Canada. We used: (i) an advanced timber supply model to project potential timber volume saved, timber value benefits, and costs of pest control efforts; and (ii) a recent contingent valuation method analysis that evaluated non-market benefits (i.e., changes in recreation opportunities and existence values) of controlling future spruce budworm outbreaks in the Province. A total of six alternative scenarios were evaluated, including two uncontrolled future budworm outbreak severities (moderate vs. severe) and, for each severity, three control program levels (protecting 10%, 20%, or 40% of the susceptible Crown land forest area). The economic criteria used to evaluate each scenario included benefit-cost ratios and net present values. Under severe outbreak conditions, results indicated that the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.04) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area, and the highest net present value ($111 M) occurred when protecting 20% (568,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Under moderate outbreak conditions, the highest benefit-cost ratio (3.24) and net present value ($58.7 M) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Inclusion of non-market values generally increased the benefit-cost ratios and net present values of the control programs, and in some cases, led to higher levels of control being supported. Results of this study highlight the importance of including non-market values into the decision making process of forest pest management.

The Amazonian Theater of Cruelty

This article deploys the “Theater of Cruelty,” articulated by the French surrealist Antonin Artaud, as a conceptual heuristic to explicate the empirical world of contemporary Amazonia, in particular the “South of Pará,” a site of land war and forest destruction, which the Theater of Cruelty posits as a single dramatic event. We pursue this explication via direct physical immersion, in the form of a travelogue following State Road PA-150 from Marabá to Eldorado dos Carajás, the scene of a massacre of nineteen land reform activists, shot down by Brazilian military police in collusion with the landed elite in 1996. Along the way, we have occasion to encounter the land reform movements and the forces of repression, which we depict both descriptively and theoretically, using our field trip as a point of departure for philosophical elaboration. To this end, we activate Artaud's “Theater of Cruelty” to disclose the nature of violent conflict in the region. We suggest that theater, more generally, provides structure for cruel performance, and that violent land conflict, together with forest destruction, constitutes a predictable tragedy of theatrical events. In other words, violent land conflict in Amazônia, with all its terrible implications for people and environment, can be grasped as a theatrical structure, with philosophic and material consequences for mind and body. Thus, we articulate the development discourse of Amazônia as a violent, existential game, not a narrative of disembodied forces.

Earth science applications of ICESat/GLAS: a review

The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) completed 19 successful campaigns for Earth observation missions following its launch in 2003. The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on board ICESat provided data of high quality with unprecedented accuracy over the globe. The three laser sensors of GLAS acquired a large volume of data between 2003 and 2009. These data were used widely to detect changes in Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and to determine forest heights, sea-ice freeboard heights and the distribution of cloud and aerosols. Here, we provide a review of these applications, describe the methodology involved in GLAS data processing and summarize some of the challenges to make better use of GLAS data. Other applications, including ice-sheet slope extraction, distinguishing between water, bare land, urban building and high forest, urban building height extraction, changes in glaciers and ice caps and water levels in lakes are discussed more briefly.

Impact of forest organic farming change on soil microbial C turnover using 13C of phospholipid fatty acids

Situated in the fast-developing country of Brazil, the Atlantic rainforest Mata Atlântica faces risks generated by population growth-derived problems. Conversion of forest to agriculture has led to a mosaic landscape with fragments of secondary forest in agricultural land. This disturbance to a naturally well-adapted ecosystem prompts rapid soil degradation. Therefore, here we compared soil C incorporation into soil microorganisms and their turnover in typical land-use systems such as primary forest, secondary forest, and agricultural land at the Atlantic Plateau of Sao Paulo, Brazil. In C3 and C4 plants having different 13C/12C compositions, a C3–C4 vegetation change was induced using maize, a C4 plant. We measured the δ13C composition of individual phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) because PFLA are specific of typical microbes. Results show that statistical analysis of soil PLFA allow differentiation of four microbial units: (1) Gram-positive bacteria; (2) anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria; (3) fungi, vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and Gram-positive bacteria; and (4) actinomycetes and Gram-positive bacteria. We also found that soil organic matter is cycled for longer time in primary forest ecosystems, of mean turnover time of 28 years, than in agricultural ecosystems with mean turnover time of 4 years for organic farming and 8 years for conventional farming. Calculation of maize-derived carbon of each microbial unit suggested that fungi and vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi dominate microbial activity in primary forest whereas Gram-negative bacteria are prominent in the agricultural sites. To conclude, we found that PLFA profiles are sensitive to land-use conversion, and their compound-specific stable-isotope analysis can strongly discriminate between different managements.

Farmers’ Assessment of the Social and Ecological Values of Land Uses in Central Highland Ethiopia

Often in land use evaluations, especially those in developing countries, only the financial aspect receives serious attention, while the social and ecological values are overlooked. This study compared the social and ecological values of four land use types (small-scale woodlot [SSW], boundary tree and shrub planting [BTP], homestead tree and shrub growing [HTG] and cereal farming [CF]) by a criteria-based scoring approach using a bao game. The impacts of local wealth status and proximity to a forest on the value the community renders to the land use types were also assessed. The value comparison, assessed by relative scoring, was accompanied by farmer's explanations to reveal the existing local knowledge about land use values. It was found that HTG≥SSW>BTP>CF for both social and ecological values. Though this trend applies for the medium and rich households, the poor ones chose SSW as the most valuable. With increasing distance from a forest, the social and ecological values of land uses increased. The accompanying scoring justifications indicated the existence of in-depth ecological knowledge, which conform to contemporary scientific reports. Generally, this study showed that social and ecological values, besides financial values, strongly influence farmer's decision in implementing various practices related to the land use types. Thus, such values are worth considering for a holistic understanding of the diverse benefits of land uses. Finally, the strong preference for tree and shrub-based land use types is a good opportunity for enhancing tree and shrub growing to minimize the major environmental problems (e.g., soil degradation, wood shortage and deforestation) in the central highlands of Ethiopia.

Observing the Forest Canopy with a New Ultra-Violet Compact Airborne Lidar

We have developed a new airborne UV lidar for the forest canopy and deployed it in the Landes forest (France). It is the first one that: (i) operates at 355 nm for emitting energetic pulses of 16 mJ at 20 Hz while fulfilling eye-safety regulations and (ii) is flown onboard an ultra-light airplane for enhanced flight flexibility. Laser footprints at ground level were 2.4 m wide for a flying altitude of 300 m. Three test areas of ∼500 × 500 m2 with Maritime pines of different ages were investigated. We used a threshold method adapted for this lidar to accurately extract from its waveforms detailed forest canopy vertical structure: canopy top, tree crown base and undergrowth heights. Good detection sensitivity enabled the observation of ground returns underneath the trees. Statistical and one-to-one comparisons with ground measurements by field foresters indicated a mean absolute accuracy of ∼1 m. Sensitivity tests on detection threshold showed the importance of signal to noise ratio and footprint size for a proper detection of the canopy vertical structure. This UV-lidar is intended for future innovative applications of simultaneous observation of forest canopy, laser-induced vegetation fluorescence and atmospheric aerosols.

Primeiro registro de Lutzomyia (Trichopygomyia) conviti Ramirez Perez, Martins & Ramirez (Diptera: Psychodidae) no Brasil

The presence of Lutzomyia conviti Ramirez Perez, Martins & Ramirez, previously found only in Venezuela and Colombia, is recorded for the first time in Brazil. Lutzomyia conviti is now added to the 229 species of Lutzomyia already registered in Brazil and to the 44 identified in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas state. Both sexes of L. conviti were collected in 2007 and 2008 with CDC light traps in an environment of primary vegetation represented by firm land forest. The distribution range of the species is cited and discussed.

Non-timber Forest Products and their Contribution to Poverty Alleviation and Forest Conservation in Mbulu and Babati Districts-Tanzania

KEYWORDS Forest Utilization. Sustainable Forest Management. Forest Resources. Policy ABSTRACT This paper presents findings on the contribution of Non-timber Forest Products towards poverty alleviation and sustainable forest management. It draws results from Nou-Catchment Forest Reserve, Dareda and Dohom Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs), in Mbulu and Babati Districts, Manyara region, Tanzania. Data were collected from eight villages, four from each District using participatory rural appraisal, structured interviews, focused group discussion and baseline data from FARM Africa Babati, Tanzania. Results revealed that NTFPs have significant role, particularly fire wood (92%), fodder (63%) and bee keeping activities (40%). Environmental goods and services (40%), construction materials and medicinal plants are also remarkable. This indicated significant contribution in income and non-income poverty reduction and thus, incentive for sustainable forest management. However, the collection trend varied from different forest and management regimes, (65%) National forest reserve, Village forest (31%), and small quantity in Village general lands (5%). The findings also highlight constraint to their exploitation and policy implications of Non-timber Forest Products towards poverty reduction and sustainable forest management. It must be mentioned, however that, there is a need for policy and legislation framework to guarantee more impact on poverty reduction and sustainable forest management.

The impact of forest use and reforestation on soil hydraulic conductivity in the Western Ghats of India: Implications for surface and sub-surface hydrology

Summary There is comparatively limited information in the humid tropics on the surface and sub-surface permeability of: (i) forests which have been impacted by multi-decades of human occupancy and (ii) forestation of land in various states of degradation. Even less is known about the dominant stormflow pathways for these respective scenarios. We sampled field saturated hydraulic conductivity, K∗ at 23 sites at four depths (0 m, n = 166), (0.10 m, n = 139), 0.45–0.60 m, n = 117, (1.35–1.50 m, n = 117) under less disturbed forest (Forest), disturbed production forest of various local species (Degraded Forest) and tree-plantations (Acacia auriculiformes, 7–10 years old, Tectona grandis, ∼25–30 years old, Casuarina equisetifolia, 12 years old) in the Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka, India, in the Western Ghats. The sampling strategy was also undertaken across three physiographic blocks and under three main soil types. Subsequently the determined K∗ were then linked with rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) characteristics to infer the dominant stormflow pathways. The Degraded Forest shows an order of magnitude decline in K∗ at the surface as result of human impacts at decadal to century time scales. The lowest surface permeability is associated with the Degraded Forests over the Laterite (Eutric Nitosols and Acrisols) and Red soils (Eutric Nitosols) and infiltration-excess overland flow, IOF probably occurs. Further there is a progressive decline in K∗ with depth in these soils supporting Degraded Forests. The A. auriculiformes plantations over the Red and Lateritic soils are progressively restoring the near-surface K∗, but their K∗ still remain quite low when compared to the less disturbed forest permeability. Consequently these plantations still retain the ‘memory’ from the previous degraded state. In contrast the permeability of the Black soils (Vertisols) are relatively insensitive to T. grandis plantations and this soil group has a very low K∗, irrespective of land cover, so that IOF likely prevails. Overall, the Laterites are the most variable in K∗ when compared to the other soil groups. Thus when compared to other studies, IOF is probably more prevalent in this region. More especially so, when taking into account the marked reduction in surface K∗ during the wet season when compared to dry season measurements. In addition, we have demonstrated the potential for the ‘infiltration – trade-off’ hypothesis to be realized in this landscape under certain conditions of land degradation and restoration. It is most relevant to the combination of degraded sites and A. auriculiformes plantations on Red or Laterite soils using the less disturbed forests as the baseline. The intensity of forest use and effects of monoculture plantations on soil ecology (relative to native, mixed forests) is likely to be the critical factor in affecting surface K∗ over time. Predicted changes in the intensity of rain events in the future is likely to enhance overland flow on degraded sites on all soils and especially on Black soils, and restoration efforts by all stake-holders, preferably using native or non-invasive species, are needed to address this concern.

Land Use Changes and Forest Degradation in a Himalayan Watershed: Analysis and Policy Alternatives

ABSTRACT Agriculture, horticulture, and forestry are the mainstays of the economy of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The economic, technological, and institutional factors that affect land use need to be analyzed in a holistic way, especially in view of fast changing cropping patterns and declining forest density. The use of a bio-economic programming model incorporating economic and ecological factors appears to be a highly attractive tool for analysis at a micro watershed scale. The objective function of the model is to maximize the discounted gross margins from different sets of activities, namely, agricultural, livestock, and forestry over a 20 year model horizon. The model becomes non-linear by incorporating a variance and co-variance matrix of gross returns over the last five years. The model investigates the effects of alternate policy scenarios on income levels, cropping patterns, biomass use and its growth, and labour and capital requirements over next 20 years by using the General Algebraic Modelling Systems (GAMS). The biomass growth is based on a logistic growth model. Though there is a sharp increase in income by replacing traditional crops with horticultural crops, such changes are also accompanied with increased income risk. Results show a diversification strategy on the part of farmers in the study watershed rather than only maximizing profits. The biomass growth becomes sustainable if there is an increase in emigration rate, use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and substitution of improved livestock. More such response through government policies can improve long term sustainability.

Factors Affecting Habitat Selection by Breeding Lesser Spotted EaglesAquila pomarinain Northeastern Poland

We tested a hypothesis on the influence of prey distribution on habitat selection by the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina in north-eastern Poland during the breeding season. We analysed the habitat composition in schematic territories around the nests of 116 breeding pairs of eagles (in a radius of 3 km) and related them to randomly selected sites. Next, we compared the habitat requirements of potential prey species with the proportion of different prey categories found in the eagle's diet. We demonstrated that, in contrast to random sites, eagle nests were located closer to the forest edges. The habitat composition of schematic territories of eagles was different from the random sites owing to the lower proportion of forest and higher proportion of meadows and agricultural land. The feeding habits of Lesser Spotted Eagles were opportunistic, and the diet was composed mainly of rodents (voles), insectivorous mammals (hedgehogs and moles), small birds, and amphibians. Small prey species (body mass below 50 g) and species indicating preferences for open habitats dominated in the diet of eagles (69% and 74% of prey captured respectively). Prey species inhabiting grasslands were hunted more frequently than species preferring agricultural areas. Moreover, eagle pairs nesting deep in the forest interior captured relatively more larger-sized species, whereas the proportion of small prey in the eagle's diet increased as the distance of nest from forest edge decreased. We hypothesize that eagles have to breed closer to the forest edge to minimize energy expenditure and time associated with prey capture and delivery to the nest.

A New Approach in Individual Tree Counting of Nyatoh (<i>Palaquium</i> spp.) Using an Airborne Spectroradiometer

Problem statement: In Malaysia inadequate data are available to make decisions regarding the sustainable management of Nyatoh (Palaquium spp.). Factual data and estimation of Nyatoh in the lowland dipterocarp forest resources are still lacking or, if available, are not complete, reliable or up to date. The collection and compilation of information and updating of existing data in near real time is a priority. Nyatoh is one of the important and popular timber species for furniture, solid doors and planks. Approach: In order to determine Nyatoh's latest species count in the Federal Territory (FT)'s Permanent Reserved Forest, a study on the distribution of Nyatoh in Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve (FR), FT was conducted using an airborne hyperspectral remote sensing technique with an objective to identify, count and map the species of Nyatoh in Bukit Nanas FR, FT. A False Color Composite (FCC) airborne hyperspectral image of the study area was used with a Sobel 3×3 filter and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) to classify and separated the individual Nyatoh from other tree species within Bukit Nanas FR. Results: A thematic map of individual Nyatoh spatial distribution in Bukit Nanas FR was developed showing a total of 36 individual Nyatoh trees in a 2.7 h study plot. There were 34 trees confirmed available on the ground with a mapping accuracy of 94.4%. Conclusion: The AISA airborne spectroradiometer data is capable of mapping and counting individual tropical timber trees especially Palaquium spp. with an acceptable accuracy of more than 90%. However, in order to improve the mapping accuracy, it is recommended that a higher spatial resolution image data is necessary in addition to a higher precision field GPS usage. This approach may be well integrated in the GIS-based decision support system to better manage and conserve such depleting timber species in the FT’s state land and permanent reserved forests.

Effect of Converting Secondary Tropical Peat Swamp Forest into Oil Palm Plantation on Selected Peat Soil Physical Properties

Problem statement: The conversion of forest land into oil palm plantation is considered to be one of the causes of soil degradation and loss of tropical land forest in Southeast Asia. The objective of this study was to compare selected peat soil physical properties of secondary tropical peat swamp forest and oil palm plantation to determine the effect of forest conversion. Approach: Peat soil samples were collected from secondary tropical peat swamp forest and oil palm plantation at Batang Igan, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Experimental plots of 300 m3 were set up in both sites and thirty peat soil samples were collected randomly in both sites at 0-15 cm depth using a peat auger. Undisturbed cores and bulk samples were collected for analysis of bulk density and moisture content. Fiber content of the total mass of organic materials was determined by wet sieving method. Soil bulk density, moisture content, organic matter, mineral content, soil porosity and particle density were determined by standard procedures. Hydraulic conductivity was measured in the field using Model 2800K1 Guelph Permeameter and soil strength was determined using Hand Operated Cone Penetrometer Eijkelkemp. Unpaired T-test was used to compare the variables of the two sites. Results: Both sites had similar degree of decomposition classified as hemic peat. No significant differences in fiber content, moisture content and particle density. Bulk density, mineral content and soil strength were significantly higher in the oil palm plantation while organic matter content, porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity were significantly higher in the secondary tropical peat swamp forest. Conclusion: Conversion of secondary tropical peat swamp forest to oil palm plantation has significantly increased soil bulk density, mineral content and soil strength but significantly decreased organic matter content, porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. However, degree of decomposition, fiber content, moisture content and particle density were not affected by the conversion.

A backcast land use change model to generate past land use maps: application and validation at the Muskegon River watershed of Michigan, USA

We developed a GIS and neural network-based land use/land cover change model for backcasting land use change and applied it to the Muskegon River watershed, a typical upper midwestern watershed in the USA. We developed 12 variants of the model, based on different structural assumptions, to simulate urban, forest, agriculture, and shrubland transitions. We compared the model variants against 12,598 land use interpreted locations from 235 aerial photographs acquired from the study region between the late 1930s through to the early 1970s. The model variants produced around 41–70% accuracy (integrating both omission and commission errors) in simulating the spatial locations of the dominant land use category, forests and agriculture, and lower accuracy for the shrub and urban land use categories. We describe the assumptions made in developing the model and discuss the implications of the assumptions to model goodness-of-fit analysis and to forecasting land use. The Windows executable version of the model and data sets are available for download from http://ltm.agriculture.purdue.edu/default_back.htm.

Effects of land-use change on carbon dynamics assessed by multi-temporal satellite imagery in a mountain watershed of Nepal

Satellite imagery from 1976, 1989, and 2003 was analysed to assess land-use change and its effect on carbon (C) dynamics in the Pokhare Khola watershed of Nepal. The soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and forest vegetation C pools were estimated using field data and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tier 1 method. The analysis of a temporal series of satellite imagery was found to be an effective tool to determine the land-use-change dynamics in the mountain watershed. During the period 1976–2003, overall forest area decreased by 24%, with significant increase in area under cultivated lands (82%). While taking into account the individual land-use types, the areas under rainfed upland, managed dense forest, and Schima–Castanopsis forest increased by 200, 174, and 58%, respectively, with substantial decreases in both degraded forest/shrub lands (35%) and pine mixed forest (92%). The effects of land-use change on SOC pool varied according to the type of land-use change. There was a net gain in the SOC pool in the larger part of the watershed during 1976–1989, but in the period 1989–2003 a net loss was observed. Conversion from forest to cultivated lands has resulted in a severe loss of vegetation carbon. However, in the future, there will be higher vegetation carbon pools in the watershed, because a significant land area under degraded forest/shrub land and pine mixed forest has been converted to managed-dense forest and Schima–Castanopsis forest, which were shown to contain significantly higher amounts of vegetation carbon.

Soil fertility and GIS raster models for tropical agroforestry planning in economically depressed and contaminated Caribbean areas (coffee and kidney bean plantations)

In the jaragua-bahoruco-enriquillo biosphere reserve, located on the southern border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, there are depressed rural areas with soils with high content in Cadmium and other heavy metals which originate naturally in the geological substrate. Data from 80 soils and an inventory of 76 plantations (coffee and kidney bean were used) to design a GIS (geographic information systems) tool which integrated statistical multivariate methods, soil parameters including heavy metal content into models of land planning, agricultural development, forests and protection of the health of the area’s inhabitants and the natural environment. This GIS tool is based on raster models of an open source, which use combination and reclassification operations based on the maps, geostatistical methods (Kriging), statistical analyses external to the GIS, and cartography of limiting and excluding particular factors for crops (including heavy metal soil content). The GIS tool developed discriminates extreme situations in sustainable agroforestry planning in contaminated rural areas of the Caribbean, Central America and other tropical regions.

Sediment production following severe wildfire and post-fire salvage logging in the Rocky Mountain headwaters of the Oldman River Basin, Alberta

Abstract In 2003, the Lost Creek fire burned 21,000 ha of nearly contiguous crown land forests in the headwater regions of the Oldman River Basin, Alberta. Seven small watersheds with various levels of land disturbance (burned, post-fire salvage logged, unburned) were instrumented and monitored for four years to measure stream discharge, sediment concentration, and sediment yields for a range of dominant flow periods characteristic of the region (baseflow, spring melt, and stormflow). Stream discharges reflected runoff regimes consistent with high regional precipitation and the high relief physiographic setting of the study area. Suspended sediment concentrations and yields were significantly higher in both burned and post-fire salvage logged watersheds than in unburned watersheds and were strongly influenced by topographic and hydro-climatic controls. Sediment availability was much higher in both the burned and post-fire salvage logged watersheds but it varied strongly with flow condition, particularly during the snowmelt freshet and high flow events. Because of increases in wildfire frequency and severity over recent decades, understanding the range of impacts from both wildfire and post-disturbance management strategies such as salvage logging is likely to become increasingly important for land managers.

Land Use Change and Forest Carbon Sink Assessment in an Alpine Mountain Area of the Veneto Region (Northeast Italy)

Abstract In this study, we analyzed the variation of forest land cover in a mountain area of Veneto Region in northeast Italy. The analysis was done by comparing orthorectified aerial photographs taken in 1991 with orthophotos dated 2003, using photo interpretation of points with casual distribution on sample areas, according to a stratified sampling. The study yielded a statistically relevant increment of about 0.095% (ie about 42 ha) of forestland only up to 1500 m above sea level compared with the estimated forest cover for 1990, highlighting that this low increase was mainly due to abandoned grazing; the forest surface area estimate in 1990 was affected by a standard error of approximately 2.8%. We then estimated the carbon sink in the areas where forests had expanded. This was achieved by collecting biometric data in the field, and then using allometric functions. The annual carbon sink was estimated as 0.69 Mg ha−1 year−1.

Fauna assemblages in regrowth vegetation in tropical open forests of the Northern Territory, Australia

Context. World-wide, primary forest is in decline. This places increasing importance on understanding the use by biodiversity of regrowth (secondary) forest, and on the management of such regrowth. Aims. This study aimed to compare the terrestrial vertebrate assemblages in tropical eucalypt forests, regrowth in these forests (following clearing for pastoral intensification) and cleared land without regrowth, to provide evidence for developing management guidelines for regrowth vegetation in a region (the Daly catchment of the Northern Territory) subject to increasing demands for land-use intensification. Methods. The terrestrial vertebrate fauna was surveyed consistently at 43 quadrats sampling forest, 38 sampling regrowth and 19 sampling cleared land (formerly forest), and the faunal composition was compared with ordination and analysis of variance. Further analysis used generalised linear modelling to include consideration of the relative importance of disturbance (condition) of quadrats. Key results. Faunal assemblages in regrowth vegetation were found to be intermediate between cleared land and intact forest, and converged towards the faunal assemblage typical of intact forest with increase in the canopy height of the regrowth. However, even the tallest regrowth quadrats that were sampled supported relatively few hollow-associated species. The management of fire, weeds and grazing pressure substantially affected the faunal assemblages of the set of regrowth and intact forest quadrats, in many cases being a more important determinant of faunal attributes than was whether or not the quadrat had been cleared. Conclusions. In this region, regrowth vegetation has value as habitat for fauna, with this value increasing as the regrowth structure increases. The convergence of the faunal composition of regrowth vegetation to that of intact forest may be substantially affected by post-clearing management factors (including fire regime and level of grazing pressure and weed infestation). Implications. Regrowth vegetation should be afforded appropriate regulatory protection, with the level of protection increasing as the regrowth increases in stature.

Estado de conservación de Crax globulosa en la Reserva Nacional Pacaya Samiria, Loreto

Since May to July 2006 the state of conservation of the Crax globulosa Spix, 1825 was studied in the buffer zone of the National Reserve Pacaya Samiria. In the villages of Vista Alegre and San Pedro de Maypuco the information was gathered through workshops, surveys, interviews and lectures that provided information on the perception and knowledge of local people about the species. Censuses and observations were conducted in the community of Vista Alegre. Crax globulosa during periods of wet season prefers the upper forest and small areas of land locally known as the highest restingas; in dry season occupies the entire space of the restingas, preferring closed forests of lakes locally known as cochas and pipes. 22 groups and 50 individuals were observed, and its density was estimate in 3-4 individuals/km2. This work confirms the presence of C. globulosa, and its distribution in the lower Ucayali.