Tropical Forest Areas Research Articles

Changes in foliar epicuticular wax and photosynthesis metabolism in evergreen woody species under different soil water availability

Epicuticular waxes (EW) are important for plant physiology as a protective barrier against water loss. Thus, the main goal of this study was to evaluate the ecophysiological performance of Cynophalla flexuosa, an evergreen woody species, under different foliar EW contents. The study was conducted during three periods throughout the year in a seasonally dry tropical forest area. The xylem water potential decreased to 70% at midday. The main EW components were n-alkane chains, effective in keeping the cuticle impermeability. We analyzed intact leaves and leaves with EW removed. C. flexuosa did not alter its photosynthetic performance throughout the day in leaves where EW was removed, except under the lowest soil water balance. Furthermore, foliar biochemical metabolism activity also was maintained. Thus, photochemical and gas-exchange values showed a high resilience, although soil water availability decreased. These findings highlight that this evergreen woody species performed under semiarid conditions with high foliar dynamic traits.

IDENTIFIKASI JAHE – JAHEAN (ZINGIBERACEAE) DI KAWASAN HUTAN LINDUNG GUNUNG BAWANG KABUPATEN BENGKAYANG KALIMANTAN BARAT

Family Zingiberaceae is one of flowing plant known by the community as ginger. Many Zingiberaceae found in tropical forest areas, especially Indo-Malaya. There are around 50 % genus growth in lowland forest more than 2000 masl. The purpose of this study was to identify the ginger species (Zingirberaceae) of protected forest in Gunung Bawang Bengkayang Regency West Kalimantan. The method used in this research was survey purposive determination starting point. The survey consisted of 5 transect that length at 200 m. The results showed that gingers species found in Gunung Bawang was 17 gingers species, that were classified into 6 Genus. Globba propingua Ridl was found with the highest number of species. Overall, the research showed that the Gunung Bawang is in a good state and to be maintained.Keyword: Gunung Bawang, Gingers, Protected forest, Zingiberaceae

An anthropological analysis about primatology - Reports of a particular human-animal relationship with Capuchin monkeys.

This ethnography is about a particular human-animal relationship based on primatological research on groups of wild robust capuchin monkeys living in Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (Brazil), one of the largest preserved areas of Atlantic Tropical Forest in the world. It emphasizes the complex situations that highlight the difficulty of making this research. This space integrates administrative, scientific and local interests, producing a unique cartography. We reflect on the scientific research considering the relations among primatologist, field assistant and other animals and comparing it with the hunt. "Hunt" is a model inspired in techniques and in some aspects of recreational hunt to expand the comprehension of a complex routine defined to obtain behavior data.

Preliminary study on ecotourism potency of tropical forest and coastal area on PT Diamond Raya Timber concession area, Riau Province

This preliminary studies aimed to examine potency the area to explore as ecotourism base tropical forest, coastal area, agrotourisme and cuotural tourism. Thestudy indicates that the concession has the potential to be an ecotourism area, which contributes to companies, governments and communities. Tourism objects include 1) tropical forest; Sumatran tiger conservation area, primate habitat area (gibbon, ungko, monkey), bird habitat (hornbill, punai, bayan, magpie, parrots), tropical forest biodiversity, tropical forest bee farming, tropical forest nursery area, traditional forest harvesting method etc. 2) coastal area; biodiversity of mangrove forest, biodiversity of coastal biota, wild crocodile viewing, tourism of fireflies, mangrove forest walk, planting mangrove activities, mangrove nursery, fishing etc. 3) The agroforestry and silvofishery programs of the company will contribute to the ecotourism program. Agroforestry objects include; viewing agrucutural area, planting, harvesting, cooking and eating some tropical fruit. Silvofishery objects are; viewing shrimp and fish pond area, harvesting, cooking and eating shrimp and some fishes. In addition, local culture can be part of the tourism object, among others; culinary tour, art and culture community presentation, and Malay kampong culture.

Deforestation pattern dynamics in protected areas of the Brazilian Legal Amazon using remote sensing data

Forest fragmentation and deforestation are subjects of great concern in tropical regions, namely in South America and Africa, contributing to a rapid loss of tropical forest area and with serious implications for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation. Despite the decrease in deforestation rates in recent years, the Brazilian Amazon, with the largest continuous region of tropical forest in the world, has suffered the greatest recorded losses, which have been contributing to continuous habitat fragmentation and a reduction in the territory occupied by Amerindian populations. In an attempt to preserve the remaining habitats and forests, Brazil has been adopting land conservation policies, including the implementation of protected areas. Protected areas (PAs) possess the potential to significantly reduce habitat fragmentation by conserving large, contiguous areas of land. In order to examine how effective PAs are at conserving forest area in the Brazilian Legal Amazon, patterns of deforestation are analyzed and compared, inside and outside the PAs, through landscape metrics calculated using the Patch Analyst and V-LATE extensions of a Geographic Information System. Two different sources (the Hansen Global Forest Change Dataset and the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research's (INPE) PRODES project) of annual forest cover-loss data derived from satellite imagery at medium-to-high spatial and temporal resolutions are compared at two-yearly intervals across 2002–2016. Additionally, fragmentation levels associated with deforestation patterns are assessed through an index modeled using a set of uncorrelated landscape metrics, and the associated change factors and trend are discussed. Results show that there is greater fragmentation in some PAs located in Mato Grosso and Pará States, especially those near the “arc of deforestation”, and that Yanomami Indigenous Lands (YIL) are tending towards more fragmentation. Although some PAs are in a critical condition, findings show they all actively contribute to improved conservation of the native ecosystem and, in conjunction with sustainable management policies, will continue to help reduce or avoid forest fragmentation and degradation processes.

Public discourses on conservation and development in a rural community in Colombia: an application of Q-methodology

People living in rural areas are caught between the two often conflicting objectives of conserving biodiversity and promoting economic development. Current approaches to conservation are built on the premise that conservation and development are not antagonistic. Social conservationists advocate win–win solutions that both conserve biodiversity and promote human well-being. In this paper we explore how the conservation-development relationship is understood by a rural community in Colombia where remaining areas of tropical dry forest are threatened by human activities, and a payment for ecosystem services scheme, PES, is proposed as a conservation strategy. Q-methodology was used to identify and categorise local peoples’ perspectives on forest conservation. Four distinctive perspectives were found: Social Conservationism, Fair Development, Development Advocate and Government’s Responsibility. Social conservationism places more importance on forest conservation while the other three perspectives emphasise development. This suggests that the conservation program at the local level must be explicit about tensions and trade-offs. Not to do so can compromise the social acceptability of the PES scheme and therefore the conservation objective.

Importance of wild foods to household food security in tropical forest areas

This article conducts a systematic literature review to analyze and consolidate empirical and/or theoretical evidence that shows the importance of wild foods for household food security in tropical forest areas. For these territories, forest plants, fungi and animals are not only important as a source of food, but also for generating community income. The main challenges related to wild foods are the negative effects on protection of species and the risks to human health when this food is consumed without testing for safety and nutrition. Once these challenges are met, wild foods can serve to bolster food security which can help to sustain territories in tropical forests.

The invasive speciesCylindrodesmus hirsutusPocock (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Haplodesmidae) spreads to the northern Caribbean, with a compilation of published localities

AbstractMillipede diversity in tropical regions, and in Mexico in particular, is still mostly unknown. A modest but recurrent source of new Mexican species is the colonization of exotic species, due to human activity. The invasive speciesCylindrodesmus hirsutusPocock, 1889 has spread from its area of origin in Indonesia or Melanesia and become a virtually pantropical species. Although long known from South and Central America, reports from the Caribbean are sparse and limited to some eastern islands and southern Central America. On 9 March 2016, two adult specimens were found on Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo, in an area of medium semideciduous tropical forest. This paper comprises the first record of this species from Mexico and the northern Caribbean. Given the intense commercial activity in the region, the presence of more populations both in Cozumel Island and in the mainland coast is highly probable.

Riqueza y distribución de Hílidos (Hylidae: Anura) en zona de bosques pluvial tropical en el departamento del Chocó, Colombia

El presente estudio se determinó la riqueza y distribución de Hílidos en zona de bosque pluvial tropical, se establecieron coberturas vegetales (bosque primario y secundario) para un mejor análisis del grupo en la zona centro del departamento del Chocó. Para la estimación de la riqueza se utilizó el método de relevamientos por encuentros visuales (Visual Encounter Survey “VES”), registrando un total de 137 ind., agrupados en cinco géneros y ocho especies de Hílidos. Se encontró diferencia en la distribución de las especies según las coberturas vegetales, registrando mejores valores en bosque secundario (s=8 y n=103); en la comunidad los géneros mejores representados fueron Dendropsophus, Scinax y Boana quienes estuvieron presentes en ambas coberturas, y en término especifico Boana boans y Smilisca phaeota. En el uso de hábitat, se encontró diferencia significativa en las posiciones verticales (P=1.34), al igual que los sustratos evaluados (P=1.66) estas diferencias están evidenciadas en posición suelo y sustratos ramas. Los resultados revelaron que los Hílidos frecuentan los bosques secundarios por su heterogeneidad y que ostenten las condiciones idóneas y requerimientos ecológicos que estas especies precisan para su desarrollo.

Lower land-use emissions responsible for increased net land carbon sink during the slow warming period

The terrestrial carbon sink accelerated during 1998-2012, concurrently with the slow warming period, but the mechanisms behind this acceleration are unclear. Here we analyse recent changes in the net land carbon sink (NLS) and its driving factors, using atmospheric inversions and terrestrial carbon models. We show that the linear trend of NLS during 1998-2012 is about 0.17 +/- 0.05 Pg C yr(-2), which is three times larger than during 1980-1998 (0.05 +/- 0.05 Pg C yr(-2)). According to terrestrial carbon model simulations, the intensification of the NLS cannot be explained by CO2 fertilization or climate change alone. We therefore use a bookkeeping model to explore the contribution of changes in land-use emissions and find that decreasing land-use emissions are the dominant cause of the intensification of the NLS during the slow warming period. This reduction of land-use emissions is due to both decreased tropical forest area loss and increased afforestation in northern temperate regions. The estimate based on atmospheric inversions shows consistently reduced land-use emissions, whereas another bookkeeping model did not reproduce such changes, probably owing to missing the signal of reduced tropical deforestation. These results highlight the importance of better constraining emissions from land-use change to understand recent trends in land carbon sinks.

Soils of Tropical Dry Forest and with Different Crops Presenting Ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus

The vine decline caused by Monosporascus cannonballus is a limiting factor in different crops in several countries. The objective of this study was to quantify the M. cannonballus ascospores in soils covered with tropical dry forest and areas cultivated with pineapple, cotton, coconut, corn, mango, melon, papaya, sorghum and watermelon. Five areas were sampled in tropical dry forest and every crop. The M. cannonballus ascospores were extracted using the flotation method of sucrose. Ascospores of M. cannonballus were detected in all soil samples from Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states, including tropical dry forest. There were significant differences among the ascospores densities of M. cannonballus, which varied from 0.55 to 2.21 ascospores g-1 soil. The lower densities were found in areas with cotton, coconut, mango, pineapple, and melon within the first and fifth years of cultivation, in addition to uncultivated areas of tropical dry forest. The highest ascospores density was found in papaya areas. Up to date, there is no study to prove that this crop is considered host of this phytopathogen. Cultivated areas with cucurbitaceous with more years of cultivation presented higher densities of M. cannonballus ascospores in soils from Brazilian semiarid. However, there is no direct relationship between M. cannonballus population density in the soil and the susceptibility of the host being cultivated in the soil at the time of sampling.

“Bushmeat Crisis” and “Cultural Imperialism” in Wildlife Management? Taking Value Orientations Into Account for a More Sustainable and Culturally Acceptable Wildmeat Sector

OPINION article Front. Ecol. Evol., 02 August 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2018.00112

Spatial variability of tree species diversity in a mixed tropical forest in Southern Brazil.

Floristic surveys and diversity indices are often applied to measure tree species diversity in mixed tropical forest remnants. However, these analyses are frequently limited to the overall results and do not allow to evaluate the spatial variability distributions of tree diversity, leading to develop additional tools. This study aimed to estimate the spatial variability of tree diversity and map their spatial patterns in a Brazilian mixed tropical forest conservation area. We used indices to measure the tree species diversity (dbh≥10 cm) in 400 sampling units (25mx25m) from a continuous forest inventory. Semivariograms were fitted to estimate spatial dependences and punctual kriging was applied to compose maps. Mean diversity values were constant in the continuous inventories, indicating a forest remnant in an advanced stage of ecological succession. On the other hand, tree diversity presented spatial patterns identified by geostatistics, in which the dynamics were composed of heterogeneous mosaics spatially influenced by tree species with different ecological features and densities, gap dynamics, advancement of forest succession, mortality, and Araucaria angustilofia's cohorts.

Energy balance closure in the Southwest Amazon forest site—a statistical approach

Energy balance closure is the main indicator of the quality of energy flux measurements obtained by the eddy covariance technique. Many researchers use a simple linear regression model between energy balance components to evaluate closure. However, these studies typically fail to verify the appropriateness of the statistical assumptions of regression analysis, which can lead to erroneous conclusions if the model is not satisfactory. Thus, the aim of this study was to calibrate and validate simple and robust with bootstrap and cross-validation linear regression models to verify the efficiency of energy balance closure in the Amazon ecosystem. Measurements of net radiation and latent, sensible, and ground heat fluxes were made from January to December 2008 in a tropical rain forest area in South West Amazonia in an experimental site belonging to the network of flux towers of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA). The results demonstrated that simple linear regression models are not appropriate for analyzing energy balance closure. However, robust linear regression models with bootstrap and cross-validation improved the fit to the data. Despite the better fit, there was an increase in energy balance closure residuals suggesting that the eddy covariance technique is underestimating the values of energy fluxes in Amazon forest areas more than what were reported in previous researches.

Synopsis and potential geographical distribution ofCotinis(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) in Colombia

A taxonomic synopsis and analysis of the potential distribution of the three Cotinis species found in Colombia are presented, based on the revision of 212 specimens deposited in 20 entomological collections. Based on collection information and geo-referencing locality data, the rate of record accumulation over time and observed distribution for each species were examined. Potential distribution maps were generated following biogeographic, bioclimatic, conservation, and expert criteria. Potential distribution models were made according to the amount and degree of record spatial aggregation. Cundinamarca, Tolima, Magdalena, and Sucre are the departments with the greatest number of species occurrence data. The analysis of potential distribution showed that Cotinis columbica is restricted to Andean ecosystems, while Cotinis lebasi is showing potential distribution in humid tropical forest areas in Colombia. On the other hand, the Jackknife test indicated that available data for Cotinis barthelemyi do not prov...

Remote Sensing of Leaf Area Index from LiDAR Height Percentile Metrics and Comparison with MODIS Product in a Selectively Logged Tropical Forest Area in Eastern Amazonia

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter to describe the capacity of forests to intercept light and thus affects the microclimate and photosynthetic capacity of canopies. In general, tropical forests have a higher leaf area index and it is a challenge to estimate LAI in a forest with a very dense canopy. In this study, it is assumed that the traditional Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived fractional vegetation cover (fCover) has weak relationship with leaf area index in a dense forest. We propose a partial least squares (PLS) regression model using the height percentile metrics derived from airborne LiDAR data to estimate the LAI of a dense forest. Ground inventory and airborne LiDAR data collected in a selectively logged tropical forest area in Eastern Amazonia are used to map LAI from the plot level to the landscape scale. The results indicate that the fCover, derived from the first return or the last return, has no significant correlations with the ground-based LAI. The PLS model evaluated by the leave-one-out validation shows that the estimated LAI is significantly correlated with the ground-based LAI with an R2 of 0.58 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.13. A data comparison indicates that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) LAI underestimates the landscape-level LAI by about 22%. The MODIS quality control data show that in the selected tile, the cloud state is not the primary factor affecting the MODIS LAI performance; rather, the LAI from the main radiative transfer (RT) algorithm contributes much to the underestimation of the LAI in the tropical forest. In addition, the results show that the LiDAR-based LAI has a better response to the logging activities than the MODIS-based LAI, and that the leaf area reduction caused by logging is about 13%. In contrast, the MODIS-based LAI exhibits no apparent spatial correlation with the LiDAR-based LAI. It is suggested that the main algorithm of MODIS should be improved with regard to tropical forests. The significance of this study is the proposal of a framework to produce ground-based LAI using forest inventory data and determine the plot-level LAI at the airborne and satellite scale using LiDAR data.

Global soil consumption of atmospheric carbon monoxide: an analysis using a process-based biogeochemistry model

Abstract. Carbon monoxide (CO) plays an important role in controlling the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere by reacting with OH radicals that affect atmospheric methane (CH4) dynamics. We develop a process-based biogeochemistry model to quantify the CO exchange between soils and the atmosphere with a 5 min internal time step at the global scale. The model is parameterized using the CO flux data from the field and laboratory experiments for 11 representative ecosystem types. The model is then extrapolated to global terrestrial ecosystems using monthly climate forcing data. Global soil gross consumption, gross production, and net flux of the atmospheric CO are estimated to be from −197 to −180, 34 to 36, and −163 to −145 Tg CO yr−1 (1 Tg = 1012 g), respectively, when the model is driven with satellite-based atmospheric CO concentration data during 2000–2013. Tropical evergreen forest, savanna and deciduous forest areas are the largest sinks at 123 Tg CO yr−1. The soil CO gross consumption is sensitive to air temperature and atmospheric CO concentration, while the gross production is sensitive to soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and air temperature. By assuming that the spatially distributed atmospheric CO concentrations (∼ 128 ppbv) are not changing over time, the global mean CO net deposition velocity is estimated to be 0.16–0.19 mm s−1 during the 20th century. Under the future climate scenarios, the CO deposition velocity will increase at a rate of 0.0002–0.0013 mm s−1 yr−1 during 2014–2100, reaching 0.20–0.30 mm s−1 by the end of the 21st century, primarily due to the increasing temperature. Areas near the Equator, the eastern US, Europe and eastern Asia will be the largest sinks due to optimum soil moisture and high temperature. The annual global soil net flux of atmospheric CO is primarily controlled by air temperature, soil temperature, SOC and atmospheric CO concentrations, while its monthly variation is mainly determined by air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature and soil moisture.

Plant diversity of Betel Leaf Agroforestry of South Meghalaya, Northeast India

Tynsong H, Tiwari BK, Dkhar M. 2018. Plant diversity of Betel Leaf Agroforestry of South Meghalaya, Northeast India. Asian J For 2: 1-11. Large areas of lowland tropical forests of South Meghalaya have been converted into betel leaf agroforestry systems by the tribal people living in the area. The betel leaf agroforestry with diverse and structurally complex shade canopies conserve a significant portion of the original forest biodiversity. The impact of land use change on the biodiversity was studied using standard vegetation analysis and biodiversity estimation methods. A total of 160 plant species were recorded in natural forests out of which 75 were trees, 40 shrubs, and 45 herbs, while in betel leaf agroforestry, a total of 159 plant species, 94 trees, 17 shrubs and 48 herbs were recorded. A total of 34 tree species, 13 shrub species, and 14 herb species were common in both the land uses. All the plant species were native species. The study revealed that the conversion of natural forest to betel leaf agroforestry in South Meghalaya has no significant impact on tree and herb diversity. However, the basal area and density are affected to some extent. The land use change has also affected the density and diversity of shrubs. The study concludes that betel leaf agroforestry in South Meghalaya developed by the indigenous War Khasi tribe through experiential learning over several generations has emerged as a fairly sustainable agroforestry system causing minimal impact on plant diversity.

English

Groundnuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) are the second most important legume crops after beans, an important source of protein (23 to 25%), fats/oils (40 to 52%) and carbohydrates (10 to 20 %) and widely grown and consumed in Uganda including the Lake Albert Crescent Zone (LACZ). Due to susceptibility of local varieties to groundnut rosette, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) through the National Semi Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) developed and released the serenut varieties. Adaptive trials were therefore established in the LACZ, to select the most location specific adapted varieties for promotion in this ecologically diverse zone. Four serenut varieties namely serenut 5, 8, 10 and 14 and a locally grown variety (Red beauty) were planted on three farmers’ fields in each of the three sub-ecological areas. Data were collected on total pod dry weight (yield), number of pods and on 100 seed weight. In this study, we show that overall yields of serenut 5, serenut 14, serenut 8 and serenut 10 were highly significantly (P < 0.001) different for all traits measured across the sub-ecological areas. Best yields were recorded from the humid tropical rain forest sub-ecological area where 1900 kg/ha were obtained for serenut 14, 2366 kg/ha for serenut 10, 1763 kg/ha for serenut 8 and 1795 kg/ha for serenut 5. The yields obtained from these varieties were generally worst in the semi-arid sub-ecological area. These serenut varieties are generally adapted to wider environmental conditions although their performance per se was found to be generally inconsistent. This study has also found that among all the varieties tested, Serenut 5 was the best adapted across all the sub-ecologies. Overall, we therefore recommend farmers in this ecologically diverse zone to grow these groundnut varieties with improved growing practices such as timely planting, timely weeding, earthing up and pest and disease management in order to obtain consistent high yields. Key words: Groundnut, performance, stability, sub-ecological area.

Comparison of temporal and spatial changes in three major tropical forests based on MODIS data

Numerous studies have shown that intact tropical forests account for half of the total terrestrial sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Here, we analyzed and compared changes in three main tropical forest regions from 2000 to 2014, based on time-series analysis and landscape metrics derived from moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer data. We examined spatial-pattern changes in percentage of tree cover and net primary production (NPP) for three tropical forest regions—Amazon basin, Congo basin, and Southeast Asia. The results show that: the Amazon basin region had the largest tropical forest area and total NPP and a better continuity of TC distribution; the Southeast Asia region exhibited a sharp decrease in NPP and had comparatively separate spatial patterns of both TC and NPP; and the Congo basin region exhibited a dramatic increase in NPP and had better aggregation of forest NPP distribution. Results also show that aggregative patterns likely correlate with high NPP values.