Journal: Tropical Conservation Science

Abbreviation

Trop. conserv. sci

Publisher

SAGE

Journal Volumes

ISSN

1940-0829

Description

Filters

2017 - 20182
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Publications1 - 2 of 2
  • No Effect of Variations in Overstory Diversity and Phylogenetic Distance on Early Performance of Enrichment Planted Seedlings in Restoration Plantations
    Item type: Journal Article
    Schweizer, Daniella; Brancalion, Pedro H. S. (2018)
    Tropical Conservation Science
    Enrichment planting is a strategy to increase tree diversity and reintroduce desirable species in restored forests, mainly in fragmented landscapes. However, the conditions that improve the performance of enrichment planted seedlings are not yet fully known. Here, we evaluate the role that overstory taxonomic diversity and mean overstory to seedling phylogenetic distance have as predictors of early performance of native tree seedlings planted beneath mixed-species restoration plantations in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. By applying a phylogenetic approach, our study responds to recent calls for testing the application of such tools in restoration. We planted 12 mid- to late-successional species beneath a mixed-species restoration plantation with three nested tree diversity levels of 19, 58, and 107 species and estimated the mean phylogenetic distance between each seedling species and the overstory community. Seedling performance was not significantly affected by overstory diversity or mean phylogenetic distance. Overall good performance of the seedlings shows that enrichment planting beneath a mixed-species overstory can be successful even under variations in overstory species number and phylogenetic distance. However, significant species-specific differences in performance highlight the importance of an informed selection of which species to enrich plant.
  • Economic and Conservation Potential of Bird-Watching Tourism in Postconflict Colombia
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ocampo-Peñuela, Natalia; Winton, R. Scott (2017)
    Tropical Conservation Science
    Ongoing conflict resolution in Colombia brings an opportunity for economic development of impoverished communities and a conservation threat of deforestation in newly accessible rural areas. Ecotourism is often proposed as a “win–win” solution for developing countries to meet both economic and conservation needs. With the highest number of bird species of any country, including 443 rare species highly valued by bird-watchers, Colombia has a unique opportunity to develop a lucrative and conservation-friendly bird-watching tourism industry in postconflict areas. Through geospatial analysis of conflict zones, bird distributions, protected areas, forest cover, and bird-watching activity, we identify areas of Colombia with unrealized bird-watching potential that are ripe for the development of synergistic conservation-ecotourism projects. An investment in ecotourism infrastructure and training by the Colombian government may be a conservation-friendly alternative to natural resource extraction that could alleviate poverty without degrading natural capital in postconflict Colombia.
Publications1 - 2 of 2