Tuesday, October 20, 2009

PostHeaderIcon Palm Ecology, Sustainable Use, and NGOs

6:57 AM | Posted by NRES 285/ 499, Fall 2010, UIUC | Edit Post

Palm Ecology and Sustainable Use

NGO Student Presentation

It could be because I am really into plants, find them super interesting, and consider myself a plant guy …BUT undoubtedly this lecture from Bryan on palms was excellent. It may be my favorite yet because it presents a clearer idea of what we will investigate in Sonora. It’s definitely worth going through the pdf above to check out pictures, fun facts, and well-explained material. Don't you want to now? Go on and do it!

As we learned before, palms are an important non-timber forest product used by rural communities for food, roof thatching, oil, and even clothing. On the other hand, palms provide food and shelter for many organisms, such as bats, in the TDF. Due to habitat loss, grazing, and overharvesting, Brahea aculeata is listed as “vulnerable” by IUCN. We need to learn more about the life history and reproduction patterns of this palm through research in the field so we can begin to answer more questions. And there are a lot of questions, both ecological and social in nature:

• Where are the palms found? What environmental factors influence this?
• What proportion of palms is reproductively active?
• What is the best way to harvest B. aculeata? How many leaves and how often?
• How many leaves should be left alone?
• What are the effects of grazing on reproduction? What could be some ways to curb these negative effects?
• Could the palm trading system be amended to emphasize quality rather than quantity? Could wages be improved?


The life cycle diagram shown is for another palm, Chamaedorea radicalis. Since it has been researched extensively, the specific plant stages are known. Our research in Mexico will include trying to delineate plant stages for B. aculeata. It will be a good starting point to reach the ultimate goal of balancing ecological benefits and social benefits. --Lenna O.

photo from Bryan E.

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About the Class

My photo
Alamos, Sonora, Mexico
This course combines pre-trip classroom instruction with field study in the Sierra de Alamos in Southeastern Sonora, Mexico. Its purpose is to introduce both undergraduate and graduate students to biodiversity and conservation of a diverse and significantly threatened ecosystem.

Readings

  • Alvarez-Yepiz, J. C., A. Martinez-Yrizar, et al. (2008). "Variation in vegetation structure and soil properties related to land use history of old-growth and secondary tropical dry forests in northwestern Mexico." Forest Ecology and Management 256(3): 355-366.
  • Anten, N. P. R., M. Martinez-Ramos, et al. (2003). "Defoliation and growth in an understory palm: Quantifying the contributions of compensatory responses." Ecology 84(11): 2905-2918.
  • Dacosta, J. M. and J. Klicka (2008). "The Great American Interchange in birds: a phylogenetic perspective with the genus Trogon." Molecular Ecology 17(5): 1328-1343.
  • Endress, B. A., D. L. Gorchov, et al. (2004). "Harvest of the palm Chamaedorea radicalis, its effects on leaf production, and implications for sustainable management." Conservation Biology 18(3): 822-830.
  • Endress, B. A., D. L. Gorchov, et al. (2004). "Non-timber forest product extraction: Effects of harvest and browsing on an understory palm." Ecological Applications 14(4): 1139-1153.
  • Felger, R. S. and E. Joyal (1999). "The palms (Areacaceae) of Sonora, Mexico." Aliso 18(1): 1-18.
  • Joyal, E. (1996). "The palm has its time: An ethnoecology of Sabal uresana in Sonora, Mexico." Economic Botany 50(4): 446-462.
  • Joyal, E. (1996). "The use of Sabal uresana (Arecaceae) and other palms in Sonora, Mexico." Economic Botany 50(4): 429-445.
  • O' Brien, C., A. D. Flesch, et al. (2006). Biological inventory of the Rio Aros, Sonora, Mexico: A river unknown. C. O'Brien. Tucson, University of Arizona.
  • Rendon-Carmona, H., A. Martinez-Yrizar, et al. (2009). "Selective cutting of woody species in a Mexican tropical dry forest: Incompatibility between use and conservation." Forest Ecology and Management 257(2): 567-579.
  • Ticktin, T. (2004). "The ecological implications of harvesting non-timber forest products." Journal of Applied Ecology 41(1): 11-21.
  • Vasquez-Leon, M. and D. Liverman (2004). "The political ecology of land-use change: Affluent ranchers and destitute farmers in the Mexican municipio of Alamos." Human Organization 63(1): 21-33.

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