Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Olivier Fouet, Rey Gaston Loor Solorzano, Benedicte Rhone, Cristian Subia, Dario Calderon, Fabian Fernandez, Ignacio Sotomayor, Ronan Rivallan, Kelly Colonges, Helene Vignes, Freddy Angamarca, Byron Yaguana, Pierre Costet, Xavier Argout, Claire Lanaud
Summary: Fine flavor cocoa varieties make an important contribution to the agricultural sector in Ecuador, but their diversity is threatened by deforestation. This study aims to collect and evaluate the genetic resources of native aromatic cocoa trees, which can help farmers protect cocoa against climate change and develop new varieties for the market.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hellen Fernanda Viana Cunha, Kelly M. Andersen, Laynara Figueiredo Lugli, Flavia Delgado Santana, Izabela Fonseca Aleixo, Anna Martins Moraes, Sabrina Garcia, Raffaello Di Ponzio, Erick Oblitas Mendoza, Barbara Brum, Jessica Schmeisk Rosa, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Bruno Takeshi Tanaka Portela, Gyovanni Ribeiro, Sara Deambrozi Coelho, Sheila Trierveiler de Souza, Lara Siebert Silva, Felipe Antonieto, Maria Pires, Ana Claudia Salomao, Ana Caroline Miron, Rafael L. de Assis, Tomas F. Domingues, Luiz E. O. C. Aragao, Patrick Meir, Jose Luis Camargo, Antonio Ocimar Manzi, Laszlo Nagy, Lina M. Mercado, Iain P. Hartley, Carlos Alberto Quesada
Summary: The extent to which phosphorus availability limits tropical forest productivity is highly uncertain. However, adding phosphorus in low phosphorus content Amazon rainforest can significantly increase net primary productivity.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Roy Vera-Velez, J. Hugo Cota-Sanchez, Jorge Grijalva-Olmedo
Summary: Shifting agriculture (SA) in tropical areas helps restore soil fertility, but reducing fallow length negatively impacts forest structure and soil properties. Diversifying tree composition can maintain suitable levels of soil fertility, with certain tree species dominance being crucial for nutrient cycling dynamics.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Manuel J. Marca-Zevallos, Gabriel M. Moulatlet, Thaiane R. Sousa, Juliana Schietti, Luiz de Souza Coelho, Jose Ferreira Ramos, Diogenes de Andrade Lima Filho, Ieda Leao Amaral, Francisca Dionizia de Almeida Matos, Lorena M. Rincon, Juan David Cardenas Revilla, Marcelo Petratti Pansonato, Rogerio Gribel, Edelcilio Marques Barbosa, Ires Paula de Andrade Miranda, Luiz Carlos de Matos Bonates, Juan Ernesto Guevara, Rafael P. Salomao, Leandro Valle Ferreira, Dario Dantas do Amaral, Nigel C. A. Pitman, Corine Vriesendorp, Tim R. Baker, Roel Brienen, Marcelo de Jesus Veiga Carim, Jose Renan da Silva Guimaraes, Percy Nunez Vargas, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, William F. Laurance, Susan G. W. Laurance, Ana Andrade, Jose Luis Camargo, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Rodolfo Vasquez, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Hugo F. Mogollon, Ben Hur Marimon-Junior, Beatriz S. Marimon, Timothy J. Killeen, Emanuelle de Sousa Farias, David Neill, Marcelo Brilhante de Medeiros, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon, John Terborgh, Juan Carlos Montero, Juan Carlos Licona, Bonifacio Mostacedo, Roosevelt Garcia-Villacorta, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Luzmila Arroyo, Daniel Villarroel, Nallarett Davila, Fernanda Coelho de Souza, Fernanda Antunes Carvalho, James A. Comiskey, Alfonso Alonso, Francisco Dallmeier, Alexandre A. Oliveira, Carolina Castilho, Jon Lloyd, Ted R. Feldpausch, Marcos Rios Paredes, Nicolas Castano Arboleda, Dairon Cardenas Lopez, Gerardo A. Aymard Corredor, Anthony Di Fiore, Agustin Rudas, Adriana Prieto, Flavia Rodrigues Barbosa, Janaina Costa Noronha, Domingos de Jesus Rodrigues, Rainiellen de Sa Carpanedo, Euridice N. Honorio Coronado, Carlos A. Peres, William Milliken, Alfredo Fuentes, J. Sebastian Tello, Carlos Ceron, Bente Klitgaard, Milton Tirado, Rodrigo Sierra, Kenneth R. Young, Gonzalo Francisco Rivas-Torres, Pablo R. Stevenson, Angela Cano, Ophelia Wang, Claudia Baider, Jos Barlow, Joice Ferreira, Erika Berenguer, Juliana Stropp, Henrik Balslev, Manuel Augusto Ahuite Reategui, Italo Mesones, Elvis H. Valderrama Sandoval, Therany Gonzales, Susamar Pansini, Neidiane Farias Costa Reis, Adeilza Felipe Sampaio, Vincent Antoine Vos, Walter Palacios Cuenca, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, William Farfan-Rios, Miles R. Silman, Karina Garcia-Cabrera, Patricio von Hildebrand, Marcelino Carneiro Guedes, Janaina Barbosa Pedrosa Costa, Juan Fernando Phillips, Cesar I. A. Vela, Jose Julio de Toledo, Daniela Pauletto, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Maria Natalia Umana, Oliver L. Phillips, William E. Magnusson, Hans ter Steege, Flavia R. C. Costa
Summary: The study shows that local hydrological conditions have a significant impact on tree diversity, composition, and wood density in Amazonian forests, with wetter forests having higher diversity in well-drained locations. Southern and Western Amazonia see an increase in CWM-wd towards better drained soils, while tree species composition changes along local soil hydrological gradients in Central-Eastern, Western, and Southern Amazonia.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yingxiao Hu, Pengjie Zhan, Ben W. Thomas, Jingkun Zhao, Xueliang Zhang, He Yan, Zhibin Zhang, Shuang Chen, Xiaojun Shi, Yuting Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of organic fertilization and cover cropping in enhancing soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks in orchard systems. Organic fertilizer can result in annual gains of 3.73 Mg C/ha and 0.38 Mg N/ha, while cover crop management can lead to annual increases of 2.00 Mg C/ha and 0.20 Mg N/ha. The rates of accumulation depend on climatic conditions and initial soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Zdenek Vacek, Lukas Bilek, Jiri Remes, Stanislav Vacek, Jan Cukor, Josef Gallo, Vaclav Simunek, Daniel Bulusek, Jakub Brichta, Oldrich Vacek, Ondrej Drabek, Daniel Zahradnik
Summary: Black poplar and Norway spruce are the most productive tree species in basalt mountainous sites in Central Europe, but they are also the most vulnerable to rising temperatures and drought. European larch and black alder are more climate-resistant, but they have lower productivity. A revision of selected tree species based on carbon sequestration, growth, and damage rate is needed in the context of global climate change.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mario A. Heredia Salgado, Ina Saeumel, Andrea Cianferoni, Luis A. C. Tarelho
Summary: The integration of pyrolysis processes to convert agricultural waste into biochar in farmers' cooperatives in the Ecuadorian Amazon can have positive impacts on both the environment and economy. However, there is currently a lack of specific standards and regulations governing this process. Demonstration projects are needed to promote collaboration among different stakeholders.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Martin Notaro, Carlos Collado, Jhon Kinsley Depas, Dufrene Dumovil, Aquino Jean Denis, Olivier Deheuvels, Philippe Tixier, Christian Gary
Summary: The study analyzed the effects of various associated crops on cocoa tree productivity, finding that Fabaceae plants can enhance cocoa productivity at short distances (< 3m), while food-producing trees have a negative impact that decreases with increasing distance. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing agroforestry systems and recommending appropriate distances between cocoa trees and associated plants.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Melissa L. Brock, Alyse A. Larkin, Eric J. Raes, Adam C. Martiny
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive understanding of bacterial ecology in the Indian Ocean, revealing 23 distinct bioregions and the relationship between bacterial community structure and oceanic physical and geochemical gradients.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gijs Steur, Hans ter Steege, Rene W. Verburg, Daniel Sabatier, Jean-Francois Molino, Olaf S. Banki, Hernan Castellanos, Juliana Stropp, Emile Fonty, Sofie Ruysschaert, David Galbraith, Michelle Kalamandeen, Tinde R. van Andel, Roel Brienen, Oliver L. Phillips, Kenneth J. Feeley, John Terborgh, Pita A. Verweij
Summary: This study explores the relationships between species richness and ecosystem services in tropical forests. The results show that species richness is positively related to carbon stock, but this relationship varies across different forest types and biogeographic regions. However, species richness has weak relationships with timber stock and NTFP abundance. This study highlights the importance of environmental stratification in analyzing biodiversity-ecosystem services relationships.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Alain R. Atangana, Juvenal Zahoui Gnangoh, Allegra Kouassi Yao, Thomas d'Aquin Kouakou, Anatole Mian Ndri Nda, Christophe Kouame
Summary: The study found that factors such as experience, expected benefits, and the age of farmers influence the introduction of high-value tree species in cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire. The number of tree species introduced increased with expected benefits and experience in tree planting, while tree species were mostly selected for shade provision, useful products, and income.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tannia Vargas-Tierras, Sandra Suarez-Cedillo, Vanessa Morales-Leon, Yadira Vargas-Tierras, Leider Tinoco-Jaramillo, William Viera-Arroyo, Wilson Vasquez-Castillo
Summary: This research aimed to determine the biological quality of the Yanaquincha River water through the BMWP-Col index and physicochemical parameters. Human activities were found to be affecting the water quality, which has implications for agricultural activities and tourist resorts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jean-Luc Kouassi, Lucien Diby, Dieudonne Konan, Allegra Kouassi, Yeboi Bene, Christophe Kouame
Summary: This study examines the adoption of cocoa agroforestry by smallholder farmers near the Tai National Park in Cote d'Ivoire. Results show that most farmers use agroforestry practices, and some are adopting improved agroforestry techniques. Factors influencing cocoa agroforestry adoption include gender, length of residency, number of cultivated cash crops, and incidence of black pod attacks. These findings have important implications for promoting sustainable agriculture practices and biodiversity conservation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Angel Avadi
Summary: Ecuador is one of the major producers of cocoa, with a large portion of agricultural land dedicated to cocoa production. The dominant varieties of cocoa grown are Cacao Fino y de Aroma and clonal varieties (CCN-51). This study provides a statistics-based life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Ecuadorian cocoa value chain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lucie Hublova, Jan Frouz
Summary: Soils, especially forest soils, are important carbon pools. The amount of carbon stored in soil depends on the organic matter input and quality, which is influenced by tree species, soil age, and previous land use. The sequestration mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) change with the stage of soil development, with more SOC stored under coniferous trees in mature soils and under broadleaf trees in immature soils.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
