An Evaluation of the Contribution of Cultivated Allspice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pimenta Dioca</Emphasis>) to Vertebrate Biodiversity Conservation in Nicaragua |
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Authors: | David I King Martin D Hernandez-Mayorga Richard Trubey Raul Raudales John H Rappole |
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Institution: | (1) USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA;(2) Martin Domingo Mayorga, Ecólogo, Cooperativa CoopeSiuna, Siuna, Nicaragua;(3) Mesoamerican Development Institute, 669 Stevens Street, Lowell, MA 018514519, USA;(4) Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA |
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Abstract: | Tropical deforestation has emerged as one of the most important conservation challenges of our time, both because of the high
species diversity and rates of endemism of tropical forests, and because of the rapid rate at which this process is proceeding.
Recent studies indicate that areas of low-intensity agroforestry have similar levels of vertebrate diversity as some primary
habitats, leading some researchers and conservationists to conclude that this type of commodity production could contribute
to the conservation of biodiversity. We compared the composition of bird, mammal and herpetofaunal communities in primary
forest, secondary forest, and pasture—and within the allspice productive systems that have replaced pasture. We found that
mammal species richness was higher in primary forest than all other habitats; however for resident and migrant birds, amphibians
and reptiles, species richness was similar between primary forest and the other habitats. Despite similarities in overall
numbers of species, there were numerous species that were encountered only in primary habitats. We conclude that the cultivation
of allspice in a mixed productive system can offset some of the losses to biodiversity; however it should be complemented
by the establishment and maintenance of protected areas to accommodate populations of primary forest specialists that are
unable to persist in altered habitats. |
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Keywords: | Agroforestry Allspice Amphibians Birds Conservation Mammals Reptiles Tropics |
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