Pine forests, consisting primarily of Pinus oocarpa and P. caribaea, cover some 2.5 million hectares and are one of the principal natural resources and a significant foundation for development in Honduras. Historically, these forests have been subjected to ecological impacts and economic losses caused principally by wildfires and, to a lesser but no less significant extent, by the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis. According to studies conducted in the United States and beliefs of rural Honduran landowners, a relationship exists between the activity of this insect pest and environmental conditions. To explore this relationship, we developed a model relating periodic southern pine beetle outbreaks and environmental conditions in Honduras. We found that increases in mean ambient temperatures in the month of June, reductions in mean monthly precipitation in June and July, and climatic anomalies in warm months that influence the annual frequency of wildfires were 48 correlated with the occurrence and extent of southern pine beetle outbreaks since 1982. With the small amount of information available and lacking previous studies on the causes of bark beetle outbreaks in Central America, this study provides valuable information on the importance of forest management to address southern pine beetle outbreaks and illustrates a general approach that will help to predict the effects of climate change on pine forests of Honduras.

Aim of study: To determine the importance in terms of carbon sequestration of dispersed trees in pasture lands as a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measure. Area of study: The study was carried out in the municipality of Agustin Codazzi (Cesar Department, Colombia), between October 2020 and March 2021. Material and methods: We characterized 43.57 hectares dispersed amongst sixteen plots and all trees with a diameter at breast height > 10 cm were measured. Allometric equations were used to estimate aboveground biomass storage and species were classified in terms of use: timber products (TP) and non-timber products (NTP). Main results: A total of 750 trees were registered, 10 families and 28 species, of which NTP and TP represented 60.71% and 32.1% respectively. Aboveground carbon stock in trees in pastures was estimated at 7.15 + 4.8 Mg C ha-1. The most abundant species were Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. and Albizia saman (Jacq.) Merr. Research highlights: NTP species present a high potential for carbon storage and provide livestock assets. Placing value on carbon storage in rangelands can offset the low opportunity cost of trees in pastures by providing incentives for carbon storage, conservation, and recovery of threatened species.

La inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional, la escasa oferta de semilla de calidad y el cambio climático son algunos de los retos más importantes que afectan notoriamente a las pequeñas comunidades agrícolas. Los Bancos Locales de Semilla (BLS) surgen como valiosos instrumentos para mitigar algunos de los efectos que causan dichos retos en los procesos agrícolas locales, en donde el principal actor del BLS es la propia comunidad. Este documento propende al fortalecimiento y la implementación de Bancos Locales de Semillas por parte de las comunidades, y conjuga aspectos técnicos, científicos, sociales, culturales y organizacionales para ello. AGROSAVIA, con la publicación de esta guía, propone un camino para que comunidades campesinas, indígenas, consejos comunitarios, firmantes del acuerdo de paz y otros actores del Sistema Nacional de Semillas, exploren, establezcan, fortalezcan y consoliden los sistemas locales de producción agrícola por medio de los Bancos Locales de Semilla.

Dual-purpose cattle systems in the Cesar Valley microregion are based on grazing for grasses and grasslands. In the region, the grass Colosuana (Bothriochloa pertusa) is the predominant grass that is usually associated with low milk yield in dual-purpose cows. The integration of shrubs and trees for different purposes in grazing areas is still occasionally adopted by farmers.

La crianza de ovejas y cabras se reconoce como una actividad agropecuaria de gran importancia sociocultural y socioeconómica para las comunidades indígenas wayúu de La Guajira. El sistema de alimentación predominante es el pastoreo, en el cual los animales recorren grandes extensiones de tierra en búsqueda de alimento. En el caso de la Alta Guajira, incluso llegan a las zonas de áreas protegidas por el Parque Nacional Natural de Macuira, lo cual afecta su sostenibilidad. La presente cartilla forma parte de los resultados del Convenio Específico N.° 003 de 2020, celebrado entre Patrimonio Natural Fondo para la Biodiversidad y Áreas Protegidas, Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia-Dirección Territorial Caribe y la Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA), para implementar una estrategia de uso y manejo sostenible de la biodiversidad en la comunidad indígena wayúu Jalein, zona de influencia (amortiguación) del Parque Nacional Natural de Macuira, La Guajira, y presenta recomendaciones tecnológicas para recolectar de manera adecuada las semillas de las forrajeras nativas que son reconocidas por la comunidad como especies que consumen los ovinos y caprinos. Asimismo, se hacen recomendaciones sobre el proceso de germinación y propagación en vivero, siembra y cuidados que se deben tener con las plantas para lograr su crecimiento adecuado.