Broad-scale and long-term forest growth predictions and management for native, mixed species plantations and teak in Costa Rica and Panama

Nölte, Anja; Yousefpour, Rasoul; Cifuentes-Jara, Miguel; Piotto, Daniel; Murillo-Gamboa, Olmán; Zúñiga, Pedro; Hanewinkel, Marc

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120386

Cited by 5 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 76 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…3-PG calculates the total carbon fixed from absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, corrected for mediating effects from soil and climatic conditions, and stand age. To predict the growth of our species of interest we used the 3-PGmix parameters published by Nölte et al (2022).…”

Section: Forest Growth Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For our selected species, site preferences are still partly poorly understood, and sensible generalized site fertility scenarios challenging to formulate. Therefore, we used the species-specific FR model-fitted for our study sites by Nölte et al (2022) (Table 2). Nölte et al (2022) included FR as a parameter to be determined during the model calibration, i.e.…”

Section: Site Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, we used the species-specific FR model-fitted for our study sites by Nölte et al (2022) (Table 2). Nölte et al (2022) included FR as a parameter to be determined during the model calibration, i.e. FR was determined such, that the modeled growth data best fitted the observed data on the study sites.…”

Section: Site Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For broader applications, the optimized management parameters need to be generalized in future research. The data underlying the calibration of the growth model used in this study included examples of commercial plantations with very poor FR (between 0 and 0.3) (Nölte et al 2022), where stand growth stagnated with increasing stand age (e.g. T. grandis growth stagnated at a mean dbh around 20 cm).…”

Section: Sensitivity and Uncertaintiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Economic potential and management of tropical mixed-species plantations in Central America

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tropical forest plantations play an important role in meeting global wood demand. While research has highlighted the ecological potential of mixed-species plantations, studies on the economic viability and management of such plantations are largely missing in the context of tropical plantation forestry. In this study, we estimated the economic potential and optimized the management of commercial mixed-species plantations of four tree species native to Central America (Dalbergia retusa, Dipteryx oleifera, Hieronyma alchorneoides, and Vochysia guatemalensis) and Teak (Tectona grandis). We combined the forest growth model 3-PGmix and detailed economic data for two plantation sites in Costa Rica to optimize the management of 11 different mixtures using a genetic optimization algorithm. We found that several of the modeled mixed-species stands can be highly profitable with net present values (NPV) up to 4821.2 USD/ha at an 8% discount rate, and internal rates of return up to 17% (under excellent site conditions). This indicates that the most profitable mixtures (e.g. of V. guatemalensis-D. oleifera or T. grandis-D. oleifera on excellent sites) could compete economically with conventional monoculture plantations such as Teak monocultures. Further, mixed stands can be managed based on the same simple even-aged management approaches currently applied in monoculture plantations if the specific management parameters are adapted. The optimized management parameters also lead to improved NPV of the modeled stands under alternative valuation assumptions but are site-specific. In the present study, we only considered financial benefits from timber production. However, establishing mixed-species plantations in the tropics could provide a wide range of ecosystem services including climate change mitigation and biodiversity protection.

show abstract

Section: Forest Growth Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Site Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sensitivity and Uncertaintiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Economic potential and management of tropical mixed-species plantations in Central America

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It has previously been parameterized and applied to native trees species and teak plantations in Central America (fig. S1) ( 55 , 56 ). For the model calibration and validation, we had used a large database with time series of up to 31 years of observation, including 974 stand inventories from 107 different plantations and 77 sites that were associated with 9 different climate stations from all across Costa Rica and Panama ( 56 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sharp decline in future productivity of tropical reforestation above 29°C mean annual temperature

Nölte,

Yousefpour,

Cifuentes-Jara

et al. 2023

Sci. Adv.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tropical reforestation is among the most powerful tools for carbon sequestration. Yet, climate change impacts on productivity are often not accounted for when estimating its mitigation potential. Using the process-based forest growth model 3-PGmix, we analyzed future productivity of tropical reforestation in Central America. Around 29°C mean annual temperature, productivity sharply and consistently declined (−11% per 1°C of warming) across all tropical lowland climate zones and five tree species spanning a wide range of ecological characteristics. Under a high-emission scenario (SSP3-7.0), productivity of dry tropical reforestation nearly halved and tropical moist and rain forest sites showed moderate losses around 10% by the end of the century. Under SSP2-4.5, tropical moist and rain forest sites were resilient and tropical dry forest sites showed moderate losses (−17%). Increased vapor pressure deficit, caused by increasing temperatures, was the main driver of growth decline. Thus, to continue following high-emission pathways could reduce the effectiveness of reforestation as climate action tool.

show abstract

Tropical mixed-species plantations can outperform monocultures in terms of carbon sequestration and economic return

Pinnschmidt

Yousefpour

Nölte

et al. 2023

Ecological Economics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Broad-scale and long-term forest growth predictions and management for native, mixed species plantations and teak in Costa Rica and Panama

Cited by 5 publications

References 76 publications

Economic potential and management of tropical mixed-species plantations in Central America

Economic potential and management of tropical mixed-species plantations in Central America

Sharp decline in future productivity of tropical reforestation above 29°C mean annual temperature

Tropical mixed-species plantations can outperform monocultures in terms of carbon sequestration and economic return

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About