Can traditional selective logging secure tree regeneration in cloud forest?

Abstract

(2) Unplanned selective logging for charcoal and firewood is a common practice in tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), a high priority ecosystem for biodiversity conservation at the global scale. However, limited information is available regarding the impact of such logging on forest regeneration. We evaluated the abundance and composition of tree regeneration in four TMCF sites subject to traditional selective logging in southern Mexico. ). In all sites, species of intermediate shade-tolerance dominated the regeneration (76%), followed by the shadetolerant (23%) and pioneer (1%) species. Regeneration of Quercus spp. (four species) dominated at all sites (50.5%); this is a group of particular interest to the local communities because of its utility for firewood and charcoal. The similarity in composition between adult and regenerating tree species was relatively high in all of the sites (Morisita-Horn Index L1=0.86, L2=0.64, H1=0.69 and H2=0.71). These results indicate that, under the evaluated selective logging intensities, TMCF can sustain sufficient regeneration of Quercus spp. and thus presents an opportunity for sustainable management. The legacy effects of traditional selective logging on TMCF tree regeneration are discussed.

Growth rates of valuable tree species in secondary tropical montane cloud forests in Mexico: influence of tree size, crown position and competition

“…Frequently located on very steep slopes and with low productivity, both mature and secondary TMCF are not regarded as of high value for timber harvesting (Scatena et al, 2011;Toledo-Aceves et al, 2011). Nevertheless, unplanned selective logging is a customary subsistence practice among forest owners (Toledo-Aceves et al, 2011;Bárcenas & Ordóñez, 2008;Ortiz-Colín, Toledo-Aceves, López-Barrera, & Gerez-Fernández, 2017). Extraction of TMCF tree species from remnant forest fragments with no management planning contributes to increased degradation and the depletion of valuable species in these forests and can ultimately lead to their transformation into agriculture land and pine plantations (Ramírez-Marcial, González-Espinosa, & Williams-Linera, 2001;Haeckel 2006;Rüger, Williams-Linera, Kissling, & Huth, 2008;Paré & Gerez 2012).…”

Overcoming Key Barriers for Secondary Cloud Forest Management in Mexico

“…Without these requirements to meet, illegal loggers have lower production costs and can thus sell at lower market prices, creating unfair competition in the marketplace at the disadvantage of forest owners. The informal economy is characterized by unregulated value chains that supply timber and products from SCFs without technical guidelines, thereby altering the floristic composition and structure of successional forests [62][63][64][65]. Unsustainable logging could further contribute to forest degradation and the depletion of locally valuable tree species [49,[62][63][64], which in turn could facilitate the conversion of forests to agricultural and urban land uses [66].…”

Leaf functional traits predict cloud forest tree seedling survival along an elevation gradient

“…Due to the scarcity of mature trees of most of the studied species, seeds of three to five individuals per species were collected from cloud forest fragments in the study region in 2014. Some of the studied species have been overharvested by local communities and their populations have disappeared locally in the study region (Paré and Gerez 2012;Ortiz-Colín et al 2017). Immediately after collection, the seeds were cleaned and sown in seedbeds with forest soil in a common garden experiment.…”