The Population Structure of the Double Coconut and Some Other Seychelles Palms

Sustainable harvesting of coco de mer, Lodoicea maldivica, in the Vallée de Mai, Seychelles

“…At documented levels of fruit production, a female palm in the VM produces an estimated 100-150 nuts during its lifespan (Edwards et al, 2003). Based on observations over a 35-day period in the VM, Savage and Ashton (1983) estimated that trees may live for over 200 years; however, as this estimate of lifespan is based on a limited and short-term study, it should be treated with some caution. It is also not known how nut production varies during the lifetime of a palm or between individuals (Fig.…”

“…Developmental stage or size are generally better predictors (Pinard and Putz, 1992;Henderson, 2002). Savage and Ashton (1983) estimated L. maldivica to have a lifespan of 201 years and a maximum trunk height of 30 m, giving an annual growth increment of ca. 15 cm.…”

“…In response to rising demand from tourists, nut harvesting in the VM has increased considerably over the last three decades, and the price of nuts has increased at least fivefold (Savage and Ashton, 1983). Trade in the kernel, which is extracted from harvested nuts and exported primarily to Asia via Hong Kong and Dubai (Seychelles Department of Environment, unpublished data), has also increased.…”

Establishment growth of cabbage palm, sabal palmetto (arecaceae)

“…Enright and Watson (1992) estimated that the establishment phase of Rhopalostylis sapida, in New Zealand lasted 52 yr. Anderson (1983) estimated that the establishment phase for Orbignya martiana in Brazil lasted 29-38 yr. Because it is generally impractical to wait 30-50 yr to determine the duration of establishment growth, other estimation methods are often employed. The size of a palm in the establishment phase (hereafter, referred to as "trunkless") may be described in terms of leaf length (Ash, 1988;Enright and Watson, 1992), petiole circumference (Savage and Ashton, 1983), number of leaf segments (Anderson, 1983), or any other feature that changes with overall plant size. Where leaf scars are obliterated on belowground stems, or where the initial seedling axis degenerates dur- ing establishment growth, as in Sabal palmetto, such estimates may be extrapolated from short-term growth measurements taken on palms of different sizes in the establishment phase.…”

Morphology, Architecture and Growth of a Clonal Palm, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii

“…For A. wrightii, 0.3 m height corresponds with stabilization in leaf scaling, leaf production and ramet circumference; 0.3 m height defines the end of an establishment phase that begins with seed germination or branch outgrowth and that is characterized by higher relative growth rates of leaf and ramet characters and lower rates of leaf production. The presence of an establishment phase is well documented in both solitary and clonal palms (Lothian, 1959;Sarukhán, 1978;Savage & Ashton, 1983;Ash, 1988;Gupta, 1993;Joyal, 1995;McPherson & Williams, 1996;Svenning & Balslev, 1997;Zakaria, 1997;. In these studies, establishment phase is a seedling characteristic, not a ramet characteristic.…”