Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution?
Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) provide income to local communities with less ecological harm than timber extraction. Yet overharvesting can still influence the regeneration and sustainability of these resources. Developing sustainable harvesting practices for emerging NTFPs depends on the biolog...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000256 |
| _version_ | 1811235105832697856 |
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| author | Carrie E. Seltzer Colin T. Kremer Henry J. Ndangalasi Norbert J. Cordeiro |
| author_facet | Carrie E. Seltzer Colin T. Kremer Henry J. Ndangalasi Norbert J. Cordeiro |
| author_sort | Carrie E. Seltzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) provide income to local communities with less ecological harm than timber extraction. Yet overharvesting can still influence the regeneration and sustainability of these resources. Developing sustainable harvesting practices for emerging NTFPs depends on the biology of the NTFP species, the ecological context in which management occurs, and its cost in terms of effort and resources. Allanblackia stuhlmannii (Clusiaceae) is a canopy tree species whose seeds are a source of vegetable oil and an important food for rodents. In an experiment within the Amani Nature Reserve (Tanzania), we studied how enrichment planting of A. stuhlmannii seeds affected germination and establishment rates under varying local levels of seed abundance and rodent activity. Overall, germination and establishment rates were high (4.8% and 2.2%, respectively, after 11 months), while local ecological conditions had a short lived (1–2 weeks) and unexpectedly small influence on the persistence of planted seeds. Given these rates, we estimate a cost of approximately US$0.14 per seedling. Enrichment planting of seeds, across a range of local ecological conditions, appears to be a viable and cost effective management strategy for increasing A. stuhlmannii recruitment in harvested areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:46:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ae3e997877a9492088f82e31f8a33fec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:46:23Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-ae3e997877a9492088f82e31f8a33fec2022-12-22T03:34:20ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942015-01-013C64565310.1016/j.gecco.2015.02.011Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution?Carrie E. Seltzer0Colin T. Kremer1Henry J. Ndangalasi2Norbert J. Cordeiro3University of Illinois at Chicago, Biological Sciences, MC 066, 845 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607, USAW.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, 3700 E Gull Lake Dr, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060, USAUniversity of Dar es Salaam, Botany, PO Box 35060, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaRoosevelt University, Biology, WB 814, 430 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605, USANon-timber forest products (NTFPs) provide income to local communities with less ecological harm than timber extraction. Yet overharvesting can still influence the regeneration and sustainability of these resources. Developing sustainable harvesting practices for emerging NTFPs depends on the biology of the NTFP species, the ecological context in which management occurs, and its cost in terms of effort and resources. Allanblackia stuhlmannii (Clusiaceae) is a canopy tree species whose seeds are a source of vegetable oil and an important food for rodents. In an experiment within the Amani Nature Reserve (Tanzania), we studied how enrichment planting of A. stuhlmannii seeds affected germination and establishment rates under varying local levels of seed abundance and rodent activity. Overall, germination and establishment rates were high (4.8% and 2.2%, respectively, after 11 months), while local ecological conditions had a short lived (1–2 weeks) and unexpectedly small influence on the persistence of planted seeds. Given these rates, we estimate a cost of approximately US$0.14 per seedling. Enrichment planting of seeds, across a range of local ecological conditions, appears to be a viable and cost effective management strategy for increasing A. stuhlmannii recruitment in harvested areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000256RecruitmentEast Usambara MountainsEastern Arc MountainsCricetomysGerminationSeed fate |
| spellingShingle | Carrie E. Seltzer Colin T. Kremer Henry J. Ndangalasi Norbert J. Cordeiro Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? Global Ecology and Conservation Recruitment East Usambara Mountains Eastern Arc Mountains Cricetomys Germination Seed fate |
| title | Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? |
| title_full | Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? |
| title_fullStr | Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? |
| title_short | Seed harvesting of a threatened African tree dispersed by rodents: Is enrichment planting a solution? |
| title_sort | seed harvesting of a threatened african tree dispersed by rodents is enrichment planting a solution |
| topic | Recruitment East Usambara Mountains Eastern Arc Mountains Cricetomys Germination Seed fate |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000256 |
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