The success of reforestation and restoration projects depends on several factors, with proper seedling management and the selection of an appropriate planting area being crucial. In Peru, the populations of Retrophyllum rospigliosii (Pilg.) C.N.Page (Ulcumano) have been decreasing due to intensive logging of one of the most valuable woods in South America’s tropical forests. There are few studies that unify the production of plants through seeds in nurseries and the identification of suitable areas to place the plants produced. Our study has two components. The first aimed to optimize the plant production process through an experiment that evaluated the effects of three doses of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) (4.2, 8.4, and 12.6 g/L) and two container sizes (115 and 180 cc) on the morphological quality of seedlings in the nursery. The second component involved identifying potential reforestation areas using ecological niche modeling, based on climatic and edaphic variables. The results indicated that the 4.2 g/L CRF treatment for both container sizes had a significant positive effect on seedling growth. The average germination rate was 85% at 120 days. At six months after seedling transplantation, treatments of 4.2 g/L CRF in 115 cc and 180 cc containers were shown to have the best positive effect on morphological variables of seedlings, with a root collar diameter of 3.76 mm and a height of 13.25 cm. Regarding the potential niche models, an area of 6321.97 km² with ideal conditions for reforestation with R. rospigliosii was estimated, with the departments of Huánuco, Pasco, Junín, and Cusco showing the highest potential. Based on this, it is estimated that over three million plants are needed for large-scale reforestation projects. Integrating silvicultural studies with niche models is a valuable tool for supporting reforestation and ecosystem restoration projects.

Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) is a leading tropical plantation species valued for high-quality timber and carbon (C) storage. This study assessed stand growth across ages and sites, quantified biomass and C by tree component and stand, and developed DBH-based allometric equations for biomass and C estimation. Six stand ages (5, 6, 9, 11, 14, and 17 years) were assessed in three municipalities of Nayarit, Mexico. Dendrometric inventories in permanent plots and destructive sampling of 35 trees provided calibration data for leaves, branches, stem, and roots. C concentration was determined with an elemental analyzer, and nonlinear regression models were adjusted and validated. Stand biomass and C increased with age, peaking at ages 11–14 (>130 Mg ha⁻¹; >60 Mg C ha⁻¹), with lower values at age 17. San Blas and Rosamorada accumulated significantly more than Tuxpan, reflecting site quality. C concentration was stable across sites and ages, with stem and roots consistently ranging between 48% and 50%, and leaves and branches averaging 45%–46%. Allometric equations were most accurate for stem and total biomass/C (R² = 0.73–0.79), while foliage showed higher variability. On average, 60%–70% of biomass was allocated to the stem and 15%–20% to roots. Indicators were stable, with an aboveground-to-belowground ratio (A:B) ≈ 4.9 and a biomass expansion factor (BEF) ≈ 1.5. The current annual increment (CAI) presented two main peaks: ~20 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ at ages 5–6 and ~11 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ at ages 9–11, followed by a decline after age 14. Teak in western Mexico reaches peak productivity at ages 6–11, with belowground biomass essential for accurate C accounting.

Agricultural residues represent an abundant renewable resource for sustainable lignocellulosic biorefineries, offering opportunities to produce value-added biopolymers while mitigating the environmental impacts associated with conventional disposal. This study evaluated the technical feasibility of using sorghum stubble as a feedstock for the recovery of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin through an ethanol–water organosolv process. Specifically, the study aimed to separate the main structural polymers of sorghum stubble and evaluate the performance of the proposed fractionation system. The biomass was treated at 180 °C and approximately 30 bar, followed by chlorine-free peroxide bleaching. The hemicellulose fraction was obtained by extracting the holocellulose (Wise method) and precipitating the dissolved hemicellulose using a 3:1 (v/v) ethanol-to-liquor ratio. The lignin fraction was isolated from the black liquor through vacuum distillation and drying. This approach yielded a cellulose fraction (23.66 wt%), a hemicellulose fraction (36.22 wt%), and a lignin fraction (30.35 wt%), corresponding to an overall polymer recovery of approximately 90 wt%. Structural and physicochemical characterization (FTIR, SEM, XRD, and TGA) supported the fractionation of the lignocellulosic matrix and identified characteristic structural and physicochemical features of the recovered cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin fractions. SEM revealed substantial structural breakdown following the organosolv treatment, while TGA demonstrated distinct degradation behaviors among the components. Notably, the crystallinity index increased from 38% in the raw material to 71% in the cellulose fraction, indicating effective removal of amorphous components. A preliminary mass–energy analysis showed that approximately 96% of the initial energetic content of the biomass was retained in the polymers. Furthermore, approximately 70% of the ethanol used was recycled, highlighting the potential for solvent reintegration under the evaluated laboratory conditions. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of sorghum stubble as a renewable feedstock for the recovery of lignocellulosic polymers and provide a technical basis for the future optimization of organosolv-based biorefineries.

Tropical forests differ widely in floristic composition, stand structure, standing volume, and carbon storage, yet comparative evidence across contrasting tropical forest types remains limited. This study examined whether variation in standing volume and carbon stocks among contrasting tropical forests was more closely associated with structural attributes or with diversity-related patterns. Two tropical wet forests in Colombia and one tropical semi-deciduous forest in Mexico were evaluated using 40 circular plots of 500 m² established within a 100 ha reference area in each forest, where all trees with DBH > 10 cm were measured. Floristic composition, ecological dominance, diversity, dendrometric attributes, standing volume, biomass, and carbon stocks were estimated using a common analytical framework. The two wet forests showed higher effective diversity, broader taxonomic dominance, greater basal area, mean height, standing volume, biomass, and carbon stocks than the tropical semi-deciduous forest. In contrast, the semi-deciduous forest showed stronger dominance concentrated in fewer taxa, especially Euphorbiaceae, a pattern that may reflect the ecological suitability of this family under more seasonal and water-limited conditions. At the family level, standing volume, biomass, and carbon were distributed more evenly among dominant families in the wet forests, whereas they were more concentrated in fewer lineages in the semi-deciduous forest. Basal area showed the strongest association with standing volume, total biomass, and total carbon, followed by mean height and mean DBH. Overall, the results indicate that, under the conditions evaluated, structural organization was more closely associated with standing volume and carbon storage than diversity alone, while diversity acted as a complementary correlate.

Forest restoration depends on producing seedlings able to convert nursery inputs into functional traits that persist after outplanting. This study evaluated whether contrasting nursery resource-management profiles, derived from container volume, fertilization, and irrigation, shaped seedling quality and field establishment of Pinus devoniana. Seedlings were conditioned for six months under eight profiles and validated during one year under field conditions. Nursery evaluation included morphology, biomass allocation, Dickson Quality Index (DQI), nutrient status, and proline; field validation included survival, growth, ectomycorrhization, stomatal density, and lignification. Profiles differed significantly in root collar diameter, height, root biomass, total biomass, root–shoot ratio, and DQI. The 5 L fertilized and irrigated profile produced the highest integrated quality, with 140.9% more root biomass than the weakest root profile and 144.3% higher DQI than the lowest-quality profile. Nitrogen- and proline-separated nutrient and stress responses showed that higher nutrient status did not always imply lower stress. Field survival reached its highest value under the 5 L fertilized and irrigated profile, exceeding several 1 L profiles by 74.8%. DQI was positively associated with field survival (r = 0.71, p = 0.048), supporting a nursery-to-field carry-over effect. The findings highlight rooting space as a leverage point for improving reforestation outcomes.

En la cuenca del río Inambari, Madre de Dios, se llevó a cabo un análisis exhaustivo de la concesión minera EDMILOT I, con el objetivo de determinar el valor tanto ecológico como económico de las diversas especies arbóreas presentes en la zona. En la introducción, se destacó la rica biodiversidad de la Amazonía peruana y los impactos de la minería de oro. Su propósito fue analizar el índice de valor de importancia (IVI) de las especies forestales inventariadas para orientar la gestión forestal. La metodología empleada consistió en el muestreo de especies en parcelas de 100 m², registrándose la abundancia, dominancia y frecuencia de cada una. Los resultados indicaron que Iriartea deltoidea y Otoba parviflora fueron las especies de mayor relevancia, con un IVI conjunto de 103.20%. En la discusión, se señaló que, a pesar de la alta diversidad, pocas especies predominaban en la estructura del bosque. La investigación concluyó que es indispensable combinar la protección del medio ambiente con la explotación minera para asegurar un futuro sostenible. Los datos obtenidos son fundamentales para la planificación y manejo de los bosques en áreas mineras.