Litterfall production plays a fundamental role in the dynamics and function of tropical forest ecosystems, as it supplies 70–80% of nutrients entering the soil. This process varies annually and seasonally, depending on multiple environmental factors. However, few studies spanning several years have addressed the combined effect of climate variables, successional age, topography, and vegetation structure in tropical dry forests. In this study, we evaluated monthly, seasonal, and annual litterfall production over a five-year period in semideciduous dry forests of different successional ages growing on contrasting topographic conditions (sloping or flat terrain) in Yucatan, Mexico. Its relationship with climate and vegetation structural variables were also analyzed using multiple linear regression and generalized linear models. Litterfall was measured monthly in 12 litterfall traps of 0.5 m² in three sampling clusters (sets of four 400 m² sampling plots) established in forests of five successional age classes, 3–5, 10–17, 18–25, 60–79, and >80 years (in the latter two classes either on slopping or on flat terrain), for a total of 15 sampling clusters and 180 litterfall traps. Litterfall production varied between years (negatively correlated with precipitation), seasons (positively correlated with wind speed and maximum temperature), and months (negatively correlated with relative humidity) and was higher in flat than in sloping sites. Litterfall production also increased with successional age until 18–25 years after abandonment, when it attained values similar to those of mature forests. It was positively correlated with the aboveground biomass of deciduous species but negatively correlated with the basal area of evergreen species. Our results show a rapid recovery of litterfall production with successional age of these forests, which may increase with climate changes such as less precipitation, higher temperatures, and higher incidence of hurricanes.

Commercial harvests can threaten tree species harvested for their bark. Amphipterygium adstringens is a dioecious tree, endemic to the tropical dry forests of Mexico, where it is intensively harvested for its medicinal bark. Limited information hinders developing sustainable management strategies for A. adstringens. We assessed bark regeneration for male and female trees, and evaluated the effect of tree sex and diameter, debarking treatments and cutting seasons on bark regeneration and tree survival rates. Bark regeneration was higher for wet season harvested trees (vs. dry), regardless of their sex. Bark regeneration was higher on female than on male trees. There were significant interactions of harvest season, harvest treatment and tree sex diameter on bark regeneration and survival. Overall, the highest bark regeneration rates occurred in female trees with ≥20.1 cm diameter that were wet season harvested with a 50% debarking intensity. Consequently, wet season and intermediate intensity harvests appear to foster sound management, but we recommend against targeting exclusively a single demographic group (i.e., large female trees) due to potential negative impacts on species demography and bark supply. A grounded strategy for sustaining bark harvest would also need to take into account relevant aspects of local socio-ecological context, including harvest interactions with other land uses.

The proper estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) stocks of managed forests is a prerequisite to quantifying their role in climate change mitigation. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial variability of AGB and its uncertainty between actively managed pine and unmanaged pine-oak reference forests in central Mexico. To investigate the determinants of AGB, we analyzed variables related to forest management, stand structure, topography, and climate. We developed linear (LM), generalized additive (GAM), and Random Forest (RF) empirical models to derive spatially explicit estimates and their uncertainty, and compared them. AGB was strongly influenced by forest management, as LiDAR-derived stand structure and stand age explained 80.9% to 89.8% of its spatial variability. The spatial heterogeneity of AGB varied positively with stand structural complexity and age in the managed forests. The type of predictive model had an impact on estimates of total AGB in our study site, which varied by as much as 19%. AGB densities varied from 0 to 492 ± 17 Mg ha⁻¹ and the highest values were predicted by GAM. Uncertainty was not spatially homogeneously distributed and was higher with higher AGB values. Spatially explicit AGB estimates and their association with management and other variables in the study site can assist forest managers in planning thinning and harvesting schedules that would maximize carbon stocks on the landscape while continuing to provide timber and other ecosystem services. Our study represents an advancement toward the development of efficient strategies to spatially estimate AGB stocks and their uncertainty, as the GAM approach was used for the first time with improved results for such a purpose.

Se ha documentado que las prácticas silvícolas en aprovechamientos maderables tienden a simplificar la composición y la complejidad estructural del bosque. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar los cambios en la estructura, la diversidad y la dinámica arbórea de rodales mixtos intervenidos por el método de selección grupal (SG) y árboles padre (AP), así como áreas sin intervenir denominadas bosque de referencia (BR) en la Sierra Juárez de Oaxaca, México. En 2007 y 2012, se obtuvieron datos de diámetro, área basal, altura, supervivencia e incorporación de especies arbóreas de 29 parcelas permanentes de 1000 m2 establecidas en áreas de manejo forestal y conservación. Los resultados mostraron un crecimiento acelerado del arbolado en SG y AP, y ausencia de diferencias en estructura, incremento en volumen y riqueza específica. Sin embargo, BR mostró una distribución diamétrica en forma de “J” invertida, característica de un bosque maduro, así como una mayor diversidad arbórea que los sitios SG y AP. El Incremento medio anual en volumen no mostró diferencias entre las tres condiciones evaluadas al utilizar el total de especies, sin embargo, al analizar solo las especies de pino, SG y AP difirieron con BR, cuyo incremento fue menor. Los resultados generados contribuyen al entendimiento de los procesos ecológicos de los ecosistemas de pino-encino y también a comprender los sistemas silvícolas utilizados y con ello ayudar a formular un manejo sostenible. Se recomienda la aplicación del método de SG que incorpore de manera sistemática la retención de elementos estructurales, para promover la conservación de la biodiversidad en la Sierra de Juárez, Oaxaca.

Durante los últimos años ha habido un creciente interés por cuantificar los reservorios de carbono en los bosques naturales y urbanos y su potencial en la mitigación del cambio climático. En el presente estudio se estimaron los depósitos de biomasa y C aéreos del arbolado de la primera sección del Bosque de Chapultepec, en la Ciudad de México y se analizó su relación con el área basal y la composición de especies. Los resultados del inventario indican que el reservorio de C en el área verde de estudio es importante, al menos con respecto a la cantidad de CO2 que se emite de manera local. Además, para la especie dominante, Fraxinus uhdei, se compararon las estimaciones de biomasa de ecuaciones generadas en bosques naturales y urbanos con las obtenidas en siete árboles del sitio; la ecuación de ambientes urbanos generó una mejor estimación. A partir del inventario correspondiente a 27.3% de las áreas verdes de la primera sección y de la aplicación de relaciones alométricas, se estimaron reservorios totales de 24 217 Mg de biomasa y 11 226 Mg de C. La composición de especies y el área basal influyeron en los depósitos de biomasa y C. El valor medio de contenido de C es alto en comparación con los registrados en bosques urbanos de otras ciudades del mundo, por lo que Bosque de Chapultepec es un reservorio importante.