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Satellite Images Combined with Field Data Reveal Negative Changes in the Distribution of Babassu Palms after Clearing off Amazonian Forests

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A Correction to this article was published on 09 January 2018

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Abstract

When the Amazonian rain forest is cut to create pasture, some of the original vegetal species survive clearing, even expressing their ability to invade agro-systems. It is true of the babassu palm, which can be considered, paradoxically, a natural resource by the “Interstate Movement of Babassu Fruit Breaker Women” or as native weed by land owners-farmers. To manage potential conflict of land uses, we study here the current density of this palm tree in different habitats, based on a combination of field data and remote sensing data. Firstly, we checked that the field survey methodology (i.e., counting free-trunk palm trees over 20 cm in circumference) provides density values compatible with those stemming from satellite images interpretation. We can see then that, a PA-Benfica Brazilian territory revealed an average density of the babassu lower in pastures (2.86 ind/ha) than in the dense forest (4.72 ind/ha) from which they originate and than in fallow land (4.31 ind/ha). We analyze in detail density data repartition in three habitats and we discuss results from the literature on the density of this palm tree versus its resilience at different developmental stages after forest clearing, depending on anthropogenic—or not—factors, including solar radiation, fire, weeding, clear cutting, burying fruit, and competition with forage grass. All these results can be exploited for the design of future management plans for the babassu palm and we think that the linked methodology and interdisciplinary approach can be extended to others palms and trees species in similar problematic issues.

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Change history

  • 09 January 2018

    The original article has been corrected.

Notes

  1. PA-Benfica is a settlement project implemented by the Brazilian Institute for Agrarian Reform (INCRA) that helps family farmers get established.

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Acknowledgements

This project has benefited from the support of the fondation Agropolis Open Science program (project: Gestion durable du Babaçu, 2014–2017, support agreement 1202-072), of the CNES TOSCA program (project: CIC-TOOB 2013-2014, research convention 130318), of the IRD – PPR Amazon program (project: ECOTEL 2013), of the CNPQ/UFRJ/IRD project: Relais (2012–2015), of the IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement), of the CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), from the UFRA (Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia). The authors thank the students who participated in the data collection between 2001 and 2008 and in particular Márcia Nazaré Rodrigues Barros and Marcos Antônio Leite da Silva. We thank Dr. Morgan Mangeas (IRD, UMR ESPACE-DEV) for statistical help. The authors thank the farmers of the PA-Benfica community for their help, availability and conviviality during the accomplishment of this work, and Mr. Deurival da Costa Carvalho for his efficiency and enthusiasm during on-site work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR 228 ESPACE DEV (IRD-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UM-Université de Montpellier, UG-Université de Guyane, UR-Université de La Réunion, UA-Université des Antilles), MTD-IRD, 500 Rue Jean François Breton, 34093, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    D. Mitja, E. Delaître, A. M. Santos, D. J. Macedo & L. Demagistri

  2. ISARH-Instituto Ambiental e de Recursos Hídricos, UFRA-Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, CP.917, 66077-530, Belém, Pará, Brazil

    A. M. Santos & I. Miranda

  3. IEDAR-Instituto de Estudos em Desenvolvimento Agrário e Regional (UNIFESSPA-Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará), Folha 31 Quadra 07 Lote Especial, Nova Marabá, 68507-590, Marabá, Pará, Brazil

    A. M. Santos

  4. IFPA-Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará- Campus Castanhal, Br-316 km 62s/n. Bairro Saudades II - Cristo Redentor, 68740-970, Castanhal, Pará, Brazil

    R. F. R. Coelho

  5. IRD, 911 avenue agropolis, 34394, Montpellier, France

    M. Petit

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  1. D. Mitja
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  2. E. Delaître
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Correspondence to D. Mitja.

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The original version of this article was revised: The data in Table 4 were misaligned in the article. It has been corrected.

A correction to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0985-2.

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Mitja, D., Delaître, E., Santos, A.M. et al. Satellite Images Combined with Field Data Reveal Negative Changes in the Distribution of Babassu Palms after Clearing off Amazonian Forests. Environmental Management 61, 321–336 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0965-6

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