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Do multipurpose companion trees affect high value timber trees in a silvopastoral plantation system?

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Abstract

Establishment of native timber trees on deforested land may contribute to the livelihood of farmers, to improved ecosystem services and to increased greenhouse gas uptake. Here, we present a new silvopastoral planting design to assess species performance and interspecific competition or facilitation effects among native timber and multipurpose trees in Central America. Two timber species, Tabebuia rosea and Cedrela odorata, were established in three low-density planting regimes allowing combined tree and future livestock production: (1) solitary planting, (2) companion planting with Guazuma ulmifolia, and (3) companion planting with the nitrogen-fixing Gliricidia sepium. We quantified survival, growth and reforestation potential of the two timber species subjected to the different planting regimes for the first 2 years after establishment. Nitrogen concentration as well as stable nitrogen and carbon isotope composition (δ15N, δ13C) of leaves of the timber saplings were determined. T. rosea showed higher survival and better growth than C. odorata under varying environmental conditions (soil, concomitant vegetation). Performance of the timber saplings was unaffected by either companion species. Planting regimes had no effect on foliar nitrogen concentration and δ15N of the two timber species, although δ15N values indicated nitrogen fixation activity in G. sepium trees. Planting regimes affected foliar δ13C values in T. rosea. δ13C values were significantly higher in solitarily growing individuals, suggesting lower exposition to water stress conditions in saplings surrounded by companion species. As we found positively correlated growth traits among timber and multipurpose trees, a combined planting may benefit farmers by providing additional goods and services.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in administration and logistics, and of the related Native Species Reforestation Project (PRORENA) providing the tree seedlings. We thank the University of Panama, in particular Hector Barrios, for infrastructure and reliable support. The Panamanian National Environmental Authority (ANAM) granted research, collecting and export permits. The ETH Grassland Science group provided technical equipment for chemical analyses. We thank Nina Buchmann and Sebastian Wolf for valuable interactions, José Monteza and all local assistants in Sardinilla for help with fieldwork, and Adriana Najar and an anonymous referee for useful comments on the manuscript. This study has been supported by a grant of the ETH North–South Centre to S.D. and K.M.

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  1. ETH Zurich, Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, Applied Entomology, Schmelzbergstrasse 9/LFO, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Mirco Plath, Karsten Mody & Silvia Dorn

  2. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Avenue, Balboa, Ancon, Panama, Republic of Panama

    Catherine Potvin

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  1. Mirco Plath
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  2. Karsten Mody
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  3. Catherine Potvin
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  4. Silvia Dorn
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Correspondence to Karsten Mody.

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Plath, M., Mody, K., Potvin, C. et al. Do multipurpose companion trees affect high value timber trees in a silvopastoral plantation system?. Agroforest Syst 81, 79–92 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-010-9308-9

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