Brosimum alicastrum (Moraceae): uses and potential in Mexico

Peters, Charles M.; Pardo-Tejeda, Enrique

doi:10.1007/bf02858712

Cited by 45 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The Ramó n (Brosimum alicastrum Sw.Moraceae) is a native evergreen tree species which has traditionally been considered an important crop by the Maya people in the Yucatan, and is still widely cultivated in their homegardens (Gillespie et al 2004;Peters and Pardo-Tejada 1982). Brosimum alicastrum trees produce large amounts of high quality fodder during the dry season, which has led to the establishment of ramó n plantations dedicated to forage production for livestock since the 1970's (Ayala and Sandoval 1995).…”

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confidence: 99%

Utilization of bedrock water by Brosimum alicastrum trees growing on shallow soil atop limestone in a dry tropical climate

et al. 2006

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Adult evergreen Ramó n (Brosimum alicastrum Sw. Moraceae) trees can thrive on the shallow soils atop limestone of northern Yucatan despite limited soil water storage capacity, and do not require irrigation during the annual dry season. We hypothesized that early development of deep roots to reach moist subsoil layers or groundwater is critical to the performance of ramó n trees growing on thin soils (~5 cm deep) over limestone bedrock. We conducted an isotopic study in a non-irrigated ramó n plantation aimed at determining the sources of water used by trees of different age (5 or 9 years old) at the peak of the dry season. Pit excavation showed that Brosimum alicastrum roots were mostly concentrated in the upper soil and bedrock layers. About 5-year-old trees showed a much sharper decrease in shoot water content (21%) than 9-year-old ones (10%) during the dry season. Foliar d 13 C values were significantly higher in 5-year-old trees (-27.5 ± 0.3&) than in 9-year-old ones (-28.5 ± 0.3&), indicating greater water use efficiency and water stress levels in the younger age group. The d 18 O signature of stem water did not differ significantly between tree age groups at either sampling date. Stem water d 18 O values of Brosimum alicastrum trees at the peak of drought (-2.3 ± 0.3/-2.9 ± 0.3&) were significantly different from groundwater (-4.3 ± 0.1&) for both age groups. According to d 18 O data, ramó n trees utilized bedrock water from depths between 0.5 and 2.5 m during the late dry season. Better dryseason water status in 9-year-old trees compared to 5-year-old ones appeared to be more the result of greater volume of soil and bedrock explored for water than the outcome of deeper rooting depth. The ability to take up water stored in the upper few meters of the weathered limestone bedrock during the pronounced dry season is likely the key feature allowing Brosimum alicastrum to thrive under non-irrigated conditions in the shallow, rocky soils of the Yucatan. Locally adapted native tree species capable of efficiently extracting water from bedrock may be the only perennial crops suitable for rainfed cultivation in

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Utilization of bedrock water by Brosimum alicastrum trees growing on shallow soil atop limestone in a dry tropical climate

et al. 2006

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“…The fresh pulp of the fruit and the seeds are edible, the latter being either consumed fresh or dry to be cooked, ground, and incorporated to maize dough to prepare tortillas. The leaves of the tree are a good fodder [ 43 ]. The roasted and ground seeds are used as a coffee substitute and for preparing a dark colored dough used for making bread or tortillas.…”

Section: Cachichín or Cacaté Oecopetalum Mexicanum Greenm And Ch mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Boiled in water, it is recommended for convalescing patients. Ramón trees are particularly abundant in Maya archaeological sites, this distribution suggesting their management and cultivation by this ethnic group for its use as food [ 43 ]. From a nutritional standpoint, ramón seeds are rich in carbohydrates and over 12 % of its dry weight is of crude protein with high content of tryptophan (an amino acid in which maize is defi cient), and also contain calcium, phosphorous, iron, and vitamins A, B, and C [ 43 ].…”

Section: Cachichín or Cacaté Oecopetalum Mexicanum Greenm And Ch mentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity and Edible Plants of Mexico

Mapes

Basurto

2016

Ethnobotany of Mexico

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Mexico that stands out as a megadiverse country is the fi fth nation in terms of species richness. The country is home to 25,000-30,000 species of plants and currently 7461 useful plants are registered, of which 2168 are edible according to ethnobotanical data base of Mexican useful plants (BADEPLAM). In this chapter, edible plants are divided into six subcategories and describe some of the edible species recorded across different ethnobotanical research conducted in different regions of Mexico. We conclude that although the food habits in the country have undergone drastic changes in recent decades, and not always for the better, numerous food plant resources in Mexico continue to be widely utilized mainly by rural populations.

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“…The species has a height range of around 20-40 m, increasing with precipitation, and a common Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of 1-1.5 m, increasing North-south (Peters 1983(Peters , 1989. It is a species shown to be drought resistant (Brewer et al 2003;Querejeta et al 2006), growing well in Leptosols of different biomes, while producing nutritious nuts (Peters and Pardo-tejeda 1982). These natural products can be processed to form a range of foods, medicines and excellent fodder for almost all large gregarious mammals, (Gillespie et al 2004;Ricogray et al 1991).…”

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“…However, currently the OCP has only been identified in acidic soils, free from inherited carbonate (Cailleau et al 2014), unlike the predominate habitat of B. alicastrum (Peters and Pardo-tejeda 1982). The presence of carbonate in calcareous soils increases the complexity of identifying an OCP (Cailleau et al 2014), but shouldn't prevent its identification through the analysis of the process' constituents and geochemical proxies.…”

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Moving carbon between spheres, the potential oxalate-carbonate pathway of Brosimum alicastrum Sw.; Moraceae

et al. 2016

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Aims The Oxalate-Carbonate Pathway (OCP) is a biogeochemical process that transfers atmospheric CO 2 into the geologic reservoir as CaCO 3 ; however, until now all investigations on this process have focused on species with limited food benefits. This study evaluates a potential OCP associated with Brosimum alicastrum, a Neotropical species with agroforestry potential (ca. 70-200 kg-nuts yr −1 ), in the calcareous soils of Haiti and Mexico.Methods / results Enzymatic analysis demonstrated significant concentrations of calcium oxalate (5.97 % D.W.) were associated with B. alicastrum tissue in all sample sites. The presence of oxalotrophism was also confirmed with microbiological analyses in both countries. High concentrations of total calcium (>7 g kg −1 ) and lithogenic carbonate obscured the localised alkalinisation and identification of secondary carbonate associated with the OCP at most sample sites, except Ma Rouge, Haiti. Soils adjacent to subjects in Ma Rouge demonstrated an increase in pH (0.63) and CaCO 3 concentration (5.9 %) that, when coupled with root-like secondary carbonate deposits in Mexico, implies that the OCP does also occur in calcareous soils. Conclusions Therefore this study confirms that the OCP also occurs in calcareous soils, adjacent to B. alicastrum, and could play a fundamental and un-accounted role in the global calcium-carbon coupled cycle.

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Brosimum alicastrum (Moraceae): uses and potential in Mexico

Cited by 45 publications

References 4 publications

Utilization of bedrock water by Brosimum alicastrum trees growing on shallow soil atop limestone in a dry tropical climate

Utilization of bedrock water by Brosimum alicastrum trees growing on shallow soil atop limestone in a dry tropical climate

Biodiversity and Edible Plants of Mexico

Moving carbon between spheres, the potential oxalate-carbonate pathway of Brosimum alicastrum Sw.; Moraceae

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