Performance of Dalbergia palo-escrito Rzed. & Guridi-Gómez, a valuable timber tree, in a coffee plantation in Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

As a contribution to ex-situ conservation and production recovery of the valuable timber tree species Dalbergia palo-escrito Rzed. & Guridi-Gómez, enrichment planting was undertaken in a coffee plantation at 830 m above sea level in the east of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico. The purpose of this study was to assess the growth and health status of this species in order to put forward forest management recommendations. Average growth at 11 years of age (n = 56) was as follows: normal diameter, 13.2 ± 2.9 cm; total height, 10.9 ± 1.9 m. These values represent a mean annual increase of 1.2 cm/year in diameter and 1.0 m/year in height. Significant statistical differences in diameter growth (P = 0.0001) and height growth (P = 0.003) were observed as a function of crown position; growth, both in diameter and height, was highest in trees with emergent crowns in comparison with poorly lit trees. An association was also found concerning infestation by Struthanthus sp. mistletoe: differences in diameter growth (P = 0.002) were found between trees with mild infestation in comparison with healthy trees, which showed more growth. On the other hand, no height growth differences were detected (P = 0.102). Diameter and height growth were comparable to other commercially valuable species of fine Dalbergia timber on the international market, such as Dalbergia sissoo in India and Dalbergia retusa in mixed plantations in Costa Rica. The study suggests pruning out the mistletoe as a control strategy is a recommended forest management practice, as well as releasing poorly illuminated trees from competition and preserving the shade canopy of other native species.

A review of local-scale agricultural sustainability in the coffee regions of Mexico

“…Recent investigations on sustainability have focused on coffee shade canopy plantations for forest management with native species in Hidalgo (Suárez-Islas et al, 2020), on environmental education through community programs in a highdiversity shade coffee-producing region, Cuetzalan (Andresen et al, 2020), and on the diversity of cropping systems and the agroecological transition in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, where diversity of farming management was identified, and local resources and sociotechnical practices lead to a favorable state of the agroecological transition (Espidio-Balbuena et al, 2020).…”

Morphometric characteristics and seed germination of Dalbergia granadillo Pittier

“…Its acoustic properties have been used since pre-Hispanic times by the Aztecs for the elaboration of musical instruments (Herrera-Castro et al, 2019), and currently in certain regions of Mexico (Suárez-Islas et al, 2020), it is used mainly to make studio and concert guitars (Guridi and García-López, 1996). It is also used to make handicrafts, kitchen utensils, castanets, marimba keys and decoration in general (Niembro, 1990).…”