The impact of shifting agriculture on the availability of non-timber forest products: the example of Sabal yapa in the Maya lowlands of Mexico

Population structure and fruit availability of the babassu palm ( Attalea speciosa Mart. ex Spreng) in human-dominated landscapes of the Northeast Region of Brazil

“…Nonetheless, some studies have shown that the population structure and yield of species that have products harvested can be aff ected by these practices (Pulido & Caballero 2006;Brokamp et al 2014). Studies have demonstrated that extractivism can change recruitment of populations of NTFP-producing plants (Gaoue & Ticktin 2007;Feitosa et al 2014;Varghese et al 2015), thus limiting availability (Arnold & Ruiz-Perez 2001;Ticktin 2004;Pulido & Caballero 2006). Over time, this decreased availability aff ects the conservation of biological activities and socio-environmental dynamics of each location, and may even change local cultural practices.…”

“…For example, fruit harvested by humans can change the rate of recruitment of new individuals into the population, decreasing population viability and the availability of animal food, thus inducing changes to trophic networks that can affect other species of the community (Hall & Bawa 1993). Furthermore, the structure of exploited populations must be evaluated with consideration of historical land use and management practices, such as the establishment of pastures, cultivation shifts, forest management and fire use (Lykke 1998;Shanley et al 2002;Alexiades & Shanley 2004;Pulido & Caballero 2006), because these factors can influence the responses of populations to extractive practices (Oostermeijer et al 1994;Souza 2007;Giroldo & Scariot 2015).…”

“…Palm trees are among the target species for extraction of NTFPs, and are used by human populations in several regions of the world for subsistence and trade (Balick 1984;Ticktin 2004;Pulido & Caballero 2006). However, depending on the species, the effects of different land-use practices can be positive or negative for the exploited palm tree population.…”

“…However, depending on the species, the effects of different land-use practices can be positive or negative for the exploited palm tree population. For example, Pulido & Caballero (2006) showed that when land undergoes shifting cultivation, the quality and quantity of leaves of the palm tree Sabal yapa decrease. In contrast, agricultural and pastural land use practices have been beneficial for the palm tree Astrocaryum tucuma, and have resulted in increases in their population size (Schroth et al 2004).…”

Shorter Fallow Cycles Affect the Availability of Noncrop Plant Resources in a Shifting Cultivation System

“…First, short fallow periods often result in a more homogenous landscape mosaic dominated by young secondary vegetation (Metzger 2003, Dalle 2006, thereby reducing the availability of resources from older forest patches (e.g. see Pulido and Caballero 2006). Second, plant diversity, density, and composition in shifting cultivation fields and secondary forests have been reported to differ between short and long fallow management (Illsley Granich 1984, Saxena and Ramakrishnan 1984, Staver 1991, de Rouw 1995, Fujisaka et al 2000, and with repeated cycles of shifting cultivation (Lawrence 2004, Lawrence et al 2005.…”