Introduction
This report contains an update on the situation of the forest genetic resources in the Central American sub-region, including the latest developments since the previous FAO Gene Panel meeting in September-October 1999. It is based on a series of consultations with the countries involved, literature review and information gathered in a number of visits and regional meetings held during the period 1999-2001.
POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
Termination of Regional Forest Seed Project (PROSEFOR)
This Danida-funded project based at CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, terminated in June 2001 after 8.5 years of activity in Central America (excluding Belize) and the Dominican Republic. Its immediate objective was to help supply and use physiologically sound and well adapted and improved planting material for tree planting programmes in the countries receiving support.
PROSEFOR provided technical and financial assistance to the countries involved, giving short courses at various levels on seed source management, seed collection and seed handling and keeping an active publication and divulgation programme. The project produced positive and important impacts in the region, among which the following are the most relevant:
More than 1700 technicians and professionals trained in the fields of improved seed source establishment and management, seed handling and safe tree climbing, through 96 events (short courses, field days, etc.) carried out in the seven member countries;
More than 300 seed sources of 78 species identified and registered in the member countries, increasingly supplying the needs for improved seed required by the reforestation programmes;
Creation of active working groups on forest seeds in five of the countries;
Organization of national and regional meetings on tree improvement and forest seeds;
Technical and financial support for the implementation of forest seed certification schemes, and
Production of 530 scientific and technical publications, including 175 technical notes on forest seeds.
A booklet "Semillas para el futuro" (Seeds for the future) was produced, which summarises the objectives, methodologies and impacts of the project.
Additional information: www.catie.ac.cr
Technical notes on forest seeds available at:
www.catie.ac.cr/proyectos/prosefor/base/semillas.htm
Costa Rican National Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity
The National Strategy on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity was formulated in the context of the commitments made by Costa Rica in signing and ratifying the "Convention on Biological Diversity" at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and specifically in relation to Article 61 of this Convention.
In addition to complying with the stipulations contained in this Article, and developing an intersectorial guide for the management of biodiversity, in Costa Rica’s case, the process of formulating the Strategy was also seen as an opportunity to analyze the country’s advances in relation to the fulfillment of this Convention, and to update the existing information on the country’s biodiversity, to make it available for decision-making.
A total of 957 participants were involved in the process, representing the Government, local NGO, academia, national NGO, local committees, local governments, private enterprise, projects, development associations, business associations, international organizations, animal rescue centers (zoos), national commissions and cooperatives.
The final document is available on the Ministry of the Environment and Energy’s Web page, in which the government and people of Costa Rica declare their intention to integrate biodiversity conservation into the country’s social and economic development, as a strategic element to achieve sustainable human development.
Additional information: www.minae.go.cr/estrategia
TECHNICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ISSUES
FAO Regional FGR Status and Action Plan
The first actions were taken by FAO for the development of a regional study on FGR status and action plan for Central America and south of Mexico. The study should initiate by the end of the present year, to conclude with a regional workshop in CATIE, Costa Rica, in 2002.
CATIE Project on Production, Demonstration and Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources
CATIE, as a research and education institution with a strong emphasis on sustainability of natural resources, must carry out projects where appropriate alternatives for the conservation and production of forest resources are practically implemented, fulfilling validation, demonstration and education objectives. At the same time, selected genotypes resulting from the research projects must be conserved, multiplied and distributed. To fulfil these objectives, this project was initiated in CATIE in March 2000. It involves reforestation with promising native species, establishment of species trials with native species and establishment of conservation units and advanced seed orchards with the priority species. For its ecological value, the project has been incorporated within two programmes of carbon sequestration coordinated by the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment (MINAE) and a NGO "Reforest the Tropics" (RTT).
Additional information: [email protected], www.catie.ac.cr
CATIE Project on Rescue, Propagation, Conservation and Use of Highly Endangered Species and Populations of Forest Trees in Central America
The existence of wood species in the tropics is under threat mainly because of irrational use and the absence of effective policies that could guarantee sustainable management of these resources. In Central America and the Caribbean there are a large number of tree species under different categories depending upon their level of threat. In recent years there has been a growing interest to work jointly between institutions at a regional level with the aim of rescuing and propagating at least some of these resources, to contribute to their conservation through use. With this aim, a first phase of this project was initiated in June 2000, with actions in two countries, Costa Rica and Panama. It involves selection of plus trees of the selected species, seed collection by mother tree, and establishment of open pollinated progeny tests, which will later be converted into seedling seed orchards. Also, vegetative propagation techniques using both macro and microcuttings are being developed for some priority species.
Additional information: [email protected], [email protected]
CATIE Project on Vegetative Propagation of Endangered Native Species from the Tropical Dry Forest of Costa Rica
Vegetative propagation techniques have become an important reproduction method in forestry, allowing not only a higher production and quality of timber, but also acting as an effective tool for the conservation of the forest genetic resources, for example, for individuals with limited seed material or for endangered species represented only by a few remaining trees. This is the case of four native species from the dry forest in Costa Rica: Astronium graveolens, Dalbergia retusa, Guaiacum sanctum and Platymiscium parviflorum. As a means to conserve valuable genotypes of these species, the present investigation aims at developing appropriate macropropagation techniques for the cloning and multiplication of selected material. To implement successful and sustainable vegetative propagation techniques, an understanding of the environmental and physiological factors which influence rooting is fundamental. Therefore in June 2000 a series of experiments were initiated using low-technology, non-mist propagators to evaluate the effects of rooting media, auxin (IBA) concentration, cutting origin, leaf area and propagation environment on the physiological status and adventitious root development of leafy stem cuttings from the selected species. The study is part of a doctoral thesis. Preliminary data is showing that all the species involved are relatively easy to propagate using the methodology and propagator system described. These experiments are producing the first reports on the successful cloning of these important species using simple and low cost technology.
Additional information: [email protected], [email protected]
Domestication of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and Spanish cedar (Cedrela odorata)
Research into domestication of these economically important timber trees produced important results in three areas of work: genetic variation, nursery techniques, and silvicultural (pruning) techniques.
Clonal variation
Analysis of a Hypsipyla-attacked clonal trial of Cedrela odorata revealed practically and statistically significant clonal variation in several measures of tree growth and quality at age three years.
Provenance and Progeny Trials in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico
Six trials were established for both mahogany and Spanish Cedar between 1997 and 1999 both on-station and with communities using seed from Mexico and Central America. Nearly 60 families of mahogany and over 120 families of Spanish cedar (total over 10,000 trees) are represented in these trials, the largest genetic collection of this material studied in Mexico. Selection for Hypsipyla resistance may be possible as some families were not attacked at all, whereas in others almost 90% of the progeny were affected. After intensive selection using multiple traits, community trials will be converted to seed orchards for use by the state reforestation programs.
Nursery techniques
Cedrela odorata is being widely planted in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico as part of the PRONARE (National Reforestation Programme). Eight field experiments were established between 1997 and 1998, with outstanding results. Bare-root Cedrela seedlings produced using compost prepared in the nurseries grew 75% faster than those produced under the current management regime; statistically significant differences in size and survival were still evident 12 months after outplanting. Plants produced with compost were also significantly superior to those produced using synthetic fertilisers. Interestingly, mahogany grown with the same composted mixtures were stunted and yellow indicating different nutritional requirements. Well-decomposed sawdust, while readily available from local sawmills, was only effective when first composted with manure and leaves. One year field studies proved that the common practice of maintaining the rejected (poor quality) plants from one year to the next in the nursery and then delivering these to farmers is not recommendable; their survival was 83% and growth 51% less than other trees.
Pruning techniques
Pruning is frequently advocated as a means of mitigating the effects of Hypsipyla grandella attack. However, it is not axiomatic that removal of competing leaders will lead to restoration of one dominant leader, except during the period immediately following pruning. Removal of competing leaders weakens the correlative inhibition imposed by the uppermost shoot, and may stimulate the sprouting of adventitious buds below the pruning point. As usefulness of pruning had never been experimentally demonstrated, a pruning experiment was carried out in which individuals of S. macrophylla, paired on the basis of similar pre-attack height, were subjected to pruning and control (no pruning) treatments. Pruned trees were subjected to both ‘control’ pruning (elimination of attacked shoots and, thereby, feeding larva(e)) and ‘form’ pruning (removal of attack-induced competing codominants). Twenty-nine months after planting, and 12 months after the last recorded Hypsipyla attack, pruned trees had significantly better values for form traits, with no effect on growth rate (i.e. implying that pruning did not reduce photosynthetic capacity of the trees). These first experimental results confirm the potential of this pruning regime as a Hypsipyla control and mitigation method.
Additional information: [email protected], www.catie.ac.cr
OPERATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES
REMSEFOR
The Mesoamerican Network on Forest Seeds (REMSEFOR), created in 1993, continued its activities of promotion and exchange of information in the region. Presently, REMSEFOR includes 12 members from seven countries. Recent activities of REMSEFOR include the creation of a web page with detailed information of seed sources, seed stock and services available in all member seed banks. It also includes information on botanical characteristics, climatic requirements, and seed and nursery management for 150 of the most important native species. To keep members informed of relevant activities, REMSEFOR has continued the production and distribution of a periodical information leaflet. During November 2001, the REMSEFOR members celebrated their annual meeting in Honduras.
Additional information:
[email protected], www.catie.ac.cr/proyectos/remsefor/remsefor.htm
Technical notes on native species: www.catie.ac.cr/proyectos/prosefor/base/semillas.htm
Third Latin American Seminar on Forest Seeds
As a follow up to the series of Latin American Seminars on Forest Seeds held in Nicaragua (1995) and the Dominican Republic (1999), the third seminar was held in October 2001, in Venezuela. The seminar was organized by the Latin American Forest Institute (IFLA), the Venezuelan Ministry of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources and the University of Los Andes. The event was attended by 80 persons and forty-one papers were presented. A CD with the Proceedings will be available soon.
The next seminar will be held in CATIE, Turrialba, Costa Rica, in October 2003.
Forest tree improvement workshop in Costa Rica
In August 2001 a national forest tree improvement workshop was carried out in Costa Rica, as a first step towards the consolidation of a formal National Working Group on Tree Improvement. The workshop was organized jointly by the Ministry of Environment and the Technological Institute of Costa Rica, with financial support from the Danida-CATIE Forest Seed Project. In this first event, each participant presented a summary of his/her work, to have an updated vision of the state of advance of this field in the country. Future encounters are planned, to discuss in more detail needs, limitations, etc., and prepare an integrated national plan of action.
Manual on Mesoamerican Trees
This is a joint initiative between the Oxford Forestry Institute (OFI) and CATIE, funded by the Department for International Development of the British Government (DFID), for the period April 2000-March 2002. The project’s main product will be a manual on mesoamerican trees, including information on species (options for management of natural regeneration, selection and use of native species, environmental services, harvesting, marketing, etc.), farming systems, ecosystems and traditional knowledge The project will also train technicians in the countries on the use of the manual
Additional information: [email protected], [email protected]
CATIE Regional Course on Tree Improvement
In the past, the CATIE Tree Improvement Project offered an annual tree improvement course, which played an important role in the region, being the only short course in Spanish on the subject. Unfortunately, this series of courses was suspended with the termination of the project in 1994. Now, under the initiative of the CATIE Unit of Plantation Forestry and REMSEFOR, the course will be implemented again, covering not only aspects of tree improvement but also silviculture, forest seeds and forest nurseries. The next course is being planned for November 2002, at CATIE, Costa Rica.
Additional information: [email protected], [email protected]
Concluding remarks
An integral forestry development programme is urgently needed in the region, based on conservation of existing forests, establishment of forestry plantations, industrialization and commercialization of forest products, thus contributing to ecological restoration, creation of rural employment opportunities, mitigation of poverty, prevention of catastrophes and in general, to improve the well being of more than 40 million people who live in this region.
It can be seen that a number of initiatives are in progress in the region regarding FGR management and conservation. Most of these, however, are concentrated in Costa Rica or they are a small part of regional efforts coordinated by CATIE. The rest of the Central American countries, in general, lack the technical knowledge and the institutional capacity to launch independent projects or carry out successfully the actions required. In addition, the occurrence of cyclic climatic events (e.g. hurricane ‘Mitch’ in 1998, hurricane ‘Michelle’ in 2001), with devastating consequences particularly in the poorer countries (Honduras and Nicaragua) keep Governments efforts focusing towards other more basic needs, with little or no attention to the forestry sector.
In this regard, CATIE, as an international organization with a regional mandate, should increase their efforts towards the implementation of a Regional Forestry Development Programme focused on: i) promotion and technical support of extensive reforestation projects, both as pure plantations and agroforestry systems; ii) technical management of existing plantations and development of programmes for the industrialization and commercialization of products from plantations; iii) development of an active promotion, training and awareness raising programme at various levels; and iv) research on relevant areas of biology, silviculture and genetic improvement of priority species.
It is expected that the FGR assessment and Action Plan for the region, coordinated by FAO, will play an important role towards the development of an integrated forestry management strategy, as well as becoming a tool in our efforts to seek and channelise international funds for the implementation of such programme.
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