Peres, C. A.;Baider, C.;Zuidema, P. A.;Wadt, L. H. O.;Kainer, K. A.;Gomes-Silva, D. A. P.;Salomao, R. P.;Simoes, L. L.;Franciosi, E. R. N.;Valverde, F. C.;Gribel, R.;Shepard, G. H.;Kanashiro, M.;Coventry, P.;Yu, D. W.;Watkinson, A. R.;Freckleton, R. P.
Demographic threats to the sustainability of Brazil nut exploitation
Science
2003
Journal Article
302
5653
2112-2114
Bertholletia excelsa trees castaña Brazil nut sustainable use of natural resources single-species study density-dependence Lecythidaceae impacts of economic activities Brazil Bolivia population dynamics non-timber forest products large spatial scales Madre de Dios Bibliography
A comparative analysis of 23 populations of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) across the Brazilian, Peruvian, and Bolivian Amazon shows that the history and intensity of Brazil nut exploitation are major determinants of population size structure. Populations subjected to persistent levels of harvest lack juvenile trees less than 60 centimeters in diameter at breast height; only populations with a history of either light or recent exploitation contain large numbers of juvenile trees. A harvesting model confirms that intensive exploitation levels over the past century are such that juvenile recruitment is insufficient to maintain populations over the long term. Without management, intensively harvested populations will succumb to a process of senescence and demographic collapse, threatening this cornerstone of the Amazonian extractive economy.