The potential for harvesting fruits in tropical rainforests: New data from Amazonian Peru
Biodiversity and Conservation
1993
Journal Article
2
18-38
plants ethnobotany sustainable use of natural resources non-timber forest products economic analysis seasonality Reserva Nacional Tambopata Madre de Dios Bibliography
In recent years, the interest in the sustainable yield of non-timber forest products has growth as an alternative to deforestation. Ecologists and social scientists have begun to evaluate the actual and potential value of this products, therefore many biological aspects remain unanswered (broad research on edible fruits and nuts have been highly publicized, but little is known about productivity). This work tried to solve the following questions about the forest productivity in the southeast Peruvian Amazon: How does total productivity vary from one forest type to another?; How accessible is this productivity to the ground-based collector?; Are there marked seasonal peaks and troughs in fruit availability?. The data shows that edible fruit and nut production on Amazonian forests are lower than most conservationists assume. Direct measures of Peruvian Amazon show that two terra firme forest types produce significantly less edible fruit than an alluvial soil forest. Swamp forest has the highest edible fruit productivity than any other forest type measured. Palms contribute with 60% of edible fruit productivity (averaged over three forest types), but the most preferred palm fruits are difficult to harvest because they are too high for easy access by collectors.