Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Trema micrantha (L.) Blume (Ulmaceae): A promising neotropical tree for site amelioration of deforested land

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The genus Trema includes many species that are fast growing, short living pioneer trees common in early successional vegetation and large recent gaps of many tropical moist forests. They establish themselves and grow in open sites with microclimatic and soil conditions which are contrasting to those prevailing in dense forests. With time they change the environmental conditions by attenuating the wide alternations of soil temperature and lower midday air relative humidity characteristic of open places. At the same time, soil moisture and organic matter content, as well as nutrient levels increase due to the reestablishment of an organic cycle in the soil. Consequently they help generating an environment that permits the establishment of mature forest species that often do not survive under the environmental conditions of open places. The propagules of mature forest trees can be reintroduced from conserved areas nearby. The biological and ecological traits related to the potential use of T. micrantha for site amelioration previous to the reintroduction of mature forest trees are presented in this paper. Furthermore, some preliminary experiences in the field are cited. The same use may apply to other fast growing short living pioneers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexandre DY (1978) Observations sur l'écologie de Trema guineensis en basse Côte d'Ivoire. Cah. O.R.S.T.O.M. 13: 261–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson CR, Llewellyn DJ, Peacock WJ and Dennis ES (1997) Cell-Specific expression of the promoters of two nonlegume hemoglobin in a transgenic legume, Lotus corniculatus. Plant Physiol 113: 45–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade P, Vieira PF, Rosa ICA and Andrade AT (1976) Trema micrantha Blume na alimentação animal. I. Estudos preliminates e composição bromatológica. Acta Amazonica 6: 91–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Ariki J, Donola E, Macedo EM, Rodrigues ME and Rodrigues AM (1980) Trema micrantha Blume na alimentção de poadeiras comerciais. Acta Amazonica 10: 697–699

    Google Scholar 

  • Aubreville A (1947) Les brouses secondaires en Afrique Equatoriale, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroun, A.E.F. Bois et Forèts tropiq 2: 24–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Barajas-Morales J (1987) Wood specific gravity in species from two tropical forest in Mexico. IAWA Bull 8: 143–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Bawa KS, Bullock SH, Perry DR, Coville RE and Grayum MH (1985) Reproductive biology of tropical lowland rain forest trees. II. Pollination systems. Am J Bot 72: 346–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botelho SA, Davide AC, Schmidit-Prado N and Fonseca EM (1995) Implantsaô de mata ciliar, Belo Horizonte. Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais and Universidade Federal de Lavras, 28 pp

  • Botelho SA, Davide AC and Rocha-Faria JM (1996) Desenvolvimento inicial de seis espécies nativas em dois sítios, na regiâo sul de Minas Gerais. CERNE (Universidade Federal de Lavras) 2: 43–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Brokaw, NVL (1985) Gap-phase regeneration of three pioneer species in a neotropical forest. Ecology 66: 682–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carpanezzi AA, Da Silva-Costa LG, Kageyama PY and Ferreira C (1990) Funcôes multiplas das forestas: Conservacâo e recuperacâo do meio ambiente. Congreso Florestal Brasileiro, Campos de Jordâo, SP. Comissâo Tecnica 5: 200–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro e Santos, A de (1980) Essai de classification des arbres tropicaux selon leur capacité de réitération. Biotropica 12: 187–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coombe DE (1960) An analysis of the growth of Trema guineensis. J Ecol 48: 219–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corner DE (1940) Wayside trees of Malaya. Government Printing Office, Singapore Vol. 1, 770 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalling JW, Dwaine MD and Garwood NC (1997) Soil seed bank community dynamics in seasonally moist lowland tropical forest, Panama. Journal of Tropical Ecology 13: 659–680

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheke AS, Nanakorn W and Yankoses C (1979) Dormancy and dispersal of secondary forest species under the canopy of a primary tropical rain forest in Northern Thailand. Biotropica 11: 89–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ettori LC, Baitello JB and Figliolia MB (1988) Index Seminum. Instituto Florestal São Paulo, Brazil, 17 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewel, JJ (1976) Litter fall and leaf decomposition in a tropical forest succession in Eastern Guatemala. J Ecol 64: 293–308

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferretti AR, Kageyama PY, Arboez GF, Dos Santos JD, Barros MI, Lorza RF and Oliveira C (1995) Classificacâo das espécies arbôreas em grupos ecológicos para revegetacâo com nativas no Estado de São Paulo. Florestar Estatistico 3: 73–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Garwood NC, Janos DP and Brokaw N (1979) Earthquake-caused landslides: a major disturbance to tropical forest. Science 205: 997–999

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Pompa A and Vázquez-Yanes C (1981) Successional studies of a rainforest of Mexico. In: West DC, Shugart HH and Botking DH (eds) Forest Succession, Concepts and Applications, pp 246–266. Springer Verlag, New York

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kageyama PY (1989) Sucessâo secundária, estructura genética e plantaçoes de espécies arbóreas nativas. IPEF, Piracicaba 41/42: 83–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenoyer LA (1929) General and successional ecology of the lower tropical rain forest at Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Ecology 10: 201–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClanahan TR and Wolfe RW (1993) Accelerating forest succession in a fragmented landscape: The role of birds and perches. Conservation Biology 7: 279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nee M (1993) Ulmaceae. Flora de Veracruz, pp 28–33. Instituto de Ecología A. C. Xalapa, Veracruz, México

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevling LI (1960) Ulmaceae. Ann Mo Bot Gdn 47(2): 108–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popma J, Bongers F, Martínez-Ramos M and Veneklaas E (1988) Pioneer species distribution in treefall gaps in Neotropical rain forest: a gap definition and its consequences. J Trop Ecol 4: 77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulz JP (1960) Ecological studies on rain forest in northern Suriname. Mededelingen van het Botanish Museum en Herbarium de Rijsuniversiteit te Utrecht 163, 267 pp

  • St. John T (1980) Uma lista de espécies de plantas tropicais brasileiras naturalmente infectadas con micorriza vesicular-arbuscular. Acta Amazonica 10: 229–234

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweitzer EM (1971) Comparative anatomy of Ulmaceae. J Arnold Arbor 52: 523–585

    Google Scholar 

  • Symington CF (1933) The study of secondary growth on rain forest sites. Malay Forester 2: 107–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Trejo L (1976) Diseminación de semillas por aves en ‘Los Tuxtlas’, Veracruz. In: Gómez-Pompa A, Vázquez-Yanes C, Del Amo S and Butanda A (eds) Regeneración de selvas, pp 447–470. Compañía Editorial Continental, México D. F.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Yanes C (1976) Estudios sobre ecología de la germinación en una selva cálido-húmeda de México. In: Gómez-Pompa A, Vázquez-Yanes C, Del Amo S and Butanda A (eds) Regeneración de Selvas, pp 289–387. Compañía Editorial Continental, México D. F.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Yanes C (1977) Germination of a pioneer tree (Trema guineensis Ficahlo) from equatorial Africa Turrialba 27: 301–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Yanes C and Orozco-Segovia A (1994) Signals for seeds to sense and respond to gaps. In: Caldwell M and Pearcy R (eds) Exploitation of Environmental Heterogeneity by Plants, pp 209–236. Academic Press, San Diego CA

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Vilamajó D (1985) Comportamiento fenológico de especies de vegetación secundaria en Sierra del Rosario, Cuba. Ciencias Biológícas 13: 51–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore, TC (1989) Canopy gaps and the two major groups of forest trees. Ecology 70: 536–538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt-Smith J (1949) Natural plant succession. Malay Forester 12: 148–152

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510, Mexico D. F, Mexico

    C. Vázquez-Yanes

Authors
  1. C. Vázquez-Yanes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vázquez-Yanes, C. Trema micrantha (L.) Blume (Ulmaceae): A promising neotropical tree for site amelioration of deforested land. Agroforestry Systems 40, 97–104 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006063010677

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006063010677

Search

Navigation