|
|
|
|
Jeff Chambers
Tulane University
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
400 Lindy Boggs
New Orleans, LA 70118
Ph: 504-862-8291
Fax:: 504-862-8706
chambers@tulane.
|
|
Brazil’s
Atlantic Rainforest (“Mata Atlântica”) is an important area to
focus
reforestation efforts. Conservation International ranks Mata
Atlântica as
one of the top five biological hotspots. Of the 1.35 million
square
kilometers of original forest in the year 1500, only about 7% remains,
with
most of the deforested areas being utilized as cattle pasture. Of
particular important are "preservation areas" near rivers and on
steep slopes that must by law remain forested. Payments from
carbon
credits can help tilt-the-balance in favor of reforesting preservation
areas by
providing economic incentives to farmers.
One
important activity in this effort is
determining what tree community composition is most effective at
restoring a
tropical pasture to high-diversity forest, while simultaneously
maximizing the
carbon sequestration rates. Toward this
effort, we are collaborating with the Linhares Reserve in the Brazilian
state
of Espírito Santo. The reserve is
unique
with a large facility for mass producing seedlings of more than 400
native Mata
Atlântica tree species. One recently
established project is a fully replicated reforestation experiment on
18 ha
using tree species diversity, life-history guilds, and planting density
as
treatments. My lab’s role is developing
relationships among ecophysiological parameters such a photosynthesis,
respiration, and transpiration, with performance parameters such as
growth rate
and biomass gain. |
|
|
|
|
|
Nursery
seedlings
|
|
