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Reserve Reforestation Projects Take Root
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| ECOAN staffer showing alder sapling
planted recently planted in reforestation project at El
Progreso, Amazonas, Peru, Photo: David Wiedenfeld, ABC |
In many places throughout Latin America,
birds are suffering from a decline in suitable forest habitat.
American Bird Conservancy and several of our partner organizations
are
working from Honduras to Bolivia to reverse this situation
at or near some of the bird reserves that American Bird Conservancy
has helped establish, benefitting many threatened species.
Recreating forested habitat can take several
forms, including reforestation of areas where all of the original
trees have been cut, planting trees in areas with commercial
crops, or creating tree stands and borders in and around grazing
lands (known as silvipasture).
For example, some varieties of coffee plants produce better
quality coffee and produce for longer if they are shaded by
a tree canopy, which also provides habitat for migrant songbirds
such as the declining Cerulean
Warbler. Living “fencerows” made of trees
provide habitat for some birds, while fulfilling a practical
function of helping keep cattle in fields.
Re-growing a forest is an intensive process,
requiring up to 50,000 seedlings to reforest just 100 acres.
The seedlings need to represent a wide variety of native species,
so as to as closely replicate the original forest as possible.
Harvesting seeds, and growing them in a nursery to the point
where they can be transplanted into the field takes space,
time, and money.
Ecuador has the most established reforestation
program, with about 142,000 broad-leaved trees of 14 species
already planted to reforest about 360 acres at four reserves.
The program will benefit such endemic species as the endangered
El
Oro Parakeet and Jocotoco Antpitta, and the critically
endangered Black-breasted Puffleg. In Peru, ABC and its partner
ECOAN have been reforesting high-altitude Polylepis
woodlands for several years for species such as the endangered
Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant and the critically endangered Royal
Cinclodes.
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| Transplanting tree seedlings from
germination trays to growing bags at ECOAN nursery in
Pomacochas, Peru. Photo: David Wiedenfeld, ABC |
Also in Peru and in Colombia, other broad-leaved
trees are being grown for mid-elevation reforestation efforts.
In Peru 21,000 seedlings of 13 species are destined for three
sites in the area around Abra Patricia (Bird Calls Vol. 9,
No. 2) to benefit the Long-whiskered
Owlet, Marvelous
Spatuletail, and other endemic birds. In Colombia, nurseries
have been established at two reserves, and 10,000 seedlings
of 21 species have sprouted, awaiting transplantation for
reforestation efforts that will help the critically endangered
Gorgeted Wood-Quail and Neotropical migrant birds such as
the Cerulean Warbler.
It will take a number of years before
a forest planted today resembles the original forest, but
it is an investment that will reward future generations of
birds with much needed habitat.
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