Tropical Forest Essay

According to the forest inventory of AIDER, the forest in the community is typified as dry tropical forest. Dry tropical forest has low diversity of flora, where commonly the species are adapted to the droughts periods, with average heights of less than 10 meters. The distribution is like a savannah, in which the tree crown coverage is under 30 percent. The most dominant species are Algarrobo (Prosopis pallida), Faique (Acacia macracantha) and Zapote (Capparis scabrida), which are normally evergreen and in some cases thorny. This type of ecosystem also contains many shrubs with a height lower than 5 m like Overo (Cordia lutea), Charamusco (Encelia canescers), Satuyo (Capparis cordata) and Vichayo (Capparis ovalifolia). During wet seasons herbaceous and gramineous species appear. (AIDER 2010).

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In the second year, Capparis scabrida was planted on site, and the Cordia lutea shrubs as nurse plants for the first five years of tree see establishment. This ensures better conditions of organic matter, soil moisture, humidity, temperature, etc. Capparis crown will eventually shade the overo shrubs, which in turn produce a gradual reduction from the plantation. In the first year 90 percent of planted Prosopis pallida seedlings survives and 70 percent of Capparis scabrida (AIDER 2010). A drip irrigation system supplied water in first year of the project. Weeding and replanting of dead tree seedlings was done throughout the first year. Fire prevention management involved the establishment and maintenance of fire control alleys. The community are done maintenance activities once per year (UNFCCC 2009). The NGO AIDER did workshops on fire prevention and control. Trees are pruned from 10 years onwards in order to support and enhance the growing of the tree and to improve the quality. The branches could be sold as