Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Dominican Republic Forests
By Liliana Usvat
Blog 358-365
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the Dominican Republic now has a near zero deforestation rate, reflecting a significant recovery from the high rates of deforestation and degradation that the country experienced in the 1980s (FAO, 2010).
HIiIt has however been noted that the abovementioned deforestation rate does not identify which type of forest has been lost or gained and that much reforestation has been achieved by the creation of plantations where natural forests previously stood (USAID, 2012, p.19). The major drivers of deforestation in the Dominican Republic have been slash and burn agricultural practices, clearing forest for cattle-grazing, the extraction of charcoal, rubber and firewood, forest fires and urban expansion.
The wet forests of Hispaniola maintain exceptionally distinct insular flora and fauna, with many unique species, genera and families that have maintained various relict taxons. Many of the relictual species that survive in these forests are extinct on the nearby continents .
The status of conservation of this ecoregion is endangered in that it has gone from representing more than half of the island’s original vegetation to less than 15% at present. The major threats include illegal forestry operations, migratory agricultural expansion, gathering of firewood, grazing and illegal hunting
The Hispaniolan pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The ecoregion covers 11,600 km2 (4,500 sq mi), or about 15% of the island.
These wet forests originally occupied more than half (~60%) of the original vegetation on the island of Hispaniola, from the lowlands particularly on the eastern coast of the island to the valleys, plateaus, slopes and foothills of the many mountain ranges, up to an altitude of about 2,100 meters.
In the Dominican Republic, moist forest frequently occur covering most of the eastern half of the country all along these shores till ending at the higher elevations of the mountains. Between the slopes of the eastern range and along the northern range in Haiti, the moist forests continue across the entire island of Hispaniola only lacking distinct presence in the southern extension of the island. They also exist on most of the Tiburón peninsula, in southern Haiti (Tasaico 1967; Dominican Republic 1998; WWF-US 2000).
In this ecoregion, ecological conditions are the result of a complicated climate system, influenced primarily by the presence of subtropical anticyclones, the direction of the trade winds that predominate for most of the year, as well as altitudinal conditions. The period of most frequent rainfall is from April to December, varying in intensity depending on the orographic effects to which the areas of these forests are subject.
Average annual precipitation varies between 1,000 to 2,000 mm for the wet zones, to more than 4,000 mm per year in the rainforest zones. In open areas near the coast, average annual temperature is from 23° to 24°C. In higher areas or areas closer to the mountain ranges, average annual temperature is about 20ºC and in the highest zones there are frosts (temperatures below 0º C) at certain times of the year.
More than half of the ecoregion's area has been lost to clearing for agriculture, pasture, or plantations of exotic trees. The Haitian portion of the ecoregion is more deforested than the Dominican portion
The Dominican Republic is the second largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean with in 2011, a GDP of 93 million US dollars and a GDP per capita of US$ 9,600. The country is also one of the fastest growing economies in the Caribbean region. Over the past 20 years, there has been an annual average increase in GDP of 4 per cent, compared to a 1.8 per cent average for Central America and the Caribbean region.
This high growth has yet to translate into decreased income disparities with the poorest half of population receiving less than a fifth of GDP, while the richest 10 per cent receive nearly 40 per cent of GDP (CIA Factbook, 2013). Unemployment is 14.7 % according to national statistics, but the Dominican definition of unemployment differs from the international classification and when adjusted for it, is only about 5 % (IMF, 2013, p.7).
Blog 358-365
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the Dominican Republic now has a near zero deforestation rate, reflecting a significant recovery from the high rates of deforestation and degradation that the country experienced in the 1980s (FAO, 2010).
HIiIt has however been noted that the abovementioned deforestation rate does not identify which type of forest has been lost or gained and that much reforestation has been achieved by the creation of plantations where natural forests previously stood (USAID, 2012, p.19). The major drivers of deforestation in the Dominican Republic have been slash and burn agricultural practices, clearing forest for cattle-grazing, the extraction of charcoal, rubber and firewood, forest fires and urban expansion.
The wet forests of Hispaniola maintain exceptionally distinct insular flora and fauna, with many unique species, genera and families that have maintained various relict taxons. Many of the relictual species that survive in these forests are extinct on the nearby continents .
The status of conservation of this ecoregion is endangered in that it has gone from representing more than half of the island’s original vegetation to less than 15% at present. The major threats include illegal forestry operations, migratory agricultural expansion, gathering of firewood, grazing and illegal hunting
The Hispaniolan pine forests are a tropical coniferous forest ecoregion found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The ecoregion covers 11,600 km2 (4,500 sq mi), or about 15% of the island.
These wet forests originally occupied more than half (~60%) of the original vegetation on the island of Hispaniola, from the lowlands particularly on the eastern coast of the island to the valleys, plateaus, slopes and foothills of the many mountain ranges, up to an altitude of about 2,100 meters.
In the Dominican Republic, moist forest frequently occur covering most of the eastern half of the country all along these shores till ending at the higher elevations of the mountains. Between the slopes of the eastern range and along the northern range in Haiti, the moist forests continue across the entire island of Hispaniola only lacking distinct presence in the southern extension of the island. They also exist on most of the Tiburón peninsula, in southern Haiti (Tasaico 1967; Dominican Republic 1998; WWF-US 2000).
In this ecoregion, ecological conditions are the result of a complicated climate system, influenced primarily by the presence of subtropical anticyclones, the direction of the trade winds that predominate for most of the year, as well as altitudinal conditions. The period of most frequent rainfall is from April to December, varying in intensity depending on the orographic effects to which the areas of these forests are subject.
Average annual precipitation varies between 1,000 to 2,000 mm for the wet zones, to more than 4,000 mm per year in the rainforest zones. In open areas near the coast, average annual temperature is from 23° to 24°C. In higher areas or areas closer to the mountain ranges, average annual temperature is about 20ºC and in the highest zones there are frosts (temperatures below 0º C) at certain times of the year.
More than half of the ecoregion's area has been lost to clearing for agriculture, pasture, or plantations of exotic trees. The Haitian portion of the ecoregion is more deforested than the Dominican portion
The Dominican Republic is the second largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean with in 2011, a GDP of 93 million US dollars and a GDP per capita of US$ 9,600. The country is also one of the fastest growing economies in the Caribbean region. Over the past 20 years, there has been an annual average increase in GDP of 4 per cent, compared to a 1.8 per cent average for Central America and the Caribbean region.
This high growth has yet to translate into decreased income disparities with the poorest half of population receiving less than a fifth of GDP, while the richest 10 per cent receive nearly 40 per cent of GDP (CIA Factbook, 2013). Unemployment is 14.7 % according to national statistics, but the Dominican definition of unemployment differs from the international classification and when adjusted for it, is only about 5 % (IMF, 2013, p.7).
Friday, September 4, 2015
Urban Native Plant Food and Medicine Forest
By Liliana Usvat
Blog 357-365
I never Understood why cities with large areas in their property do not plant Native Fruit Trees in Parks and bare land.
Why the sidewalks do not have fruit trees planted? It is not Hard to choose between a tree that produce fruits and a tree that produce nothing. Or even worse have no trees on the side walks.
Native and endemic plants provide habitat for other native species which may be endangered. The expression “build it and they will come” applies here. In this way, permaculturists can play the role of restoration conservationist while building a community around food sovereignty and re-skilling.
Many species need a specific habitat in which to nest or harvest food. There could be species that are native to your area which pollinate crops in my area, and if they don’t have anywhere to live, my part of the world would suffer.
Biodiversity is a critical aspect of the discussions surrounding food security, environmental conservation, and the health of our planet in the years to come. Permaculture is on the cutting edge of agriculture in that it considers biodiversity in planning systems. As Bill Mollison classically puts it, “you don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency.”
A dynamic, resilient, productive, thriving system that has the power to provide for the people and restore the health of the planet.
With droughts, wildfires, and temperatures on the rise, precious forests are disappearing at a mind boggling rate. We know permaculture is a solution to this, as far as water catchment, soil building, and shade-creation are concerned.
There is something to be said for restoring the plants which originated in your place of residence–because as we lose those forests, we lose the animals too, which exacerbates the problem.
Since native forests are environmental balancers and regulators, we might as well give them some leverage. Native plants are well suited for the area you live in, and will require less babying and human input as a result.
The native plant food and medicine forests can sequester carbon, produce rain, and lower temperatures, and the planet finds its equilibrium.
The end result: neighborhoods with yards full of native and endemic species, with the cultural knowledge of their uses revitalized.
When planning an endemic and native plant food and medicine forest, there’s no better way to learn than getting out into the woods, observing, and harvesting.
Planting, observing, and harvesting plants is an activity people of all ages, ability levels, and beliefs can enjoy together. It has the power to bring people together, cross-culturally, beyond the language barrier. It can unite people beyond the invisible walls that differences in income, religion, identity, and so on.
What better way to gain a sense of place, belonging, and community than to come to know the original inhabitants?
Edible forest gardening
Edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants together in woodlandlike patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts. You can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, other useful plants, and animals in a way that mimics natural ecosystems. You can create a beautiful, diverse, high-yield garden. If designed with care and deep understanding of ecosystem function, you can also design a garden that is largely self-maintaining. In many of the world's temperate-climate regions, your garden would soon start reverting to forest if you were to stop managing it. We humans work hard to hold back succession—mowing, weeding, plowing, and spraying. If the successional process were the wind, we would be constantly motoring against it. Why not put up a sail and glide along with the land's natural tendency to grow trees? By mimicking the structure and function of forest ecosystems we can gain a number of benefits.
Why Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
While each forest gardener will have unique design goals, forest gardening in general has three primary practical intentions:
Where Can You Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
Anyone with a patch of land can grow a forest garden. They've been created in small urban yards and large parks, on suburban lots, and in small plots of rural farms. The smallest we have seen was a 30 by 50 foot (9 by 15 m) embankment behind an urban housing project, and smaller versions are definitely possible.
Architecture
Contrary to the prevailing wisdom on forest gardening, vegetation layers are only one of the architectural features important in forest garden design. Soil horizon structure, vegetation patterning, vegetation density, and community diversity are also critical. All five of these elements of community architecture influence yields, plant health, pest and disease dynamics, maintenance requirements, and overall community character. For example, scientific research indicates that structural diversity in forest vegetation, what we call "lumpy texture," appears to increase bird and insect population diversity and to balance insect pest populations—independent of plant species diversity. Learning how and why plants pattern themselves in nature and about the effects of the diverse kinds of diversity on ecosystem function can add great richness to the tool box of the forest gardener.
Links
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/plants-used-for-medicine.html
http://www.urbanecology.ca/documents/Student%20Technical%20Series/KingH.pdf
http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/about_gardening
https://nakazora.wordpress.com/category/natural-farming-forest-gardening/
Blog 357-365
I never Understood why cities with large areas in their property do not plant Native Fruit Trees in Parks and bare land.
Why the sidewalks do not have fruit trees planted? It is not Hard to choose between a tree that produce fruits and a tree that produce nothing. Or even worse have no trees on the side walks.
Native and endemic plants provide habitat for other native species which may be endangered. The expression “build it and they will come” applies here. In this way, permaculturists can play the role of restoration conservationist while building a community around food sovereignty and re-skilling.
Many species need a specific habitat in which to nest or harvest food. There could be species that are native to your area which pollinate crops in my area, and if they don’t have anywhere to live, my part of the world would suffer.
Biodiversity is a critical aspect of the discussions surrounding food security, environmental conservation, and the health of our planet in the years to come. Permaculture is on the cutting edge of agriculture in that it considers biodiversity in planning systems. As Bill Mollison classically puts it, “you don’t have a slug problem, you have a duck deficiency.”
A dynamic, resilient, productive, thriving system that has the power to provide for the people and restore the health of the planet.
With droughts, wildfires, and temperatures on the rise, precious forests are disappearing at a mind boggling rate. We know permaculture is a solution to this, as far as water catchment, soil building, and shade-creation are concerned.
There is something to be said for restoring the plants which originated in your place of residence–because as we lose those forests, we lose the animals too, which exacerbates the problem.
Since native forests are environmental balancers and regulators, we might as well give them some leverage. Native plants are well suited for the area you live in, and will require less babying and human input as a result.
The native plant food and medicine forests can sequester carbon, produce rain, and lower temperatures, and the planet finds its equilibrium.
The end result: neighborhoods with yards full of native and endemic species, with the cultural knowledge of their uses revitalized.
When planning an endemic and native plant food and medicine forest, there’s no better way to learn than getting out into the woods, observing, and harvesting.
Planting, observing, and harvesting plants is an activity people of all ages, ability levels, and beliefs can enjoy together. It has the power to bring people together, cross-culturally, beyond the language barrier. It can unite people beyond the invisible walls that differences in income, religion, identity, and so on.
What better way to gain a sense of place, belonging, and community than to come to know the original inhabitants?
Edible forest gardening
Edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants together in woodlandlike patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts. You can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, other useful plants, and animals in a way that mimics natural ecosystems. You can create a beautiful, diverse, high-yield garden. If designed with care and deep understanding of ecosystem function, you can also design a garden that is largely self-maintaining. In many of the world's temperate-climate regions, your garden would soon start reverting to forest if you were to stop managing it. We humans work hard to hold back succession—mowing, weeding, plowing, and spraying. If the successional process were the wind, we would be constantly motoring against it. Why not put up a sail and glide along with the land's natural tendency to grow trees? By mimicking the structure and function of forest ecosystems we can gain a number of benefits.
Why Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
While each forest gardener will have unique design goals, forest gardening in general has three primary practical intentions:
- High yields of diverse products such as food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizer, 'farmaceuticals' and fun;
- A largely self-maintaining garden and;
- A healthy ecosystem.
Where Can You Grow an Edible Forest Garden?
Anyone with a patch of land can grow a forest garden. They've been created in small urban yards and large parks, on suburban lots, and in small plots of rural farms. The smallest we have seen was a 30 by 50 foot (9 by 15 m) embankment behind an urban housing project, and smaller versions are definitely possible.
Architecture
Contrary to the prevailing wisdom on forest gardening, vegetation layers are only one of the architectural features important in forest garden design. Soil horizon structure, vegetation patterning, vegetation density, and community diversity are also critical. All five of these elements of community architecture influence yields, plant health, pest and disease dynamics, maintenance requirements, and overall community character. For example, scientific research indicates that structural diversity in forest vegetation, what we call "lumpy texture," appears to increase bird and insect population diversity and to balance insect pest populations—independent of plant species diversity. Learning how and why plants pattern themselves in nature and about the effects of the diverse kinds of diversity on ecosystem function can add great richness to the tool box of the forest gardener.
Links
http://www.wildernesscollege.com/plants-used-for-medicine.html
http://www.urbanecology.ca/documents/Student%20Technical%20Series/KingH.pdf
http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/about_gardening
https://nakazora.wordpress.com/category/natural-farming-forest-gardening/
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