Harvesting impact and economic value of Geonoma deversa, Arecaceae, an understory palm used for roof thatching in the Peruvian Amazon

We evaluated the impact of two leaf harvesting methods on the clonal understory palm Geonoma deversa. In the first method only the leaves are cut, in the second the complete crown is severed. Stands representative for each method are compared with unharvested stands. Both methods of harvesting reduc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic botany 2000-07, Vol.54 (3), p.267-277
Main Authors: Flores, C.F, Ashton, P.M.S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Arecaceae
Biological and medical sciences
clones
Crop harvesting
crown
economic analysis
Economic botany
Economic value
environmental impact
evaluation
Forest stands
fruit set
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agronomy. Plant production
harvesting
inflorescences
interest (finance)
Interest rates
labor
Leaves
methodology
Net present value
roofs
Seedlings
size
thatch
Thatched roofs
Tropical rain forests
understory
Vegetative propagation. Micropropagation
Vegetative propagation. Sowing and planting. Harvesting
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Summary:We evaluated the impact of two leaf harvesting methods on the clonal understory palm Geonoma deversa. In the first method only the leaves are cut, in the second the complete crown is severed. Stands representative for each method are compared with unharvested stands. Both methods of harvesting reduce clone size and reproductive output (inflorescence and infructescence per clone), and lower the number of ramets available for the next harvest. Cutting only the leaves represents a better method of harvest because of a lower impact on the residual stock. Economic analysis reveals that the value of this resource (standing leaf value) is low (2 to 26 U.S. $/ha) compared with labor costs that can be between 55 to 86% of palm thatch revenues. Harvesting Geonoma leaves generates a net present value (NPV) that ranges from 3 to 191 U.S. $/ha depending on the stand location, the wage, and the interest rate employed for the calculation. /// Se evaluó el impacto de dos metodos para cosechar hojas de Geonoma deversa. El primer método consiste en la corta de las hojas mientras que en el segundo, se corta la copa antes de la remoción de las hojas. Se compara rodales representativos de cada metodo de corta con rodales no cosechados. Los resultados muestran que la cosecha reduce el tamaño de los clones, la producción de inflorecencias e infructecencias pero afecta sobre todo las ramas aptas para la cosecha. El método de cortar sólo las hojas es más ventajoso porque afecta menos las ramas cosechables por clon. La evaluación económica muestra que el valor del recurso en el bosque (valor de hoja en pie) es relativamente bajo (2 a 26 U.S.$/ha), comparado con el costo de la mano de obra necesaria para esta actividad. La mano de obra representa entre 55 y 86 por ciento de los ingresos brutos por la venta de paños tejidos. La cosecha de hojas genera un valor presente neto (VPN) que varia entre 3 y 191 U.S. $/ha, lo cual depende de la localización del rodal, el valor del jornal y la tasa de interés empleada.
ISSN:0013-0001
1874-9364
DOI:10.1007/BF02864781