|
Project properties |
|
| Title | Pioneer Mimosa and their life history in the dry tropics |
| Group | Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 24-36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Ursula Revilla, Frans Bongers, Marielos Peña-Claros |
| Examiner(s) | Prof.Dr. F.J.J.M (Frans) Bongers |
| Contact info | ursula.revillagonzalez@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2019/09/01 |
| End date | |
| Description | Also possible as Internship.
Old-growth tropical dry forests are continuously decreasing in area because of land use change. Slash-and-burn agriculture is a common practice used in the tropics to open areas for agriculture. These agricultural areas are used for few years, and after agriculture abandonment different secondary succession pathways can take place, depending on the intensity of land use, surrounding vegetation, seed availability, etc. In dry forests, a general pattern after abandonment is the colonization by pioneer species belonging frequently to the Fabaceae family, like the case of Mimosa spp. These pioneers may provide better conditions to the establishment of old-growth forest species. Mimosa spp. are dominant in the early stage of succession in some tropical dry forest regions, but these species have been less studied, and the characteristics that make them dominate are not fully understood. In a tropical dry forest in Mexico, two Mimosa species are dominant in the early stage of succession, namely Mimosa eurycarpa and Mimosa tenuiflora. These two species may have different effects during succession, act as facilitators of the regeneration of other species or as competitors. Therefore, in this study, you will look at the vegetative characteristics and life cycle of these two Mimosa species. This information will allow us to understand better their role during different stages of succession. [Biodiversity and functional diversity/ Population and forest dynamics/ Forest restoration and succession] [America's (Mexico)] [Tropical zone] |
| Used skills | Fluent in Spanish or willingness to learn Spanish |
| Requirements | REG-31806 Ecological Methods I |