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Project properties |
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| Title | Litter production during secondary succession in tropical wet forest in Mexico |
| Group | Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 39 |
| Supervisor(s) | prof. dr. F. Bongers |
| Examiner(s) | prof. dr. L (Lourens) Poorter |
| Contact info | frans.bongers@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2022/01/01 |
| End date | 2022/07/01 |
| Description | The general problem:
During secondary succession after land abandonment in the wet tropics the vegetation recovers rapidly. With biomass building up, the productivity and the biomass cycling also increases. Generally with more standing biomass the litter production also increases. With increasing litterfall more possibilities for decomposition, depending on litter quality and local conditions. Over time during succession the net biomass production may increase to a certain maximum, the old growth above ground biomass. Seasonal variation is high with generally most litterfall at the end of the dry season. MSc Thesis: In this project you will evaluate litter production during secondary succession in this wet tropical forest and focus on changes with season, year, and forest age. You may relate litterfall to standing above ground biomass and other factors. You may also dive into litter production as part of primary productivity in regrowing forests. Data and Methods: We have data available on monthly litter production in half a dozen successional forests of different ages for a period of 13 years (2002-2014), 12 litterfall traps per forest. Litterfall data consist of dry weight of leaf fraction, small branches, flowers, seeds and a rest fraction. For all these forests we have also aboveground standing biomass at yearly intervals. And changes in the surrounding forest area over time. You will use available data and evaluate these in the light of secondary succession and passive restoration opportunities in wet tropical forest. The work will be done in Wageningen. If covid allows there may be opportunity to spend some time in Mexico Who are you? You are an MSc student interested in forest ecology, forest use, forest management. Interest in restoration issues is an advantage. Corona proof: i.e. no field work (abroad) or intensive lab studies required [Forest restoration and succession/Tropical zone/America's] |
| Used skills | Database handling, modelling, statistical analyses using eg R |
| Requirements | FEM-30306 Forest Ecology and Forest Management; REG-31806 Ecological Methods I; GIS courses. Alternatives are discussable |