Comparative study of broadleaf forest in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, Belize: with an emphasis on the impacts of forest management

Abstract

Este estudio tuvo como propósito, validar enfoques para establecer los impactos en la estructura y composición del rodal en bosque latífoliados en el Area de Manejo y Conservación de Río Bravo en el noroeste de Belice, basado en el manejo forestal y la variabilidad natural del bosque en estudio. Se encontraron diferencias entre los bosque manejados y no manejados para la densidad del rodal y para algunas clases diamétricas. Para el indicador de apertura del dosel fue menor en bosques no aprovechados. El nivel de impacto estimado para los indicadores como la apertura de dosel y estructura vertical en los primeros estratos fueron considerados como aceptable al implementar el enfoque de umbrales y activadores de la guía.

The purpose of this study was to validate approaches to establish the impacts on the structure and composition of the forest stand in broadleaf forest in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, in northwest Belize, based on forest management and natural variability of the forest studied. Differences were found between the forest for tree abundance with respect to total per forest and for some vegetation classes. For indicators of canopy openness and vertical structure of the forest stand, significant difference were found between forest in the lower strata. The level of impact estimated for the indicators on canopy openness and vertical structure of the two strata were considered to be within acceptable limits when the application of the threshold and trigger approach proposed by the monitoring guide were applied.