Current and Potential Use of Timber and Non-timber Resources of the Cacao Agroforestry Systems

Abstract

The cocoa agroforestry system (Cocoa-AFS) is a source of forest and forest non-timber resources. Forest timber resources (FTR) provide society with timber products. The most common uses for trees from the cocoa-AFS are shade for cocoa, firewood, medicinal, timber, fence posts, tool handles, ornamental, and supports and roofing for houses. Forest non-timber resources (FNTR) are those plant and animal products and services that can be obtained from the system. These resources include fruits, medicinal plants, ornamental plants, honey, and many others. Worldwide, FNTR may be the only source of personal income or food for the inhabitants of marginalized areas. Cocoa cultivation faces problems of low produc- tion and low prices. These problems induce growers to left-hand or to reduce their cocoa-AFS. Such reduction means the loss of FTR and FNTR that could comple- ment grower incomes from the sale of cocoa. In this paper, we documented the forest tree species and determined the timber volume in cocoa-AFS in the munici- pality of Cardenas, Tabasco, Mexico. In addition, we determined and quantified the current use of FTR and FNTR. The emphasis of FNTR was on the associated flora and the stored carbon on aboveground biomass as environmental services by the shadow trees