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Sustainable palm fruit harvesting as a pathway to conserve Amazon peatland forests

Author

Listed:
  • C. Gabriel Hidalgo Pizango

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana
    University of Leeds)

  • Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana
    University of St Andrews)

  • Jhon del Águila-Pasquel

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Gerardo Flores Llampazo

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Johan de Jong

    (Wageningen University and Research)

  • César J. Córdova Oroche

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • José M. Reyna Huaymacari

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Steve J. Carver

    (University of Leeds)

  • Dennis del Castillo Torres

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Frederick C. Draper

    (University of Leeds
    Arizona State University
    University of Liverpool)

  • Oliver L. Phillips

    (University of Leeds)

  • Katherine H. Roucoux

    (University of St Andrews)

  • Sytze Bruin

    (Wageningen University)

  • Marielos Peña-Claros

    (Wageningen University and Research)

  • Marieke Zon

    (Wageningen University)

  • Gordon Mitchell

    (University of Leeds)

  • Jon Lovett

    (University of Leeds)

  • Gabriel García Mendoza

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana
    Equipo Primatológico del Perú)

  • Leticia Gatica Saboya

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Julio Irarica Pacaya

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Manuel Martín Brañas

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Eliseo Ramírez Paredes

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Timothy R. Baker

    (University of Leeds)

Abstract

Sustainable management of intact tropical peatlands is crucial for climate change mitigation, for biodiversity conservation and to support the livelihoods of local communities. Here, we explore whether sustainable fruit harvesting from Mauritia flexuosa palms could support these linked goals by increasing fruit production and incomes across the 2.8 million hectares of the most carbon-dense ecosystem in Amazonia: the lowland peatlands of northeastern Peru. M. flexuosa is dioecious, and fruits are typically harvested by felling female palms; the proportion of female palms therefore provides a good indicator of the health of a stand. Across 93 widely distributed sites, we found that the proportion of female palms increases with travel time to the urban market, and overall, fruit harvesting has halved the current potential production and income from this resource. However, significantly more female palms are found where fruit are harvested by climbing. We estimate that region-wide uptake of climbing could eventually increase potential fruit production by 51% and increase its gross value to US$62 ± 28.2 million yr–1. These findings demonstrate the high cost of unsustainable resource extraction in Neotropical forests and outline a practical path to conserve and sustainably exploit one of the most carbon-rich landscapes on the planet.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Gabriel Hidalgo Pizango & Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado & Jhon del Águila-Pasquel & Gerardo Flores Llampazo & Johan de Jong & César J. Córdova Oroche & José M. Reyna Huaymacari & Steve J. Carver & D, 2022. "Sustainable palm fruit harvesting as a pathway to conserve Amazon peatland forests," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(6), pages 479-487, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:5:y:2022:i:6:d:10.1038_s41893-022-00858-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-00858-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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