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Replication data for: Limitations to use of infrared spectroscopy for rapid determination of carbon-nitrogen and wood density for tropical species
No full textInfrared (IR) spectroscopy was used as a rapid and non-destructive method to determine, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and tree wood density.A total of 82 sample cores were scanned in the reflectance mode from 4000 to 400 cm-1 for mid-infrared (MIR) spectra and from 8000 to 4000cm-1 and 11000-4000cm-1 for near infrared (NIR) spectra. The reference values for C and N were measured using combustion method while wood density was calculated using auger method. Calibrat ion equations were developed using partial least-squares and first derivative spectra. Root mean square error (RMSEP) was used to calculate prediction error. Predict ion of Cusing MIR spectra gave R2 = 0.59, RMSEP = 0.02; NIR spectra R2 = 0.50, RMSEP = 0.02, whileN prediction usingMIR spectra had R2 = 0.54, RMSEP = 0.22; NIR spectra R2 = 0.48, RMSEP =0.24. Wood density prediction was fair for MIR (R2= 0.7
9, RMSEP = 0.14); NIR (R2= 0.69, RMSEP = 0.17).Improved predictions using NIR were for extendedspectral range;though accuracies were inferior to MIR. Both MIR and NIR models showed good potentials to be used as rapid and cost effective method of predict ing C-N andwood density.
Keywords Infrared Spectroscopy, Partial Least Squares Regression,Carbon, Nitrogen,Wood Densit
Replication data for: Hot spots in Riau, haze in Singapore: the June 2013 event analyzed. ASB Policybrief No. 33
No full textThe fire-haze episode straddling the Strait of Malacca in June 2013 has reignited debates that have been repeated for at least the last two decades. All allegations of causation are probably true: somewhere. None of them seem to be true as generalizations that can be stated with confidence. In the current debate, finger pointing still alternates between the small- and large-scale agricultural operators. The latter include companies with headquarters in Singapore and Malaysia, where ironically, the undesirable haze accompanies the financial returns on their investments. We analyzed the spatial data and, in combination with reports from the field, a new perspective has emerged. Using a free data source from the Earth Observing System (http://earthdata.nasa.gov/data/near-real-time-data/firms/active-fire-data) and Indonesia peat (Wahyunto, Ritung and Subagjo, 2003) and moratorium map , as well as our own 2010 land-cover classificat
ion data (from the ALLREDDI project), we selected only the hotspots with a >90% confidence level recorded. Hot spots are the most widely used indicator of surface fires, but need on-the-ground verification as there can be other causes of high temperatures being reflected to the satellite sensors (Arino and Rosaz, 1999). The number of hotspots observed varies from year to year but the June 2013 event in Riau stands out from the pattern of the last 10 years. A total of 3270 fire hot spots on the island of Sumatra were detected for 2013, with over 90% in June and 2492 just for the week of 26 June; 78% (1942 hot spots) were found to be located on peatland and they likely the main cause of persisting haze. More than 95% of the hot spots in Sumatra occurred in Riau province. The two dominant trends of land-use change in the area are the development of plantation forestry for the pulp and paper industry and the expansion of oil-palm plantations. Both are implicated in the June 2013 fires, with hot spots occurring in oil-palm and pulp-and-paper parts of the landscape. According to a World Resources Institute report (Sizer et al 2013), 27% of the hotspots that occurred Â20 June were inside timber plantations and 20% in oil-palm plantations. Mining concessions might be implicated as well but since details of the current concessions in Indonesia are not in the public domain further analysis is constrained
Replication data for: Who views what? Impact assessment through the eyes of farmers, development organization staff and researchers
No full textThe present study assesses the impact of a rural development project on farmers’ livelihoods, as perceived by farmers, development organization staff and researchers. The project concerned, aimed to increase small-scale farmers’ financial benefits by promoting the commercialization of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Pax kernels (njansang) in Cameroon. The three parties evaluated the impacts of the project, over the 2005–2010 period, through indicators embedded in the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (natural, financial, human, social and physical assets). Project households were compared with control households. Results show that farmers’ and development organization staff’s views were aligned regarding the relative importance of the indicators to measure success (with overlaps > 85%). The three stakeholders evaluated changes of farmers’ livelihood indicators over the 2005–2010 period on 5-point Likert items. All three stakeholders stated that most indicators improved significantly more in project than in control households (p less than 0.001). Development organization
staff probably overestimated changes induced by project interventions as they perceived significantly larger changes as compared with farmers and researchers (p less than 0.05). Our study highlights the differences between impact perceived by farmers, development organization staff and researchers and helps to build the knowledge base of the potential and reliability of participatory evaluation approaches. Furthermore, an approach to assess impacts on people’s livelihood is proposed, combining the strengths of participatory evaluation with those of classic evaluation methods
Replication data for: Market analysis of selected agroforestry products in the Vision for Change (V4C) Project intervention zone, Côte d'Ivoire
No full textTitles in the Working Paper Series aim to disseminate interim results on agroforestry research and practices and stimulate feedback from the scientific community. Other publication series from the World Agroforestry Centre include: Trees for Change, Technical Manuals and Occasional Papers. Cocoa yield per hectare in Côte d`Ivoire is among the lowest in the world, ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 tons/ha per year. This figure continues to decline each season due to decreased soil fertility, increased disease pressure, the aging of cocoa orchards, and low use of inputs (Assiri et al. 2012, FLA 2012). Yields could be increased if farmers were able to apply fertilizer in recommended quantities, replant old orchards (especially with improved cocoa varieties), and control diseases with fungicides and other methods. However, for various reasons such as lack of financial means, low levels of technical training and reduced incentives to invest in cocoa because of low prices, the majority of Ivorian cocoa farmers
are not implementing these soil and crop improvement management methods. In view of this, Mars Incorporated, in collaboration with the Ivorian Government, embarked on the Vision for Change (V4C) project as a means of addressing the problem of low productivity of cocoa. This project is being implemented by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). The initiative is currently setting up a network of Cocoa Development Centres (CDCs) throughout the region of Soubré, the most productive cocoa region in Côte d`Ivoire, and conducting on-farm research into different cocoa cultivars, rehabilitation of old orchards by grafting, and the effect of fertilizer application and other management practices (ICRAF 2012). In future the project will enter the extension stage, and the best methods of increasing cocoa yields, plus affordable inputs to accomplish them, will be made accessible to farmers throughout the region. This initiative is designed on the same model as a successful project initiated in Indonesia by Mars in 2003, which increased cocoa yields from 0.5 to 2.5 tons/ha per year, on average (Pye-Smith 2011). Initial studies of the effects of rehabilitation methods in field trials in Côte dâIvoire are encouraging, showing an 83% average increase in yields and an average profitability rate of 377% (Assiri et al. 2012). The data collected for this report comes from several different sources. Detailed information was collected on production, consumption and sale of the selected products in villages in the intervention zone via a targeted quantitative survey. In order to create value chain maps, estimate demand, and determine overall advantages and constraints for development of each product, methods used included targeted interviews with key informants, market observations, interviews of selected actors in the value chains of the different products, and farmer focus group meetings. The use of multiple methods allows data to be triangulated and cross-checked for consistenc
ICRAF's carbon footprint 2013
No full textICRAF is assessing its organizational carbon footprint every year. All offices are included, Nairobi (HQ) as well as the regional offices. Data are first collected within the centre (example: electricity consumption, water consumption, flight routes, hotel nights...) and then translated to carbon emissions
Linking local ecological knowledge to plant functional traits in coffee and cocoa
No full textLocal knowledge and ranking of trees per function
During August and October 2013, semi-structured interviews and a ranking exercise were carried out with 50 coffee AFS farmers in Turrialba and 50 cocoa AFS farmers in Talamanca, Costa Rica.
We selected (i) three ecological functions of the shade component based on prior work on coffee AFS in Turrialba (Cerdan 2012), that were: (1) Maintenance of soil fertility, (2) Maintenance of fresh microclimate in the plantation and (3) Control of soil erosion, and (ii) one “utilitarian” function, defined by the farmers, that was the “suitability” of the shade component for the plantation (best shade).
A semi structured interview was carried out to collect information on criteria that farmers used to assess shade species in terms of their performance for the 4 selected functions. After the interview, each farmer was presented photos of 18 (Coffee AFS) to 20 (Cocoa AFS) commonest shade species found in each study site with clear print of the local name and they were asked to divide the cards between those species they knew well and those species they did not know. From the species they knew well, 10 species were selected at random for the ranking exercise. In the few cases that less than 10 species were available, the ranking exercise included only with the species farmers knew. Then farmers were asked to rank the selected species for each selected function. Comments of the farmers explaining the ranking were noted.
Plant functional traits and measurement:
Three functional traits related to production, accumulation of standing biomass and litter decomposition were selected: plant height (PH, m), Specific leaf area (SLA, m2kg-1) and physical strength of leaves, measured as the force to tear (PSL-FT, N mm-1).
Measurement for all traits was carried out according to (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al. 2013). Ten individuals of each species in each agroforestry system were sampled. We visited farms where the selected species were more abundant to allow selecting suitable individuals for sampling. For each individual, PH of plants less than 5 m was estimated with a stick of known longitude. For plants taller than 5 m, we used a clinometer. After measuring height, two leaf samples per individual were taken for measurement of PSL-FT. To avoid dehydration, PSL-FT was measured directly in the field immediately after collection of the leaf samples with a tearing apparatus (Pérez-Harguindeguy et al. 2013). For SLA measurements, 5 mature leaves with minimal damage from pest, diseases or parasites were selected from each individual, including those selected for the tearing test. The projected area of the leaves included petioles and was estimated from photographs, taken in the field, using Image J software and protocols (http://imagej.nih.gov/ij/). After taking the photographs, leaves were stored in paper bags and left in a ventilated place, upon more than two weeks in Talamanca, until being transported to the lab where they were air dried at 70°C for 72 hours and weighed. The total area of the five leaves was divided by their total weight to obtain SLA
IMSAO Sentinel Landscape
No full textIMSAO Sentinel Landscape. Contains spatial datasets and other data regarding the Sentinel Landscape iniciative in the Western Amazo
Extending - Agroforestry Food Security Programe
No full textAgroforestry Food Security Programme (AFSP) is being funded by the Flanders International Cooperation Agency (FICA). The programme is being implemented in Malawi in the districts of Mzimba South and Kasungu and runs between 2013 to 2015. The project is an extension of the AFSP II project that is funded by IrishAid and currently being implemented in Mzimba North, Dedza and Thyolo districts in Malawi. The Programme aims to 10,000 rural farmers with with Climate Smart Agriculture technologies that would sustainably increases productivity (food security), resilience (climate change adaptation) and reduces greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation).The programme is aim to impact livelihoods of the participating households through the scaling-up of agroforestry innovations, namely: (1) Fertilizer trees and conservation agriculture thus enhancing crop productivity and resilience to climatic risks; (2) Fruit trees – to improve household nutrition, health and income; (3) Fodder trees – to improve milk yields for smallholder dairy farmers to enhance nutrition, health and income; and (4) Woodlots – for firewood and timber production.The expected impacts of the project are to: (1) improve food security, nutrition, income and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and (2) increase resilience of the farm environment
Replication data for: Landscape approach to estimate soil carbon: the potential and usefulness of Mid Infrared (MIR) spectroscopy
No full textThe study was conducted in six sites (Akonolinga, Ayos, Lekié1, Lekie2, Ebolowa and Efoulan) located in the humid forest zone in southern Cameroon. In each site, four villages were selected based on settlement, agroforestry practices around the homestead, land-use system diversity and density of trees in the systems. The study area is located between 2o48â and 4o7âE, and between 10o55â and 12o30âE, and the average elevation is about 685 meters above the sea level. Field survey and soil sampling were carried out using the quadrat approach. Nested sampling plots of variable sizes adjusted to the land use systems to be sampl
ed were used along with methods of soil sampling. Before the proper soil sampling, subplot samples were set up in each selected plot with three considerations: for land use with high tree population density, two rectangular plots (5 m à 40 m = 200 m2) were selected by running a 40 m line through the area within a plot of at least 1 ha, avoiding the boundary of the plot. The geo-position of each plot was recorded using a GPS. Rectangular plots were chosen because of its ability to include more of the within plot heterogeneity, and thus more representative. Plot location was therefore randomized making sure that the plots do not only fall in areas with the densest or least vegetation. For the land use system with low tree population density, we set out 500 m2 quadrats (20 m à 25 m) instead of 200 m2. Two 0.5 à 0.5 m small plots within the 40 à 5 m transect were chosen on each site from which soil samples were taken at two depths: 0 â 10 cm and 10 â 30cm layers of the soil using a cylinder of 100 m3 for chemical analysis
Replication data for: A choice experiment approach for assessing preferences to forest law configuration and compliance: the case of NTFP traders in Cameroon
No full textConsiderable efforts are being deployed to reduce illegal forestry activities in the Congo basin forests, but these efforts seem to be concentrated on illegal timber logging and wildlife poaching to the neglect of other illegal forest activities such as Non Timber Forests Products (NTFP) harvesting and trade. This paper applies a choice experiment approach to evaluate policy options that are hypothesised to provide incentives for small scale forest actors to comply with the forestry law governing trade in NTFP in Cameroon. Data was collected from 70 traders. Based on willingness to pay measures, it was revealed that the options most preferred by the sampled traders included a decentralisation of the application process to obtain permits and a reduction in the volume of paper work involved in the process. The authors conclude that acknowledging the preferences of small scale actors can be relevant in reducing illegality in the forestry
sector