'Zofin' is the newest plot to the CTFS-SIGEO network

Zofınsky´ Prales National Nature Reserve (referred to as `Zofin’) is a 25ha plot set within a 75 ha research area that has been intensively studied since the early 1970's.  The plot has been under strict protection since 1838. The reserve is a well-preserved remnant of a natural spruce- silver fir-beech forest, situated in the Novohradskehory Mountains on the southern edge of the Czech Republic.

The addition of the Zofin Forest Dynamics plot increases the grand tally to 48 plots for the Center for Tropical Forest Science – Smithsonian Institution Global Earth Observatory (CTFS-SIGEO). Zofin is the first plot in Continental Europe, and its addition, along with the collaboration of plot PI, Tomas Vrska, and his team of researchers enhances the worldwide presence of CTFS-SIGEO.

New Field Guide Highlights 120 Different Native Tree Species In Panama and the Neotropics

The Environment Leadership and Training Initiative published Field Guide for the Propagation of 120 Native Tree species from Panama and the Neotropics. This guide provides specific information on the seed collection, germination and propagation of 120 different tropical native tree species. Each species was selected for their ecological and socio-economic importance.

Throughout the Neotropics, high rates of deforestation result in the loss of a range of vital ecosystem services, while the region’s diverse climatic and biophysical site conditions make restoration complex and difficult. In Panama, for example, many of the country’s tropical forests have been heavily degraded, thereby limiting the ability of these ecosystems to naturally regenerate. While conservation and restoration efforts in Panama and elsewhere have increased in recent years, the technical information on reforestation has focused mainly on exotic timber species that tend to provide minimal ecosystem services. Furthermore, there is limited information about native tree species and their propagation requirements available, to be able to make well informed decisions about reforestation and restoration. This guide works to fill the gap in technical information, and also illustrates how to develop a tree nursery for the production of native tree seedlings.

To download a free copy of this guide, visit http://environment.yale.edu/elti/en/media/publications/