Abstract

ANDRADE-ERAZO, Viviana  and  GALEANO, Gloria. The Bitter Palm (Sabal mauritiiformis, Arecaceae) in Productive Systems of the Colombian Caribbean: A Case Study in Piojó, Atlántico. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2016, vol.21, n.1, pp.141-150. ISSN 0120-548X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/abc.v21n1.47280.

The palm Sabal mauritiiformis is an important resource in the Colombian Caribbean, as its leaves are used for thatching. In order to assess the status of its populations in Piojó (Atlántico department), one of the major leaf producers in the region, palm population structure was studied by randomly establishing 16 sample plots of 0.1 ha in the three major use areas where the palm occurs:: pastures (6), crops (5) and fallows (5). We found that the bitter palm is a heavily exploited wild resource and management practices impact population structure. The bitter palm is a resilient species, easily adaptable to disturbed environments. The studied plots included 5349 individuals, distributed in four size categories. Fallows (3620 ± 2808 individuals/ha) and crops (5612 ± 3361 ind/ha) had more individuals and population structures that reflect a better condition than pastures (1488 ± 827 ind/ha), which had a population structure with discontinuous distributions due to trampling and foraging. Prevalence of individuals in certain size classes reflects current and historical management conditions; activities such as grazing or removal of vegetation by burning, without proper planning, can jeopardize the development of populations and future resource availability.

Keywords : Agroforestry; population structure; sustainable harvest; thatching; traditional management.

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