Validation of ecological indicators to evaluate sustainability of forest management in Humid tropics, with emphasis on forests with high conservation value.

• Main Authors: Yadid Ordoñez Sierra, Finegan, Bryan, Louman, Bastiaan, Delgado, Diego
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Harvard Dataverse 2013
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7910/dvn/4mu52n; https://dataverse.harvard.edu/citation?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/4MU52N

This study quantifies the impacts of different intensities of tree harvesting on indicators of stand structure and composition and on butterflies communities in a certified forest in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua. The impacts on the three indicators were assessed by determining thresholds of acceptable/unacceptable levels of change based on existent methodologies. The use of thresholds is a useful tool to demonstrate the impact level of different management practices. Indicators were measured in three forests: forest with low harvesting (ABI), forest with high harvesting (AAI) and a forest without harvesting, used as a control (BR). Vegetation density, basal area and palm abundance was measured considering only individuals with DBH>10cm, in temporal 50m x 50m plots. Canopy openness and vertical structure was assessed in 10m x 10m temporal plots. Butterfly communities were evaluated in 500m transects, distributed in such a manner as to include all different environments within the forest.