Timber and fruit trees: an added value in cacao-based agroforestry systems in Alto Beni, Bolivia

Summary

Cacao agroforestry systems offer a wide range of ecosystem services beside food and timber production, such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, water infiltration etc. which makes them interesting for farmers as well as for society. In many cases the mid to long-term benefit for farmers from the shade trees is not known. To assess the added value of timber and fruit trees, 16 smallholder cacao agroforestry fields in Alto Beni, Bolivia were selected in 2017 with the criteria of having dynamic agroforestry or diverse agroforestry systems implemented. Fields were georeferenced and tree inventories established. Quantitative and qualitative data of the timber trees were taken. The farmers were interviewed concerning the fruit tree productivity and use of the harvest. The regulative governmental entity for timber tree management was interviewed for assessment of the timber value chain. The cacao agroforestry plantations have an average age of 18 years. For the total of 2’941 timber trees the species were identified (72), 20% of it were Swietenia macrophylla, which makes it the most popular timber species. Followed by Myroxylon balsamum, Amburana cearensis and Centrolobium ochroxylum. The average timber tree density was 154 trees/ha and the standing timber volume was 38.8 m³/ha. The value of the standing timber was evaluated in average of 12’947 USD/ha. This value needs to be reduced due to lack of professional timber processing. Most numerous fruit are banana, followed by the fruit trees of Bactris gasipaes, Oenocarpus bataua, citrics and Garcinia gardneriana.There is a marked difference in fruit tree density according the agroforestry system, dynamic agroforestry systems harbor much more fruit trees compared to the simpler agroforestry systems which have the focus on timber. With the aim to increase farmer’s income from timber as well from fruit trees the value chains need to be strengthened.