Using palm hearts sustainably in Colombia
Jeremy Hancemongabay.com
December 12, 2011
The researchers found that it took Prestoea acuminata 23-40 years before it reached a suitable size for palm heart extraction. Given this slow growth, and the fact that over-harvesting from a plant can impact sexual reproduction, the authors recommend that only 10 percent of any population be harvested annually.
"Our results show that the sustainable harvest potential of Prestoea acuminata under natural conditions is too low to be economically viable. However, sustainable household extraction, as for traditional consumption by Indians and campesinos, is possible," they write.
In the Colombian Andes, palm hearts are extremely popular during Holy Week when eating meat is not allowed. The authors say future research should look at the size of this practice and whether it is unsustainable.
CITATION: Gamba-Trimiño, C., Bernal, R. and Bittner, J. 2011. Demography of the clonal palm Prestoea acuminata in the Colombian Andes: sustainable household extraction of palm hearts. Tropical Conservation Science Vol. 4(4):386-404.
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