Population dynamics, conservation and management of the palm Chamaedorea radicalis Mart. in the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important resources for many rural communities and their harvest has been promoted as a form of sustainable development. Despite the interest and advocacy for NTFP extraction, the population ecology of many NTFPs remains unstudied, making it difficult to assess the sustainability of extraction. In this study, I worked with palm collectors in the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve to investigate the management and population dynamics of the harvested, understory palm, Chamaedorea radicalis. This study had four main objectives: (1) document C. radicalis demography, (2) describe leaf harvest practices and current management strategies of harvesters, (3) explore the effects of different leaf harvest schedules on leaf production, length, and yield, and (4) determine the effects of harvest and livestock browse on population dynamics.; Chamaedorea radicalis densities varied with topographic position, with low densities in valleys and high densities on slopes. Stage structure of this population also differed in relation to topographic position and substrate type.; Palms produced 1–2 leaves per year, and leaves often lived over two years. Harvest was intense, with collectors harvesting ca. 4,293 leaves/month. Leaf removal increased leaf production slightly, but reduced the lengths of subsequent leaves, resulting in leaves too short to be marketable. This led to a rapid decline in leaf yield and threatens the viability of leaf harvest as a stable source of income for communities.; Leaf harvest increased adult mortality and reduced fecundity, and was projected to reduce finite rate of increase (λ). However, matrix models indicated harvest was ecologically sustainable, as harvested populations were projected to persist (λ ≥ 1). Browsing by burros increased mortality of seedlings, juveniles and small adults, and populations were projected to decline rapidly.; This study highlighted the importance of integrating local harvest patterns and management strategies with ecological analyses when evaluating NTFP extraction. While palm harvesting appears ecologically sustainable, it may not be viable economically over the long-term for communities in El Cielo. By tailoring our ecological studies to approximate current conditions, results from this study were directly relevant to communities, and provided important insights on the conservation and management of C. radicalis.