Effect of leaf harvesting on the demography of the tropical palm Chamaedorea elegans in South-Eastern Mexico

Abstract

We report the results of a two-year demographic study in which natural populations of Chamaedorea elegans were subject to harvesting twice a year, four times a year, and no harvesting. Projection matrix analyses indicated that population growth rate (?) was above unity (although not significantly so) in all cases. The lowest ? values (1.03 and 1.04, for 1997-98 and 1998-99, respectively) were obtained in the high intensity defoliation plot. As harvesting intensity increased, fecundity decreased as a result of low fruit production. Leaf production was highest in the plot where defoliation was carried out twice a year (intermediate intensity).