Potencialidad de las especies de yarumo (Cecropia spp.: Urticaceae) en la rehabilitación ecológica de bosques tropicales en Latinoamérica

Abstract

Tropical forest degradation is a major environmental crisis. In Colombia, between 2001 and 2022, 3.3 million hectares of forest will be lost, representing approximately 10,000 hectares per year. This loss negatively impacts biodiversity, climate and local communities. The main causes include deforestation for infrastructure, agricultural expansion, pests and invasive species. Ecological rehabilitation has become a key strategy to mitigate the effects of deforestation and restore degraded ecosystems. Studies highlight the effectiveness of species such as Cecropia pachystachya and Cecropia distachya in the regeneration of other plants and the recovery of biodiversity in disturbed ecosystems, providing sustainable economic opportunities for local communities, thus encouraging the conservation of ecosystems. However, the use of Cecropia spp. faces several challenges. Its short life cycle and competition with invasive species, such as Urochloa brizantha, limit its ability to colonize areas on a sustained basis. In addition, its dependence on seed dispersers, mainly bats and birds, may restrict its success. Therefore, it is recommended that their implementation in ecological rehabilitation projects be complemented with strategies such as invasive species management, the use of biochar to improve soil conditions, and innovative technologies such as aerial seed dispersal. Cecropia spp. species are considered to offer an excellent opportunity to investigate their interaction with other rehabilitation strategies applied to degraded soils and agroforestry programs. Encouraging research in these fields could develop more effective strategies that also generate sustainable economic opportunities for local communities, thus encouraging ecosystem conservation.