Customer center

We are a boutique essay service, not a mass production custom writing factory. Let us create a perfect paper for you today!

Example research essay topic: Dry Season Central America - 1,976 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

... owed on old, large diameter trees. Leaves are pinnately compound, alternate in arrangement and 20 to 30 cm in length. Leaflets are generally opposite in arrangement, oblong in shape and pointed at the tip. On some specimens leaflets may be elliptical with rounded tips. There are 7 to 25 leaflets per leaf and size increases towards the tip.

Leaflets are 40 to 80 mm long and 20 to 40 mm wide (Lavin 1996). Flower development corresponds to the beginning of the dry season when trees have most their leaves. In its native range flowering occurs November through March. In areas without a pronounced dry season, flowering may occur throughout the year but few pods form (Lavin 1996, Simons 1996). Flowers are pink to light pink in color, fading to white with brown spots or faint purple with age (Lavin 1996). The flowers are pollinated by the larger solitary bees Xylocopa fimbria ta and Central species in the tree's native range.

Other potential pollinators have trouble accessing the flower due to the rigidity of the keel pedals (Simons 1996). A lack of effective pollinators will greatly hinder pod and seed production. Pods can reach full size, 10 to 20 cm, within 3 weeks of fertilization. The green succulent pods turn woody and yellow with maturity, which requires 35 to 60 days. Pods contain 3 to 10 seeds and are explosively dehiscent (Lavin 1996, Simons 1996). Seed collection is recommended prior to pods opening.

Gliricidia septum is native to the lowland dry forests from sea level to 1, 200 m. It is uncommon above this elevation because of its sensitivity to cold. The temperature range is 20 to 30 C. It performs poorly below this range but will tolerate temperatures as high as 42 C (Glover 1989). Rainfall is generally from 900 to 1, 500 mm / year , but may be as low as 600 mm or as high as 3, 500 mm (Simons 1996).

The dry season varies from 3 to 8 months, however Gliricidia septum survives dry seasons of 9 months in Indonesia. It grows well on many soil types; volcanic, sandy, stony, and heavy clays, including Vertisols. It is reported to tolerate some salinity and slightly alkaline soils. It will tolerate acid soils, but not severe acidity (pH less than 4. 5) nor high aluminum saturation (greater than 60 %). An aggressive pioneer, gliricidia readily colonizes infertile soils and reclaims Imperata grasslands (Mac Dicken et al 1997). Its name gamal means 'Imperata killer'.

It sprouts quickly after fire and thus may benefit from burning. The true native range of G. septum is restricted to the dry and sub-humid lowlands of the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, and adjoining dry inland valleys (Simons 1996). Native Americans domesticated the species into other parts of Central America. The Spanish introduced it into the Caribbean and the Philippines. Over the last century gliricidia has become common throughout the tropics.

Living fence. Gliricidia septum may be the most common living fence species in the tropics. Fence posts are established from large stakes (see Propagation). They may be planted at 1 to 2 m spacing and joined with barbed-wire or bamboo. Alternatively, they maybe planted 10 to 20 cm apart as a stockade and their branches interwoven (Stewart 1996). Fuelwood, stakes, fodder and green manure are harvested from fences.

Fuelwood. Hard and durable, the wood has a specific gravity of 0. 5 to 0. 8. It makes a good fuel, burning with little smoke and no sparks, and has a calorific value of 4, 900 kcal / kg . Natural stands, secondary forests and woodlots of gliricidia have been managed for commercial fuel production (Glover 1989, Stewart 1996). The wood is also used for poles, timber, furniture and agricultural implements. Fodder.

Responding well to frequent cutting, gliricidia produces abundant amounts of nutritious fodder containing 18 to 30 % crude protein. Livestock respond well to the fodder. Some animals are reluctant to eat gliricidia, but training may overcome this problem. Once gliricidia is accepted, subsequent offspring readily consume it. Toxicity problems are reported with non-ruminants. Pruning trees before the dry season enables coppice growth to be retained for use as dry season feed.

Fodder plantings vary from hedgerows with 10 to 50 cm in-row spacing and 1 to 4 meter between row spacing, to block plantings of 50 x 50 cm to 1 x 3 m. Production varies from 2 to 20 t / ha (Glover 1989, Stewart 1996, Allison and Simons 1996). Pod peels are eaten by livestock as a dry season fodder in Bali. Farming Systems. When used as mulch or green manure, the nitrogen-rich foliage improves crop production through the addition of nutrients, weed control, conservation of moisture and reduction of soil temperature. Leaf biomass is usually produced from hedgerows or fences around or in the cropping area.

Companion crops include paddy and upland rice, corn, cassava and coconuts. Hedgerows are used on sloping farmland for erosion control and passive terrace formation. Hedgerow management should minimize competition with crops. Hedgerow systems can be labor intensive, which may limit their adoption. Gliricidia is used as a shade for tea, coffee and cacao; and as a support for cassava, yams, vanilla, pepper, and passion fruit. These crops also benefit from the soil improvement characteristic of gliricidia.

The presence of gliricidia in fields reduces incidence of some fungal and insect attacks (Glover 1989, Stewart 1996). Other uses. Flowers are bee forage. Cooked leaves and flowers are used as a human food. Gliricidia is used to make medicines, rodenticide's and insecticides.

It is also used as a windbreak and ornamental. Cut boles are used to propagate orchids. Propagation. This species is easy to propagate by cutting or seed. Large sized cuttings, 1 to 2. 5 m in length and 6 cm in diameter, are made from branches 1. 5 to 2. 0 years old. Small cuttings are 30 to 50 cm long and made from branches 6 to 12 months old.

Branches used for cuttings should be straight and healthy, and without side branches. The top of the cutting should be cut on a slant to prevent water collection and subsequent rot. The bark on the lower portion of the cutting should be scarred through to the cambium with a sharp knife to encourage rooting. One-third of small cuttings can be buried. For large cuttings 50 cm is sufficient. Trees established from cuttings will have a shallow root system and a short bole.

They are susceptible to uprooting by heavy winds. Seed is yellow to brown in color with 4, 500 to 11, 000 /kg. Under optimum storage conditions- 6 to 10 % moisture content at 4 C-seed remains viable for over 10 years (Allison & Simons 1996). At 50 % moisture content and 17 C seed can be stored for a year (Hen sleigh and Holiday 1988). Seed is sown without pre-treatment directly into nursery containers. Standard nursery management practices are recommended.

Seedlings are ready for transplanting after 2 to 3 months in the nursery at a height of 30 cm. Direct sowing is possible with 2 to 3 seeds per planting position at a depth of 1 to 2 cm. Site preparation is required to reduce competition. Direct sowing and transplanting operations should coincide with the rainy season. Seedlings are sensitive to competition. Regular weed control should be practiced until trees are established.

Seed production. There is strong international demand for gliricidia seed. Depending on location and provenance, seed price varies from $ 2 to $ 120 /kg. Seed shortages, particularly for superior provenances, indicate that seed production may be a rotatable agricultural activity. In Southeast Asia, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Winrock and local collaborators are developing seed production guidelines for farmers. Gliricidia is relatively free from insect and disease problems.

Boa and Line (1996) provide a list of reported problems. Gliricidia septum fixes atmospheric nitrogen with Rhizobium soil bacteria. If gliricidia is being introduced to a new area or degraded site, seed or plants should be inoculated with the appropriate Rhizobium bacteria before planting. A list of Rhizobium suppliers is available from FACT Net. Growth and yield varies greatly among provenances. The Oxford Forestry Institute (OFI) has conducted extensive trials with 28 provenances.

Provenance Retalhuleu (Guatemala) is superior for leaf and wood production, and stem length. Provenance Been Rivas (Nicaragua) is consistently good for leaf and wood production. Other provenances are appropriate for specific sites or uses (Dunsdon and Simons 1996). Last time we introduced you to the Leucaena species.

The main attraction this time is Gliricidia septum. Like the Leucaena, Gliricidia septum is a specie that is widely used by the New Forests Project. In fact, Gliricidia seeds are especially harvested at our agroforestry training center in Nueva Concepcion, Guatemala and then sent to farmers and local organizations around the world. Although the specie traces its "roots" to Mexico and Central America, Gliricidia now occurs naturally in the West Indies, Africa, and in parts of Asia. Let's take a closer look at this tree specie and its many uses to understand why this tree has become so popular. "Quick stick" is a term given to Gliricidia in Jamaica. This name refers to the ease at which this tree can be propagated with cuttings.

In laymen's terms, this means that the tree's branches (especially tall ones) will quickly develop roots and grow when they are stuck into the ground. (Cool! ) As a result, the tree is a favored choice for making live fences, and acts as an excellent barrier against high winds and storms, thereby also helping to control erosion of precious top soils. And (believe it or not), this is just part of what makes Gliricidia so great. Here are a few more of Gliricidia's attributes and characteristics: Nitrogen Fixing Tree (NFT): Like the Leucaena (and all other NFP species), Gliricidia is able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Nitrogen is a vital component for all plants and trees. Normally, plants / trees are able to obtain this nitrogen from the soil. However in many areas, especially in the tropics, soils lack sufficient amounts of this nutrient.

Through a special relationship with microorganisms known as rhizobium found in the tree's root nodules, NFT species are able to convert and use atmospheric nitrogen in the place of soil nitrogen. However, in some cases the rhizobium is either absent or in insufficient quantity to produce enough nitrogen to ensure the tree's survival. In cases like these, it is possible to add laboratory grown rhizobium cultures to the soil. This process is known as inoculation. In either case, the result is species which can live and thrive on very poor and degraded soils unsuitable for most other types of trees. The Gliricidia in particular, can thrive in dry, moist, or even acidic soils where even the Leucaena cannot.

Fodder/ Forage: It is the tree's leaves that retain much of the nitrogen obtained from the atmosphere and thus, when they fall this nitrogen is transferred into the soil. In the long term, this process helps restore and rejuvenate once degraded soils and lands. This foliage can also be used as a natural fertilizer or "green manure", thereby helping to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers that are often expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Gliricidia leaves are an excellent source for animal fodder as well. Studies have shown that, on average, Gliricidia leaves contain approx. 25 % crude protein. Alley Cropping: When planted along side food crops, Gliricidia trees provide valuable nutrients, they also help with weed control, and fallen leaves help conserve water and improve soil fertility.

Maize, cassava, taro, vanilla, pepper, are just a few crops that are frequently planted alongside Gliricidia. Last, but not least, the tree is pretty! Once a year, Gliricidia produces a beautiful crown of white and purple flowers. Bibliography:


Free research essays on topics related to: 50 cm, seed, nitrogen, dry season, central america

Research essay sample on Dry Season Central America

Writing service prices per page

  • $18.85 - in 14 days
  • $19.95 - in 3 days
  • $23.95 - within 48 hours
  • $26.95 - within 24 hours
  • $29.95 - within 12 hours
  • $34.95 - within 6 hours
  • $39.95 - within 3 hours
  • Calculate total price

Our guarantee

  • 100% money back guarantee
  • plagiarism-free authentic works
  • completely confidential service
  • timely revisions until completely satisfied
  • 24/7 customer support
  • payments protected by PayPal

Secure payment

With EssayChief you get

  • Strict plagiarism detection regulations
  • 300+ words per page
  • Times New Roman font 12 pts, double-spaced
  • FREE abstract, outline, bibliography
  • Money back guarantee for missed deadline
  • Round-the-clock customer support
  • Complete anonymity of all our clients
  • Custom essays
  • Writing service

EssayChief can handle your

  • essays, term papers
  • book and movie reports
  • Power Point presentations
  • annotated bibliographies
  • theses, dissertations
  • exam preparations
  • editing and proofreading of your texts
  • academic ghostwriting of any kind

Free essay samples

Browse essays by topic:

Stay with EssayChief! We offer 10% discount to all our return customers. Once you place your order you will receive an email with the password. You can use this password for unlimited period and you can share it with your friends!

Academic ghostwriting

About us

© 2002-2024 EssayChief.com