The Tropical Biodiversity Research Group is proud to announce the publication of a new study on Botanical diversity, structure and composition in cocoa agroforest systems (CAFS) in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The paper, elaborated by researchers from the team together with colleagues from the University Rafael Landívar in Guatemala and CATIE in Costa Rica, investigates the tree species richness and its contribution to the conservation of diversity in CAFS of different ages in the region. After an inventory of 70 agroforestry plots, an impressive total of  2519  trees,  belonging  to  59  species  and  34  families  were identified.

The tropical forests of Central Africa represent an immense diversity of valuable plant species that local people have long exploited for their needs. Despite their economic importance, these species often remain marginal and neglected by mainstream development or agricultural policies. The actual paper published in Economic Botany investigates management practices, plant part preferences, morphological characteristics, and the economy of bitter kola in different regions of the country.