Propagation of the Palm Flora in a Lowland Tropical Rainforest in Costa Rica: Fruit Collection and Germination Patterns

Palms are important structural components of tropical rain forests. Nonetheless, information on their propagation potential under nursery conditions to facilitate their use in forest restoration is scarce. This article studies the propagation potential of a tropical palm assemblage focusing on seed collection and germination patterns in the rainforest of Tirimbina, Costa Rica. From October 2013 to January 2016, we evaluated palm fruit availability and analyzed the germination potential of 5,172 seeds from 21 species monitored weekly for 57 weeks. Palm fruits were available all year; the percentage germination was 65.6%, and 90% of seeds germinated in 7 to 25 weeks. Contrary to the prevalent view that palms have low germination, germination was completed relatively fast. Palm propagation is limited by low species abundance rather than by fruit availability or germination potential. To propagate palms for restoration projects, we suggest to determine the species abundance and diversity at the study site, identify propagation priorities according to the species conservation status, and collect fruits throughout the year in a systematic way to include the greatest species and habitat diversity and infer the phenological patterns that will guide future seed collection. Our results are relevant to foster palm propagation with the purpose of including palms in forest restoration and increase our understanding of palm ecology, conservation, and regeneration strategies.