The natural regeneration of 27 commercial and potentially commercial timber species was studied on experimental clearings in managed forests on three ‘ejidos’ and one private property in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Eight ½ ha clear-cuts had been created 11 years earlier using each of three different clearing treatments: slashing, felling and leaving (felled); slashing, felling and burning (burned); and machine-clearing. More than 6000 trees of 108 species were identified and measured on six 49 m² quadrats on each of the experimental clear-cuts, and on the same number and size of quadrats in the neighboring forest. The Basal Area (BA) of different commercial timber groups differed among treatments. After machine-clearing, 47% of the BA was made up of currently commercial timber species, 39% the more valuable decorative hardwoods and 8% lesser value softwoods; on burned treatments, 40% of the BA was currently commercial timber species, 29% decorative hardwoods and 11% softwoods. On both these treatments Lysiloma latisiliquum, one of the most valuable hardwoods, accounted for more than 25% of the BA. On felled treatments, 29% of the BA was commercial timber species; 6% decorative hardwoods, 22% softwoods and 1% precious woods (Swietenia macrophylla). On controls, currently commercial species accounted for 27% of the BA, of which 21% was decorative hardwoods, 5% softwoods and 1% precious woods. The decorative hardwood species L. latisiliquum did not occur on control plots and was rare on felled plots. Depending on the treatment, palms and non-commercial species accounted for 31% to 52% of the BA, and ‘potentially commercial’ species or ‘other species of commercial interest’ accounted for 15% to 41% of the BA. On felled clearings, 30% of individuals were sprouts, as compared to 19% on burned clearings and 11% after machine-clearing. The largest trees on burned and machine-made clearings had grown approximately 1 cm in diameter year⁻¹. Opening small clearings within the forest matrix using the same slash and burn treatments that local farmers use to open their agricultural fields, or machines like bulldozers, stimulated the natural regeneration of commercially valuable decorative hardwood species, of which 75% have been classified as shade-intolerant. These do not regenerate satisfactorily under the current regime of selective logging. The silvicultural management system for the Maya Forest must include patch clear-cuts and the conservation of seed trees and their pollinators and dispersors to sustain the commercial timber value of the forest, and its biodiversity.

在墨西哥金塔纳罗奥州的三个“ ejidos”和一个私有财产的管理森林中，通过实验性清理研究了27种商业和潜在商业木材物种的自然再生。11年之前，使用以下三种不同的清理方法分别创建了8个½公顷的伐木：砍伐，砍伐和离开（砍伐）；砍伐，砍伐和抛弃（砍伐）；砍伐，砍伐和燃烧（烧毁）；和机器清理。在六个49 m ²上识别并测量了超过108种108种树种每个实验性无障碍区域上的四方动物，相邻森林中四方动物的数量和大小均相同。不同处理的木材种类不同，其基础面积（BA）也不同。经过机器清理后，BA中的47％由目前的商品木材组成，有价值的装饰性硬木占39％，价值较低的软木占8％。就燃烧处理而言，目前BA中40％是商业木材种类，29％的装饰性硬木和11％的软木。在这两种处理方式中，最有价值的硬木之一Lysiloma latisiliquum占BA的25％以上。在砍伐处理中，BA的29％是商品木材。6％的装饰性硬木，22％的软木和1％的珍贵木材（Swietenia macrophylla）。就对照而言，目前商业物种占BA的27％，其中21％为装饰性硬木，5％的软木和1％的珍贵木。装饰性阔叶树L. latisiliquum没有出现在对照地块上，在砍伐地块上很少见。取决于处理方式，棕榈和非商业物种占BA的31％至52％，“潜在商业”物种或“具有商业利益的其他物种”占BA的15％至41％。在砍伐的空地上，有30％的人是新芽，而在燃烧的空地上的人为19％，在机器清理后的人为11％。直径今年烧毁，机器制造的空地已增长约1厘米最大的树^-1。使用与当地农民开放农田或推土机等机器相同的砍伐和焚烧处理方法，在森林基质中开辟小片空地，刺激了商业上有价值的装饰性硬木树种的自然再生，其中有75％被归类为树荫-不可忍耐。在目前的选择性采伐制度下，这些物质不能令人满意地再生。玛雅森林的造林管理系统必须包括斑块清晰的区域以及种子树及其传粉媒介和分散剂的养护，以维持森林的商业木材价值及其生物多样性。