Trees outside the forest at Finca Maripa, Cumanayagua, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Abstract

The definition of trees outside the forest (TOF) contemplates non-timber forest products and constitutes a set of goods and services that contribute to the production of food in different agricultural forms. The study was carried out on the Maripa family farm, municipality of Cumanayagua, Cienfuegos province, Cuba, with the objective of analyzing the evolution over time of the TOF in the farm's location area. A diachronic analysis was approached through the method of synchronic cuts, with a cross-sectional research design and descriptive approach, where qualitative and quantitative aspects were measured without manipulating variables. The chosen temporal axis was specified in three successive sections, 1935-1965, 1966-1996 and 1997-2023, with an approximate reconstruction of the conditions of those most significant elements of the landscape. Ecological indicators were calculated, adjusted to the TOF present on the farm in the third cut. Over time, a dynamic change of the landscape towards an agroecosystem resulted, with 21.95% of species not present on the farm at the end of the first half of the year 2023 in relation to the period 1935-1965. Currently, 64 species belonging to 33 botanical families were quantified, with the greatest representation of: Fabaceae, Annonaceae, Anacardeaceae and Sapotaceae. The ecological indices showed a high diversity and richness of species, with low dominance.