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Background. Minimal restoration intervention includes actions to stop disturbance so natural succession may take place whereas maximal intervention involves the establishment of plantings. Questions. To evaluate the success of minimal versus maximal restoration intervention, the performance of recruits and transplants was assessed. To this end, performance of 15 native tree species was predicted using life-history, their origin (recruits or transplants) and 12 plant functional traits. Study site and years of study. This study was carried out in pastures at Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico in 5 years old restoration settings. Methods. Pioneer and non-pioneer species were planted in 16 30 × 30 m plots whereas natural recruitment was evaluated in plantings and at eight additional fenced plots. Results. Overall 15 species recruited or planted, pioneers had higher performance than non-pioneer. Transplant shock in terms of survival and height growth rates was overcome after 5 years probably as a result of increases in diameter growth rates. Conclusions. Tree species are divided in three groups to give recommendation for restoration: (1) Species in the Good recruiters group do not need to be transplanted; if seed sources are not close, we recommend direct seeding (i.e., Albizia purpusii, Cedrela odorata, Cecropia obtusifolia). (2) Species in the Good transplants group show very low or nil recruitment; they should be transplanted (i.e., Ochroma pyramidale, Ficus yoponensis, Cojoba arborea). (3) Species in the Poor transplants group should be transplanted but once a canopy has developed (i.e., Amphitecna tuxtlensis, Brosimum alicastrum, Bernoullia flammea). Key words: functional traits, Heliocarpus appendiculatus, life history, natural recruitment, transplant shock Desempeño de 15 especies de árboles tropicales reclutados o trasplantados en áreas de restauración ResumenAntecedentes. La mínima intervención de restauración incluye detener la perturbación para que la sucesión se lleve a cabo mientras que la máxima involucra el establecimiento de plantaciones. Preguntas. Para evaluar el éxito de la intervención mínima en comparación con la máxima se midió el desempeño de reclutas y trasplantes. Con este fin se buscó explicar el desempeño de 15 especies de árboles nativos mediante su historia de vida, su origen (reclutas o trasplantes) y 12 caracteres funcionales. Sitio de estudio y fechas. Este estudio se llevó a cabo en Los Tuxtlas, México dentro de un proyecto de restauración de 5 años. Métodos. Árboles pioneros y no-pioneros fueron plantados en 16 parcelas de 30 × 30 m; el reclutamiento natural se evaluó en las plantaciones y en ocho parcelas adicionales. Resultados. Incluyendo las 15 especies evaluadas, las pioneras tuvieron mejor desempeño que las no-pioneras. El stress del trasplante terminó después de 5 años, probablemente debido al incremento en diámetro. Conclusiones. Las especies han sido divididas en tres grupos para dar recomendaciones sobre su uso en restauración: (1) Las especies del grupo Buenos reclutas ...

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The challenges that coffee smallholder livelihoods face suggest the need to move beyond incremental changes in production. Transformative agroecology offers a potential approach to guide systemic change to achieve food sovereignty among coffee smallholders and cooperatives. This work aims to understand the extent to which diversification practices among coffee smallholders can contribute to a transformative agroecology, and to what extent, participatory action research (PAR) projects may support related transformative processes. The PAR projects described in this paper took place over 3 years with participants associated with two smallholder cooperatives in Mexico, and Nicaragua. After establishing long-term partnerships among cooperatives and universities, we used a PAR approach to guide a mixed methods study that included 338 household surveys, 96 interviews, 44 focus group discussions, and participant observation during farmer-to-farmers exchanges. We found that, although coffee-producing households in both study sites report several diversification activities, more than 50% still face some period of food scarcity each year. In our reflections with farmers and staff from the participating cooperatives, that are also included as co-authors in this study, we conclude that coffee smallholders and cooperatives in both locations are in the early stages of developing a transformative agroecology, as a path toward food sovereignty. Several leverage points to achieve this include land access, native seed conservation, cultural attachment to certain diversification practices, and traditional diets. Some of the more significant challenges to advancing a more transformative agroecology are the prioritization of coffee as a crop (i.e., coffee specialization), and dependency on coffee income. Our PAR project also aimed to contribute to achieving change in the prevailing system through 1) capacity building with community facilitators/promoters, 2) co-creation of questions and knowledge relevant to the strategic planning by coffee cooperatives, 3) sharing farmer-to-farmer pedagogies across territories, and 4) the co-production of popular education material. We conclude that diversification remains an important agroecological strategy for smallholder commodity producers, as a way of achieving food sovereignty. Most of all, we find that achieving diversification is not a linear process, as there are many trade-offs, feedback loops, obstacles and opportunities that should be considered through long-term and collective approaches.