Domestic livestock are widespread in seasonally dry forests, likely causing forest degradation and limiting tree seedling establishment. Shrubs can play an important role in facilitating tree regeneration, by protecting trees from livestock damage and ameliorating unfavorable abiotic conditions. We aimed at disentangling the relative contribution of grazing exclusion, long‐term forest conservation, and the potential facilitation effect of shrubs on the performance of saplings of the native tree Kageneckia lanceolata. We planted 400 saplings in grazed and ungrazed areas situated both in a preserved and a degraded forest. In each situation, we established planting plots in three accompanying vegetation treatments: herbs, a nonleguminous spiny shrub and a leguminous spiny shrub. Survival of 3‐year‐old saplings was 10‐fold higher in the preserved than in the degraded forest and 2‐fold higher in the ungrazed than in the grazed site. Differences in survival among accompanying vegetation treatments were much smaller than between grazing treatments. Survival significantly increased with increasing protection by shrubs only in the degraded site. Sapling growth patterns were fairly similar to survival patterns, with no growth in the degraded forest, except for limited growth under both shrubs in the ungrazed site. We conclude that, in selecting plantation sites for the study species, forest condition and grazing exclusion should be prioritized over microsite selection based on neighboring vegetation.

Background and Aims:There is an increasing demand of cost-benefit studies for the control of invasive non-native species. We assessed the efficiency of the application of mechanical control treatments on the non-native species Ligustrum lucidum, through resprouting and seedling regeneration, integrating cost and effort. M&M: The study involved 120 trees, to which we applied the following treatments: 1) control group, uncut trees, 2) felling, 3) felling and covering the stump with black polyethylene. Additionally, a half of the trees were selected in forest physiognomy and a half in shrubland physiognomy. We removed all seedlings smaller than 50 cm tall around each treated tree. Results: After 12 months, and two treatment applications, survival for the control group, felling, and felling with polyethylene cover was 100%, 95% and 68%, respectively. Resprout height was 78% and 95% lower under felling and felling with polyethylene cover treatments, respectively, than in the control group. Vegetation physiognomy had no effect on survival and resprout growth, while seedling regeneration was 300% higher in forest than in shrubland. The cost of application of felling with polyethylene cover was 150% higher than the cost of applying of felling only. Conclusions: To control L. lucidum, we recommend felling with polyethylene cover because the higher cost and effort is compensated by its greater efficacy in the reduction of survival and height. We recommend the manual removal of seedlings mainly in sites with a shrubland physiognomy and a low cover of adults of L. lucidum.reSumen Introducción y objetivos: Existe una creciente demanda de estudios que evalúen el costo-beneficio de la aplicación de técnicas de control de especies no nativas. Evaluamos la eficiencia de la aplicación de dos tratamientos de control mecánico sobre la especie no nativa Ligustrum lucidum, a través de la regeneración por rebrote y por semilla, integrando costos y esfuerzo. M&M: Asignamos 120 árboles a tres grupos de tratamientos: 1) testigo, sin tala ni aplicación de polietileno; 2) tala, y 3) tala con aplicación de polietileno sobre el tocón. Seleccionamos 60 árboles en fisonomía de bosque y 60 en fisonomía de matorral. Removimos manualmente todos los plantines menores a 50 cm alrededor de cada árbol tratado. Resultados: Transcurridos 12 meses y dos aplicaciones de tratamientos, la supervivencia de los testigos, tala y tala con polietileno fue 100%, 95% y 68%, respectivamente. La altura de los rebrotes en el tratamiento de tala y en el de tala con polietileno fue 78% y 95% menor respectivamente, comparado con los individuos testigos. La fisonomía del sitio solo influyó sobre la densidad de plantines, siendo 300% mayor en bosque que en matorrales. El costo del tratamiento tala con polietileno fue 150% mayor al costo del tratamiento tala, pero fue compensado por la mayor eficacia para reducir la supervivencia y la altura de rebrotes. Conclusiones: Debido a la mayor eficiencia, recomendamos la aplicación del tratamiento de tala con polietileno. Sugerimo...