Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests

Crouzeilles, Renato; Ferreira, Mariana Silva; Chazdon, Robin L.; Lindenmayer, David B.; Sansevero, Jerônimo Boelsums Barreto; Monteiro, Lara; Iribarrem, Álvaro; Latawiec, Agnieszka E.; Strassburg, Bernardo B. N.

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1701345

Cited by 446 publications

(398 citation statements)

References 57 publications

(121 reference statements)

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“…Our results are consistent with other studies showing that, where possible, regrowth offers cost‐effective opportunities to deliver conservation and carbon benefits in agricultural regions (Crouzeilles et al ; Meli et al ; Jones et al ). Where active reforestation is required, we suggest that recruitment and recruit survival is a high priority.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Staples

Mayfield

England

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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The clearing of natural vegetation for agriculture has reduced the capacity of natural systems to provide ecosystem functions. Ecological restoration can restore desirable ecosystem functions, such as creating habitat for animal conservation and carbon sequestration as woody biomass. In order to maintain these beneficial ecosystem functions, restoration projects need to mature into self‐perpetuating communities. Here we compared the ecological attributes of two types of restoration, “active” tree plantings with “passive” natural forest regeneration (“natural regrowth”) to existing remnant vegetation in a cleared agricultural landscape. Specifically, we measured differences between forest categories in factors that may predict future restoration failure or ecosystem collapse: aboveground plant biomass and biomass accrual over time (for regrowing stands), plant density and size class distributions, and diversity of functional groups based on seed dispersal and growth strategy traits. We found that natural regrowth and planted forests were similar in many ecological characteristics, including biomass accrual. Despite this, planted stands contained fewer tree recruit and shrub individuals, which may be due to limited recruitment in plantings. If this continues, these forests may be at risk of collapsing into nonforest states after mature trees senesce. Lower shrub density and richness of mid‐story trees may lead to lower structural complexity in planting plots, and alongside lower richness of fleshy‐fruited plant species may reduce animal resources and animal use of the restored stand. In our study region, natural regrowth may result in restored woodland communities with greater conservation and carbon mitigation value.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Staples

Mayfield

England

et al. 2019

Restoration Ecology

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“…Recent research has pointed out a number of cases in which natural regeneration and recovery following disturbance can be more successful than active restoration, such as planting (Crouzeilles et al, 2017;Jones et al, 2018). Recent research has pointed out a number of cases in which natural regeneration and recovery following disturbance can be more successful than active restoration, such as planting (Crouzeilles et al, 2017;Jones et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon sequestration in riparian forests: A global synthesis and meta‐analysis

Dybala

Matzek

Gardali

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

106

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Restoration of deforested and degraded landscapes is a globally recognized strategy to sequester carbon, improve ecological integrity, conserve biodiversity, and provide additional benefits to human health and well‐being. Investment in riparian forest restoration has received relatively little attention, in part due to their relatively small spatial extent. Yet, riparian forest restoration may be a particularly valuable strategy because riparian forests have the potential for rapid carbon sequestration, are hotspots of biodiversity, and provide numerous valuable ecosystem services. To inform this strategy, we conducted a global synthesis and meta‐analysis to identify general patterns of carbon stock accumulation in riparian forests. We compiled riparian biomass and soil carbon stock data from 117 publications, reports, and unpublished data sets. We then modeled the change in carbon stock as a function of vegetation age, considering effects of climate and whether or not the riparian forest had been actively planted. On average, our models predicted that the establishment of riparian forest will more than triple the baseline, unforested soil carbon stock, and that riparian forests hold on average 68–158 Mg C/ha in biomass at maturity, with the highest values in relatively warm and wet climates. We also found that actively planting riparian forest substantially jump‐starts the biomass carbon accumulation, with initial growth rates more than double those of naturally regenerating riparian forest. Our results demonstrate that carbon sequestration should be considered a strong co‐benefit of riparian restoration, and that increasing the pace and scale of riparian forest restoration may be a valuable investment providing both immediate carbon sequestration value and long‐term ecosystem service returns.

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“…In fact, tropical reforestation via natural vectors (e.g., terrestrial mammals) is more effective than active restoration in management strategies (Crouzeilles et al. ). Because of their ubiquity in tropical lowland forests, tolerance of a variety of habitats, and seed dispersal behaviors, scatter‐hoarding rodents positively affect seed survival and subsequent seedling and adult tree success.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deciphering seed dispersal decisions: Size, not tannin content, drives seed fate and survival in a tropical forest

Kuprewicz

García‐Robledo

2019

Ecosphere

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Scatter-hoarding animals can dramatically affect plant survival by depositing seeds in favorable microhabitats away from parent plants (seed dispersal) and by consuming seeds (seed predation). By understanding how scatter hoarders make seed dispersal decisions, we can infer how different plant chemical defenses or seed set strategies may influence seed survival and, ultimately, plant recruitment. We used a wild population of Central American agoutis, Dasyprocta punctata, to experimentally test how seed chemistry and size influence seed fates in a tropical premontane wet forest in Costa Rica. We hypothesized that seeds perceived by agoutis to be very valuable (large, non-toxic seeds) would be taken far from sources and preferentially cached over less valuable (small, toxic) seeds. Using artificial seeds created from baked polymer clay and peanuts, we manipulated seed chemistry (0%, 2%, 15% tannic acid) and size (4, 14, 24 g) in fully factorial paired-choice field experiments. We tracked the fates of individually numbered threadmarked seeds in space and time. There was no difference in the handling, regardless of size, of non-toxic and toxic seeds by agoutis. Large (24 g) seeds were moved farthest and preferentially hoarded by agoutis, whereas small (4 g) seeds were mostly eaten in situ. By experimentally manipulating seed chemistry and size with a high degree of replication using artificial seeds in the field, we have determined how these plant functional traits affect agouti seed dispersal decisions, with implications for plant propagation and the evolution of seed size.

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Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests

Abstract: Natural forest recovery is an effective ecological alternative to tree planting in tropical forests under certain conditions.

Cited by 446 publications

References 57 publications

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Comparing the recovery of richness, structure, and biomass in naturally regrowing and planted reforestation

Carbon sequestration in riparian forests: A global synthesis and meta‐analysis

Deciphering seed dispersal decisions: Size, not tannin content, drives seed fate and survival in a tropical forest

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