Managing forest regeneration and expansion at a time of unprecedented global change

García, Cristina; Espelta, Josep María; Hampe, Arndt

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13797

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…It is possible that early‐stage secondary forests might benefit from proximity to old‐growth forests in other aspects. Old‐growth forests might provide a diverse source of plant propagules and communities of herbivores that facilitate the dispersal process (García et al., 2020; Paolucci et al., 2019; Pires et al., 2018; Wandrag et al., 2017). Furthermore, contiguity to old‐growth forests might also facilitate the recolonization of secondary forests by LH communities as early as 20 years from anthropogenic disturbance, provided LH communities are not locally extinct on such old‐growth forests (Arévalo‐Sandi et al., 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results indicate that at such early stage of succession and relatively low background levels of plant diversity, LH has limited buffering against diversity loss, and long-term regional environmental change jeopardizes the recovery potential of such earlystage secondary forests and their transition into more mature and diverse forests.It is possible that early-stage secondary forests might benefit from proximity to old-growth forests in other aspects. Oldgrowth forests might provide a diverse source of plant propagules and communities of herbivores that facilitate the dispersal process(García et al, 2020;Paolucci et al, 2019;Pires et al, 2018;Wandrag et al, 2017). Furthermore, contiguity to old-growth forests might also facilitate the recolonization of secondary forests by LH communities as early as 20 years from anthropogenic disturbance, provided LH communities are not locally extinct on such old-growth forests(Arévalo-Sandi et al, 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot

Villar

Medici²

2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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The UN declaration of the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 emphasizes the need for effective measures to restore ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity. Large herbivores regulate many ecosystem processes and functions; yet, their potential as a nature‐based solution to buffer against long‐term temporal declines in biodiversity associated with global change and restore diversity in secondary forests remains unknown. By means of an exclusion experiment, we tested experimentally the buffering effects of large wild herbivores to avert against long‐term biodiversity collapse in old‐growth and secondary tropical forests in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil where sapling abundance and species richness declined c. 20% over the course of 10 years. The experiment comprised 50 large herbivore exclosure‐open control plot pairs (25 at the old‐growth forest and 25 at the secondary forest), where 2 m2 were monitored in every plot during a 10‐year period. Large herbivores were able to decelerate diversity declines and compositional change in the species‐rich old‐growth forest, but only decelerated compositional change in the secondary forest. In contrast, declines in species richness and abundance were unaffected by large herbivores on either forest. The buffering effects of large herbivores were strongly nonlinear and contingent on the initial level of diversity at the patch scale: highly diverse communities suffered the strongest collapse in the absence of large herbivores. Thus, larger buffering effects of large herbivores on the old‐growth forest are the logical consequence of large herbivores buffering the many high diversity plant communities found in this forest. Conversely, as the secondary forest held fewer high diversity patches, buffering effects on the secondary forest were weak. Synthesis and applications. Our study indicates that large herbivores have moderate yet critical effects on slowing down community change and diversity loss of highly diverse plant communities, thus suggesting that the conservation of (and potentially trophic rewilding with) large herbivores is a fundamental nature‐based solution for averting the global collapse of the strongholds of biodiversity. Its buffering effects on biodiversity loss operate at very small spatial scales, are likely contingent on successional stage and are most effective in old‐growth or high diversity secondary forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot

Villar

Medici²

2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…In our study, in the grazed, unforested areas deer grazing pressure negatively impacts seedling regeneration and in the ungrazed, unforested areas the higher ground vegetation due to grazing release may suppress seedling regeneration. In the grazed, mature plots high abundances of seedlings, particularly Sorbus aucuparia in one plot, were found despite the grazing pressure, potentially reflecting seed dispersal by birds, but were restricted to the smallest height categories, highlighting the threat that grazing presents in mature woodland (García et al 2020).…”

Section: The Response Of Other Ecosystem Functionsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Reforestation has the potential to influence multiple belowground processes, with consequences for soil quality and the soil community (Jackson et al 2000;Amacher et al 2007;Ashwood et al 2019). Aboveground, the future of the forest will depend on the regeneration of seedlings (Cook-Patton et al 2020;García et al 2020) and the structure of the understorey can be important in determining habitat availability (Fuller et al 2018).…”

Section: The Response Of Other Ecosystem Functionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does restoring native forest restore ecosystem functioning? Evidence from a large‐scale reforestation project in the Scottish Highlands

Warner

Lewis

Brown

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Given the worldwide plans for extensive tree planting, we urgently need to understand how and where implementation will contribute to goals such as those for carbon sequestration. We used a long-term, large-scale native reforestation project in the Scottish Highlands to assess the response of carbon storage and other ecosystem functions to reforestation and grazing exclusion. We measured aboveground carbon, topsoil carbon, topsoil nitrogen, decomposition rates, soil invertebrate feeding activity, tree regeneration, and ground-layer and moss height at 14 sites that are in the early stages of reforestation and fenced to exclude grazing. Reforestation areas were compared to unforested and mature forest areas that are both grazed and ungrazed, using 10 Â 10 m plots. Aboveground carbon in the reforestation plots (1.4 kg/m 2 [95% CI: 0.6, 2.6], average age 20 years since reforestation) was c. 8% of the mature forest plots (17.1 kg/m 2 [13.1, 21.8]). Topsoil carbon was lower in the reforestation plots (18.78 kg/m 2 [11.79, 25.78]) than in the unforested (29.82 kg/m 2 [24.34, 35.29]) or mature forest (31.39 kg/m 2 [22.91, 39.88]) plots. Responses of other functions to the reforestation and grazing interventions varied. Our results suggest that reforestation may trigger carbon loss from areas with high initial soil carbon even with low disturbance establishment, at least in the short term. Our work emphasizes where we lack knowledge: on the potential for long-term re-accumulation of soil carbon under semi-natural native reforestation, soil carbon sequestration in the deeper soil layers, and the response of soil carbon to natural regeneration.

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“…Moreover, in African and Asian tropical forests, these animals are an important part of the fruit-eating biomass and thus are seed dispersers (Kaplin and Moermond, 1998;Slater and Du Toit, 2002). While their fundamental impact on forest regeneration and maintenance of tropical biodiversity is accepted (Beaune, 2012;Garcia et al, 2020), the specific contributions of some species of these groups (guenons and mangabeys) in the forests of the Congo Basin are not well known (Tarnaud and Negeshi, 2009). Yet these animals play an important role in seed dispersal in the forested areas of the Congo Basin, especially in protected areas (Schupp, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the role of Guenons and Mangabeys in seed dispersal in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon

Mangama-Koumba¹,

Nguelet²,

Ebang³

et al. 2022

J. Cam. Acad. Sci

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In order to gain knowledge on the quantity of seed dispersed and the contribution of small diurnal primates in the ecosystem, a preliminary study on four species of monkeys was carried out in the northeastern part of the Moukalaba-Doudou National Park in Gabon. The aim was to identify the species of fruits which are dispersed and the animal biomass in two large groups of monkeys namely mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus and Lophocebus albigena) and guenons (Cercopithecus cephus and Cercopithecus nictitans). Using the reconnaissance walking method, we followed old tracks and dung piles were collected after direct observation of the little monkeys and in the sleeping site. The dung piles were washed, and the seeds collected were identified. A total of 104 fecal samples from the four species of monkeys were collected. Seeds from 19 species of plants were found in the dung piles. The majority of the seeds found in droppings were seeds of Cissus dinklagei and Musanga cecropioides. Cercopithecus nictitans dispersed seeds of more plant species than the others. All the results obtained show that the monkeys disperse an average of 1,114 seeds per day. In this study guenons disperses more fruit than the mangabeys who have a more varied diet. These results suggest that monkeys of Moukalaba-Doudou disperse fewer seeds compared to monkeys in other sites in Africa. Afin d’avoir une connaissance sur la quantité de graine dispersée et la contribution des petits primates diurnes dans l’écosystème, une étude préliminaire sur quatre espèces de singes a été réalisée dans la partie nord-est du Parc National de Moukalaba-Doudou au Gabon. L’objectif était de connaître les espèces de fruits dispersées et la biomasse animale chez deux grands groupes de singes à savoir les mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus et Lophocebus albigena) et les guenons (Cercopithecus cephus et Cercopithecus nictitans). En utilisant la méthode de la marche de reconnaissance, nous avons suivi d’anciennes pistes et les tas de fumier ont été ramassés après observation directe des petits singes et dans les dortoirs. Les crottes ont été lavées et les graines récoltées ont été identifiées. Un total de 104 échantillons fécaux des quatre espèces de singes a été collectés. Les graines de 19 espèces de plantes ont été trouvées dans les excréments. Cercopithecus nictitans a dispersé plus d’espèces de graines que les autres. La majorité des graines trouvées dans les déjections étaient des graines de Cissus dinklagei et Musanga cecropioides. L’ensemble des résultats obtenus montre que les singes dispersent en moyenne 1114 graines par jour. Dans cette étude les guenons dispersent plus de fruits que les mangabeys qui ont une alimentation plus variée. Ces résultats suggèrent que les singes de Moukalaba-Doudou dispersent peu de graines en comparaison aux singes d’autres sites en Afrique.

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Managing forest regeneration and expansion at a time of unprecedented global change

Cited by 13 publications

References 60 publications

Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot

Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot

Does restoring native forest restore ecosystem functioning? Evidence from a large‐scale reforestation project in the Scottish Highlands

Evaluation of the role of Guenons and Mangabeys in seed dispersal in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon

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