Tree seedling survival and growth in logged and undisturbed seasonal deciduous forest fragments in central Brazil

Abstract

We evaluated the survival and growth of Amburana cearensis, Cedrela fissilis, and Sterculia striata seedlings in three seasonally tropical dry forest fragments that were subjected to different logging levels (intact, intermediately and heavily logged). In each fragment, we planted 40 seedlings of each species and monitored these over a period of 1 year. The highest seedling survival rate (64%) occurred in the heavily logged fragment, which, however, also had the highest mortality risk for all species during the dry season. Only S. striata seedlings had different survival rates among the fragments. Height and diameter growth were higher at sites with higher canopy openness in the wet season. The survival and growth rates of seedlings planted in logged fragments indicate that this technique can be applied to restore and enrich logged forests of the Paranã River Basin.

Environmental Factors Influencing Tree Species Regeneration in Different Forest Stands Growing on a Limestone Hill in Phrae Province, Northern Thailand

“…The distribution of vegetation patterns is generally controlled by physical factors, such as light and soil conditions (McLaren and McDonald 2003;Guarino and Scariot 2012). Rocky outcrops, also referred to as edaphic islands (Williamson and Balkwill 2015), support species with physiological requirements that differ from those of species living in the surrounding landscape (Speziale and Ezcurra 2012).…”

“…Light is a key environmental driver of tree growth and survival in tropical rainforests, and it is often the primary limiting factor for seedling regeneration in tropical lowland stands (Gaviria and Engelbrecht 2015). Light is the most important abiotic factor for seedling survival in closed-canopy forests, and soil moisture is the most important factor in open, better illuminated areas (McLaren and McDonald 2003;Guarino and Scariot 2012).…”