Open access copy available
Rationale and Methods for Conserving Biodiversity in Plantation ForestsbackgroundWhen compared to degraded lands, developed lands, or areas of intensive industrial agriculture, forest plantations can positively contribute to biodiversity conservation. However, when monoculture stands of exotic trees, or native trees not typically found in single-species stands are used for plantations, they have been found to have impoverished flora and fauna compared with natural forest. Open access copy available |
Barriers to Forest Regeneration of Deforested and Abandoned Land in PanamaBackgroundThis article presents research findings on the effect of four limiting factors on tree regeneration: competition with the exotic grass Saccharum spontanaeum, seed dispersal limitation, fire, and soil nutrient deficiency. Research Goals & MethodsTreatments included prescribed grass cutting and burning, as well as the placement of plots at different distances from adjacent forest. Open access copy available |
Tropical forest recovery: Legacies of human impact and natural disturbancesBackgroundLand-use history interacts with natural forces to influence the severity of disturbance events and the rate and nature of recovery processes in tropical forests. This perspective article highlights several trends in tropical forest recovery processes emerging from recent literature. Open access copy available |
Seed germination of Loxopterygium guasango, a threatened tree of coastal Northwestern South AmericabackgroundLoxopterygium guasango is a tree native to Ecuador with threatened status as of 1993, despite its durable wood, history of timber use, and potential use in reforestation. This study reports on seed germination, a potential cause of its low regeneration rates. Open access copy available |
Natural History, Seed Predation, and Germination of Prosopis juliflora Relative to a Reforestation Project in Southwestern EcuadorbackgroundThis article provides information on the natural history of Prosopis juliflora in Ecuador and describes the efforts to use this native species in reforestation of tropical dry forest in the Proyecto Eduardo Aspiazu Estrata project. Research Goals & MethodsOver 200 sacks of pods (around 15-20 kg) of seeds were collected in March-May 1994 and examined at the seed bank. Open access copy available |
Propagating Framework Tree Species to Restore Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: Implications of Seasonal Seed Dispersal and DormancybackgroundThis paper evaluates the seed germination characteristics of native tree species selected for reforestation in Thailand and cultivated in nurseries. Open access copy available |
Direct Seeding to Restore Tropical Mature-Forest Species in Areas of Slash-and-Burn AgriculturebackgroundDirect seeding of three mature-forest species into areas of slash-and-burn agriculture was conducted to evaluate the germination and establishment of these species. Research Goals & MethodsDifferent fallow times were evaluated, less than 5 years, 8-15 years, and greater than 50 years. Germination, survival, and growth for 1-2 years was evaluated for 1800 seeds planted per species (200 on each of three replicate sites per forest age). Open access copy available |
Forests for the Future: Growing and Planting Native Trees for Restoring Forest EcosystemsbackgroundThis book provides an accessible and practical guide to forest restoration. The text focuses on reforestation in Thailand and offers insights into reforestation in other tropical countries. Open access copy available |
Seedling survivorship, growth, and response to disturbance in Belizean mangalBackgroundSpecies zonation patterns across tidal gradients in mangrove forests are formed by successful seedling establishment and maintained by replacement of adults by conspecific seedlings. These two processes have rarely been examined experimentally in neotropical mangrove. This study examines survivorship and growth of seedlings of Rhizopora mangle and Avicennia germinans across a tidal gradient in Belize. Open access copy available |
An Evaluation of Direct Seeding for Reforestation of Degraded Lands in Central São Paulo State, BrazilbackgroundOpen access copy available |
