Agro-Successional Restoration as a Strategy to Facilitate Tropical Forest Recovery

Background

In the review article, it compares the forestry restoration model with the agroforestry restoration model. Even though they both incorporate the same techniques for controlling weeds and preparing the site for restoration, they differ in other aspects. One of the two agroforestry methods for restoration is the taungya method, which is when mixed crops and trees are all planted together, while the other is the agro-successional restoration method. 

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors found that the latter model - the agro-successional restoration one - is the better model in aiding restoration, promoting agricultural crops to sustain livelihoods, reduces cost, extending the management time period, and encouraging farmers to restore their land, is the agro-successional restoration method. This method also uses crops and trees, but they are planted successively by cultivating pioneer/early successional species first until the soil is prepared to host the late-successional species. Eventually, the forest canopy may close and the agricultural crops at the understory will decrease and/or die