Reforestation of Abandoned Pastures: Seed Ecology of Native Species and Production of Indigenous Plant Material

background

This book chapter provides important considerations for sustainable native species reforestation efforts. The authors suggest that although using native species is more prevalent than ever before, there has been little attention to the provenance of the trees used and the genetic diversity within species.

Conclusions & Takeaways

This chapter recommends significant improvement in the production of adequate native seedlings in tree nurseries through setting priority species and understanding their phenology. Piptocoma discolor, Tabebuia chrysantha, Myrica pubescens, Cedrela montana, Purdiaea nutans, and Inga spp flower during the less humid parts of the year, while Clethera revoluta, Heliocarpus americanus, Isertia laevis, Viburnum spp, and vismia tomentosa flower during the wettest season. Piptocoma, Tabebuia, and Myrica fruit when it is still the less humid season, however, Cedrela, Clethra, Heliocarpus, Inga, and Vismia fruit during the wet season. Additionally, the authors stress the importance of comparing the phenology of the same species at different sites.