Young Restored Forests Increase Seedling Recruitment in Abandoned Pastures in the Southern Atlantic Rainforest

background

This study examines whether the practice of planting seedlings in abandoned pastures improves restoration outcomes in the Atlantic forest of Brazil.

Research Goals & Methods

The authors compare seedling populations in old growth forest, young restored forest, and abandoned pastures.

Conclusions & Takeaways

In the young restored forest and pasture, more of the seedling recruitment came from the seed bank while in the old growth forest more of the seedlings came from seed rain. The young restored forest had significantly higher seedling density and species diversity in its recruitment than the abandoned pasture for seedlings from both the seed bank and seed rain. Herbaceous plant seedlings showed a different trend from woody plants with diversity highest in abandoned plasture, then restored forest, and lastly old growth forest. The results show that planting can increase the establishment of woody plant species in abandoned pasture areas.