Chronosequence Studies
Fire and tree species diversity in tropical peat swamp forestsBackgroundIndonesia houses a large quantity of peat swamps, an ecosystem type that contains diverse plant species, and provides a habitat for endangered animals. Peat swamps are degraded due to logging and agriculture expansion, specifically with the use of fire. Peat swamps are highly susceptible to fires due to peat flammability. Peat swamps also house a large quantity of carbon, so restoration is a high priority. Available with subscription or purchase |
Multidimensional tropical forest recoveryBackgroundTropical forests are disappearing at a high rate due to deforestation. They also have the potential to regenerate to diverse and high-quality forest once more. The authors analyze 12 forest attributes to assess how forest recovery and succession progresses. This review is a compiled analysis done in a chronosequence across three continents and multiple latitudes globally. Open access copy available |
Changing gears during succession: shifting functional strategies in young tropical secondary forestsBackgroundAdaptations toresource availability strongly shape patterns of community composition along successional gradients in environmental conditions. This study examines the extent to which variation in functional composition explains shifts in trait-based functional strategies in young tropical secondary forests during the most dynamic stage of succession (0–20 years). Open access copy available |
Changes in vegetation structure and composition along a tropical forest chronosequence: implications for wildlifeBackgroundChanges in tropical forest structure and species composition that occur during regeneration following land abandonment may have important consequences for wildlife populations. Many animals rely on forest resources as sites for foraging, nesting, and protection that may vary in abundance in forests of different ages. This study examines aspects of forest composition and structure thought to be important to wildlife along a tropical moist forest chronosequence in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument of central Panama. Available with subscription or purchase |
Self-restoration of post-agrogenic soils of Calcisol-Solonetz complex: Soil development, carbon stock dynamics of carbon poolsBackgroundAbandoned land may move towards self-restoration without human intervention. In the European part of Russia, over half a million km2 was abandoned between 1987 and 2007; another 200,000 km2 was abandoned in Eastern Russia. The majority of abandonments occurred in unirrigated dry steppe, land that is arable but less favorable for agriculture. This study compares differences in self-restoration based on underlying soil types, climate, and land-use history across a chronosequence of abandoned land in the dry steppe zone of Russia in a Calcisol–Solonetz complex, reporting on vegetation and soil characteristics. Available with subscription or purchase |
Cronología de la regeneración del bosque tropical seco en Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I. Características edáficas (Chronology of tropical dry forest regeneration in Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica)EspañolantecedentesEl objetivo del presente estudio es caracterizar las propiedades químicas y físicas de los suelos a lo largo de una cronosecuencia de ocho fragmentos de bosque tropical estacionalmente seco en Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. Open access copy available |
Forest Recovery after Swidden Cultivation across a 40-year Chronosequence in the Atlantic Forest of Southern Bahia, BrazilbackgroundSecondary forest with a range of ages was compared to old growth forest in the Serra do Conduru State Park in Southern Bahia, Brazil in terms of species composition and structure. Open access copy available |
Tropical Dry Forest Recovery: Processes and Causes of ChangeBACKGROUNDThis paper aims at unraveling processes and pathways of tropical dry forest (TDF) secondary succession occurring after traditional shifting-cultivation practices. It focuses on the study of community dynamics, the development of forest structure, and changes in floristic composition, to understand what makes a group of species to be present, dominant, and eventually disappear, at a certain space and time. The work begins with a section on the use of tree rings to determine the ages of fallows. Open access copy available |
Forest Regeneration in a Chronosequence of Tropical Abandoned Pastures: Implications for Restoration EcologyBackgroundDuring the mid‐1900s, most of the island of Puerto Rico was deforested, but a shift in the economy from agriculture to small industry beginning in the 1950s resulted in the abandonment of agricultural lands and recovery of secondary forest. This research examines the natural regeneration patterns on these abandoned agricultural lands in four different regions of Puerto Rico. Available with subscription or purchase |
Soil organic matter dynamics during 80 years of reforestation of tropical pasturesBackgroundLand disturbance affects soil physical and chemical properties. Some properties may be recovered over long periods of reforestation. Mosaic-pattern landscapes with shifting usages over time, common in the mountainous tropics, can reveal dynamic soil properties. This study reports on changes in soil carbon over 80 years of secondary forest growth on abandoned pasture over a chronosequence in Puerto Rico. Open access copy available |
