Forest Dynamics
Forest Rehabilitation and its Implication for Forest Transition TheorybackgroundThis article reviews the history of forest rehabilitation in Vietnam, Philippines, China, Peru, Indonesia, and Brazil. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tree species effects on soil properties in experimental plantations in tropical moist forestBackgroundForest soil properties are influenced by the complex interactions of vegetation, soil type, geology, management, and climactic patterns. Tree species can differ in their long-term effects on soils. This study resamples one of the earliest replicated experimental sites at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, used to examine the effects of native tropical tree species on soil properties, to examine longer term effects on soil properties. Open access copy available |
Soil carbon differences among forest, agriculture, and secondary vegetation in lower montane EcuadorBackgroundChanges in land use and land cover may affect soil properties and processes. Conversion of forest to cultivation is assumed to result in a decrease in soil nutrients. In the lower montane region of Ecuador, shifting cultivation patterns mean that forest clearing is occurring simultaneously with recolonization of secondary vegetation on abandoned agricultural lands. Open access copy available |
Restauração florestal: do diagnóstico de degradação ao uso de indicadores ecológicos para o monitoramento das ações (Forest restoration: from the diagnostics of degradation to the use of ecological indicators in the monitoring of actions)Open access copy available |
Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto RicoBackgroundTree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation species affect soil fauna populations, which may in turn affect the biogeochemistry of the plantation system. Open access copy available |
Seeing the fruit for the trees in BorneoBackgroundLowland dipterocarp tropical rainforests reproduce during infrequent community-wide events known as ‘general flowering.’ These unpredictable cycles, thought to be influenced by El Niño cycles, are the primary reproductive driver across this forest type. During a time of rapid deforestation across the highly diverse, but highly sensitive, dipterocarp-dominated landscape of Borneo, capitalizing on general flowering is critical for seed collection for restoration efforts and for species preservation. Open access copy available |
Seed inputs to microsite patch recovery on two tropandean landslides in EcuadorBackgroundRegeneration of landslides is typically initiated by seed rain. This study reports on seed rain, seed pool, and plant cover on two Ecuadorian landslides. Open access copy available |
Vegetation recovery on earthquake-triggered landslide sites in the Ecuadorian AndesBackgroundIn this study, researchers surveyed vegetation in a landslide on the Quijos river in Ecuador and inventoried species distribution at distances along the landslide. Conclusions & TakeawaysThe authors found that species composition at the upper limit of the landslide is most similar to the plant composition of the forest, indicating that the forest is an important pool of colonizers. The authors suggest that earthquake landslides are common and an important contributor to floristic diversity Available with subscription or purchase |
Evidence of Incipient Forest Transition in Southern MexicobackgroundThis study uses satelite images (Landsat) to analyze land cover change in southern Mexico from 1990 to 2006. Open access copy available |
Landscape Pattern Dynamics and Mechanisms during Vegetation Restoration: A Multiscale, Hierarchical Patch Dynamics ApproachBackgroundThis study examines patterns of restoration using permanent plots and remote sensing of a nature reserve from 1979 to the present using a multiscale, hierarchical patch dynamic framework. Research Goals & MethodsThis study attempts to document changes in time and space during the restoration of forests with the purpose of understanding its patterns and processes. Available with subscription or purchase |
