Restoration and Management Strategies
Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestationBackgroundThe authors examined the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances within a forest on the ability of the forest to conserve biodiversity and provide ecosytem services. The research used large data sets of plants, birds, and dung beetles and used them as indicators of biodiversity change in the forest. Open access copy available |
Floristic composition, structure and natural regeneration in a moist semideciduous forest following anthropogenic disturbances and plant invasionBackgroundThis research examined the floristic composition, struture and natural regeneration in three different forests: undisturbed (UF), disturbed-invaded (DIF) and disturbed (DF) within a forest reserve in Ghana. Open access copy available |
Targeted habitat restoration can reduce extinction rates in fragmented forestsBackgroundHabitat lost is one of the primary drivers of species extinction. This study examines two highly-fractured ecosystems, the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, and evaluates the rate at which habitat loss may lead to extinction and thus biodiversity loss. Specifically, the authors use halflife vs. area relationship to determine how long it will take to lose one-half of all tropical bird communities in each habitat. Open access copy available |
Tropical Montane Forest Restoration in Costa Rica: Overcoming Bariers to Dispersal and EstablishmentBackgroundThe article addressed different types of environmental and ecological factors limiting forest regeneration on a tropical montane abandoned pasture in Costa Rica, and the subsequent forest restoration strategies that could be feasible. The authors sought to answer the following questions: 1) What factors limit tropical forest recovery in abandoned pasture? and (2) How can we use this information to design strategies to facilitate ecosystem recovery? Open access copy available |
Screening of native plant species for phytoremediation potential at a Hg-contaminated mining siteBackgroundThis study was conducted in one of the most important Artisanal and small-scale (ASGM) gold-mining sites in Colombia, to identify native plant species growing in Mercury contaminated soils used for agricultural purposes, and to assess their potential as phytoremediation systems. Available with subscription or purchase |
Mangrove recruitment after forest disturbance is facilitated by herbaceous species in the CaribbeanBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Variation in the population structure between a natural and a human-modified forest for a pioneer tropical tree species not restricted to large gapsBackgroundThe study evaluates the distribution of Cyperus floribundus (a long-lived pioneer tree specie) individuals in the gaps and compared the plant density between a primary and an early successional forest to understand the pioneer plant distribution and niche preference under the variable environmental and biotic conditions generated by natural or anthropogenic disturbances. Open access copy available |
Small-scale disturbance and regeneration dynamics in a neotropical mangrove forestBackgroundThis study focuses on regeneration dynamics of mangrove species in lightening-created gaps, in the Dominican Republic. Open access copy available |
Restoring Working Forests in Human-Dominated Landscapes of the Wet Evergreen Forest Region of South AsiaBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Ecosystem Services Approach to Landscape Restoration and Sustainable LivelihoodsBackgroundOpen access copy available |