Soil Biota, Fungi, and Mycorrhizae
Fungi and Insects Compensate for Lost Vertebrate Seed Predation in an Experimentally Defaunated Tropical ForestBackgroundDefaunation, primarily caused by overhunting, is known to disrupt critical plant-animal interactions such as seed dispersal and seed predation. This can have cascading effects on plant regeneration, species composition, and even carbon storage. While previous studies have focused on the negative consequences of losing vertebrate seed dispersers and predators, it remains unclear whether other organisms, such as fungi and insects, can compensate for these losses. This study explores whether the decline of large vertebrate seed predators in a tropical rainforest is offset by increased seed predation from non-vertebrate sources, specifically insects and fungi. Open access copy available |
The soil organic carbon in particle-size separates under different regrowth forest stands of north eastern Costa RicaBACKGROUND:Costa Rica, having experienced significant deforestation from 1950 to 1984, now sees a rise in secondary forests due to land abandonment and reforestation efforts. These forests vary widely in soil carbon accumulation, influenced by the previous land use intensity and the age of the forest. The paper investigates the role of secondary forests in Costa Rica in soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, a critical component in understanding climate change mitigation potential. Available with subscription or purchase |
Restoring soil carbon and chemical properties through silvopastoral adoption in the Colombian Amazon regionBackground:The traditional livestock production in this region causes the loss of forest areas each year, leading to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity. Silvopastoral systems have become an attractive alternative with positive effects for the environment, society, and the regional economy. The study was conducted in two counties in the northwestern Colombian Amazon, which are representative of the hilly landscape typical for Silvopastoral systems implementation. Available with subscription or purchase |
Mining in the Amazon: Importance, impacts, and challenges to restore degraded ecosystems. Are we on the right way?Background:With mining playing a significant role in the economies of Amazonian countries, there is a growing urgency to understand, mitigate, and restore the degraded ecosystems that result from these mining operations. These tasks present a complex set of challenges, including technological limitations, legal inconsistencies, and a shortage of qualified professionals. Available with subscription or purchase |
Tropical Rainforest Restoration Plantations Are Slow to Restore the Soil Biological and Organic Carbon Characteristics of Old Growth RainforestBackground:With widespread deforestation and land conversion posing significant threats to biodiversity and carbon sequestration, there is an urgent need to comprehend the intricate relationship between land use change, soil microbial communities, and soil organic carbon dynamics in tropical rainforest ecosystems. Open access copy available |
Reforestation of Bauxite Mine Spoils with Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. Seedlings Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal FungibackgroundIn the Yercaud hills of the Salem Distict, Tamil Nadu, India, the authors investigated the feasibility of using trees inoculated with beneficial mycorrhizae as an alternative to the traditional and more expensive method of spreading topsoil before planting Open access copy available |
Nitrogen Dynamics of Actinorhizal Casuarina Forest Stands and its Comparison with Alnus and Leucaena ForestsBackgroundNitrogen plays a key role in soil fertility and plant productivity. Therefore, in regions in which deforestation has increasingly led to savannization and desertification, afforestation by fast-growing, n-fixing tree species is preferable. This study examines the characteristics of nitrogen fixing trees. Research Goals & MethodsThe nitrogen retention rates of three dry tropical forest tree species were measured, by examining rates of N cycling through vegetation, litter and soil pools. Available with subscription or purchase |
Impacts of Early- and Late-seral Mycorrhizae during Restoration in Seasonal Tropical Forest, MexicobackgroundThis study examines the degree to which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are associated with early vs. late successional forests in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It considers how such fungi aid seedling growth of six native early-, mid- or late-successional tree species. The researchers hypothesize that the application of mycorrizae associated with a tree species' associated successional sere will better promote that species' seedling growth and that associated AMF are therefore key for forest restoration success in degraded or disturbed areas. Open access copy available |
Los hongos micorrízicos arbusculares y su implicación en la producción y manejo de especies neotropicales forestales, con énfasis en meliáceas (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and its use in the production and management of neotropical forest)EspañolAntecedentesLos hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HMA) tienen implicaciones importantes en la producción de bosques tropicales, principalmente en especies de Meliaceae nativas de América Latina, como Cedrela odorata y Swietenia macrophylla. Estas especies son muy valoradas por la calidad de su madera, aunque el establecimiento de plantaciones comerciales y la reforestación en general no ha sido cien porciento exitosa. Existe un interés creciente en estudiar el papel de la HMA en la rehabilitación y restauración forestal debido a su capacidad para mejorar la adaptación y supervivencia de las plantas en condiciones adversas. Open access copy available |
Establecimiento de un sistema silvopastoril mediante las especies Alnus acuminata H.B.K. y Acacia decurrens Willd y respuesta al empleo de organismos rizosféricos en San Pedro (Antioquia)EspañolAntecedentesEL monocultivo y uso excesivo de fertilizantes en pasturas del trópico alto, han desencadenado problemas ambientales así como un inadecuado manejo sanitario y nutricional del ganado. Open access copy available |
