Multidimensional tropical forest recovery
Publication date
2021-12
Authors
Poorter, L.
Craven, D.
Jakovac, C.C.
van der Sande, M.T.
Amissah, L.
Bongers, F.
Chazdon, R.L.
Farrior, C.E.
Kambach, S.
Meave, J.A.
Editors
Advisors
Supervisors
Document Type
Article
Metadata
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License
taverne
Abstract
Tropical forests disappear rapidly because of deforestation, yet they have the potential to regrow naturally on abandoned lands. We analyze how 12 forest attributes recover during secondary succession and how their recovery is interrelated using 77 sites across the tropics. Tropical forests are highly resilient to low-intensity land use; after 20 years, forest attributes attain 78% (33 to 100%) of their old-growth values. Recovery to 90% of old-growth values is fastest for soil (12 decades). Network analysis shows three independent clusters of attribute recovery, related to structure, species diversity, and species composition. Secondary forests should be embraced as a low-cost, natural solution for ecosystem restoration, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
Keywords
Taverne, SDG 13 - Climate Action, SDG 15 - Life on Land
Citation
Poorter, L, Craven, D, Jakovac, C C, van der Sande, M T, Amissah, L, Bongers, F, Chazdon, R L, Farrior, C E, Kambach, S, Meave, J A, Muñoz, R, Norden, N, Rüger, N, van Breugel, M, Zambrano, A M A, Amani, B, Andrade, J L, Brancalion, P H S, Broadbent, E N, de Foresta, H, Dent, D H, Derroire, G, DeWalt, S J, Dupuy, J M, Durán, S M, Fantini, A C, Finegan, B, Hernández-Jaramillo, A, Hernández-Stefanoni, J L, Hietz, P, Junqueira, A B, N’dja, J K, Letcher, S G, Lohbeck, M, López-Camacho, R, Martínez-Ramos, M, Melo, F P L, Mora, F, Müller, S C, N’Guessan, A E, Oberleitner, F, Ortiz-Malavassi, E, Pérez-García, E A, Pinho, B X, Piotto, D, Powers, J S, Rodríguez-Buriticá, S, Rozendaal, D M A, Ruíz, J, Tabarelli, M, Teixeira, H M, de Sá Barretto Sampaio, E V, van der Wal, H, Villa, P M, Fernandes, G W, Santos, B A, Aguilar-Cano, J, de Almeida-Cortez, J S, Alvarez-Davila, E, Arreola-Villa, F, Balvanera, P, Becknell, J M, Cabral, G A L, Castellanos-Castro, C, de Jong, B H J, Nieto, J E, Espírito-Santo, M M, Fandino, M C, García, H, García-Villalobos, D, Hall, J S, Idárraga, A, Jiménez-Montoya, J, Kennard, D, Marín-Spiotta, E, Mesquita, R, Nunes, Y R F, Ochoa-Gaona, S, Peña-Claros, M, Pérez-Cárdenas, N, Rodríguez-Velázquez, J, Villanueva, L S, Schwartz, N B, Steininger, M K, Veloso, M D M, Vester, H F M, Vieira, I C G, Williamson, G B, Zanini, K & Hérault, B 2021, 'Multidimensional tropical forest recovery', Science, vol. 374, 6573, pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3629