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Biodiversity recovery of Neotropical secondary forests.

ABSTRACT: Old-growth tropical forests harbor an immense diversity of tree species but are rapidly being cleared, while secondary forests that regrow on abandoned agricultural lands increase in extent. We assess how tree species richness and composition recover during secondary succession across gradients in environmental conditions and anthropogenic disturbance in an unprecedented multisite analysis for the Neotropics. Secondary forests recover remarkably fast in species richness but slowly in species composition. Secondary forests take a median time of five decades to recover the species richness of old-growth forest (80% recovery after 20 years) based on rarefaction analysis. Full recovery of species composition takes centuries (only 34% recovery after 20 years). A dual strategy that maintains both old-growth forests and species-rich secondary forests is therefore crucial for biodiversity conservation in human-modified tropical landscapes.

SUBMITTER: Rozendaal DMA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6402850 | biostudies-other | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Biodiversity recovery of Neotropical secondary forests.

Rozendaal Danaë M A DMA   Bongers Frans F   Aide T Mitchell TM   Alvarez-Dávila Esteban E   Ascarrunz Nataly N   Balvanera Patricia P   Becknell Justin M JM   Bentos Tony V TV   Brancalion Pedro H S PHS   Cabral George A L GAL   Calvo-Rodriguez Sofia S   Chave Jerome J   César Ricardo G RG   Chazdon Robin L RL   Condit Richard R   Dallinga Jorn S JS   de Almeida-Cortez Jarcilene S JS   de Jong Ben B   de Oliveira Alexandre A   Denslow Julie S JS   Dent Daisy H DH   DeWalt Saara J SJ   Dupuy Juan Manuel JM   Durán Sandra M SM   Dutrieux Loïc P LP   Espírito-Santo Mario M MM   Fandino María C MC   Fernandes G Wilson GW   Finegan Bryan B   García Hernando H   Gonzalez Noel N   Moser Vanessa Granda VG   Hall Jefferson S JS   Hernández-Stefanoni José Luis JL   Hubbell Stephen S   Jakovac Catarina C CC   Hernández Alma Johanna AJ   Junqueira André B AB   Kennard Deborah D   Larpin Denis D   Letcher Susan G SG   Licona Juan-Carlos JC   Lebrija-Trejos Edwin E   Marín-Spiotta Erika E   Martínez-Ramos Miguel M   Massoca Paulo E S PES   Meave Jorge A JA   Mesquita Rita C G RCG   Mora Francisco F   Müller Sandra C SC   Muñoz Rodrigo R   de Oliveira Neto Silvio Nolasco SN   Norden Natalia N   Nunes Yule R F YRF   Ochoa-Gaona Susana S   Ortiz-Malavassi Edgar E   Ostertag Rebecca R   Peña-Claros Marielos M   Pérez-García Eduardo A EA   Piotto Daniel D   Powers Jennifer S JS   Aguilar-Cano José J   Rodriguez-Buritica Susana S   Rodríguez-Velázquez Jorge J   Romero-Romero Marco Antonio MA   Ruíz Jorge J   Sanchez-Azofeifa Arturo A   de Almeida Arlete Silva AS   Silver Whendee L WL   Schwartz Naomi B NB   Thomas William Wayt WW   Toledo Marisol M   Uriarte Maria M   de Sá Sampaio Everardo Valadares EV   van Breugel Michiel M   van der Wal Hans H   Martins Sebastião Venâncio SV   Veloso Maria D M MDM   Vester Hans F M HFM   Vicentini Alberto A   Vieira Ima C G ICG   Villa Pedro P   Williamson G Bruce GB   Zanini Kátia J KJ   Zimmerman Jess J   Poorter Lourens L  

Science advances 20190306 3

Old-growth tropical forests harbor an immense diversity of tree species but are rapidly being cleared, while secondary forests that regrow on abandoned agricultural lands increase in extent. We assess how tree species richness and composition recover during secondary succession across gradients in environmental conditions and anthropogenic disturbance in an unprecedented multisite analysis for the Neotropics. Secondary forests recover remarkably fast in species richness but slowly in species com  ...[more]