Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite successional pathways in wood density but converge over time

Tropical forests are converted at an alarming rate for agricultural use and pastureland, but also regrow naturally through secondary succession. For successful forest restoration, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of secondary succession. These mechanisms may vary across forest types, but analyses across broad spatial scales are lacking. Here, we analyse forest recovery using 1,403 plots that differ in age since agricultural abandonment from 50 sites across the Neotropics. We analyse changes in community composition using species-specific stem wood density (WD), which is a key trait for plant growth, survival and forest carbon storage. In wet forest, succession proceeds from low towards high community WD (acquisitive towards conservative trait values), in line with standard successional theory. However, in dry forest, succession proceeds from high towards low community WD (conservative towards acquisitive trait values), probably because high WD reflects drought tolerance in harsh early successional environments. Dry season intensity drives WD recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in convergence of the community WD over time as vegetation cover builds up. These ecological insights can be used to improve species selection for reforestation. Reforestation species selected to establish a first protective canopy layer should, among other criteria, ideally have a similar WD to the early successional communities that dominate under the prevailing macroclimatic conditions.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Poorter, Lourens autor, Rozendaal, Danaë M. A. autora, Bongers, Frans Doctor autor 22512, Almeida Cortez, Jarcilene Silva autora 12607, Almeyda Zambrano, Angélica María autora, Álvarez, Francisco S. autor, Andrade Torres, José Luis Doctor autor 14652, Arreola Villa, Luis Felipe autor, Balvanera, Patricia autora 12604, Becknell, Justin M. autor, Bentos, Tony V. autor, Bhaskar, Radika autora, Boukili, Vanessa autora, Brancalion, Pedro H. S. autor, Broadbent, Eben North autor, César, Ricardo G. autor, Chave, Jerome autor, Chazdon, Robin L. autor 12605, Dalla Colletta, Gabriel autor, Craven, Dylan autor 12606, De Jong, Bernardus Hendricus Jozeph Doctor autor 2038, Denslow, Julie Sloan autora, Dent, Daisy H. autora 12609, DeWalt, Saara J. Doctora autora 22574, Díaz García, Elisa autora, Dupuy Rada, Juan Manuel Doctor autor 22546, Durán, Sandra M. Doctora autora 22581, Espírito Santo, Mario M. autor, Fandiño, María C. autora, Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson autor, Finegan, Bryan autor, Granda Moser, Vanessa autora, Hall, Jefferson S. autor, Hernández Stefanoni, José Luis autor 12602, Jakovac, Catarina C. autora, Junqueira, André B. autor, Kennard, Deborah autra, Lebrija Trejos, Edwin autor, Letcher, Susan G. autora, Lohbeck, Madelon autora, López, Omar R. autor, Marín Spiotta, Erika autora 14093, Martínez Ramos, Miguel Doctor autor 21149, Martins, Sebastião Venâncio autor, Massoca, Paulo E. S. autor, Meave, Jorge A. autor 12600, Mesquita, Rita C. G autora, Mora Ardila, Francisco Doctor autor 21285, de Souza Moreno, Vanessa autora, Müller, Sandra C. autora, Muñoz, Rodrigo autor, Muscarella, Robert autor, Nolasco de Oliveira Neto, Silvio autor, Nunes, Yule R. F. autor, Ochoa Gaona, Susana Doctora autora 72, Paz, Horacio autor, Peña Claros, Marielos autor, Piotto, Daniel autor, Ruíz, Jorge autor, Sanaphre Villanueva, Lucía autora, Sánchez Azofeifa, Gerardo Arturo autor, Schwartz, Naomi B. autora, Steininger, Marc K. autor, Thomas, William Wayt autor, Toledo, Marisol autora, Uriarte, María autora, Utrera, Luis P. autor, van Breugel, Michiel autor 13510, van der Sande, Masha T. autora, Van Der Wal, Hans Doctor autor 2020, Veloso, María D. M. autora, Vester, Henricus F. M. Doctor autor 2052, Vieira, Ima Celia G. autora, Villa, Pedro Manuel autor, Williamson, G. Bruce autor, Wright, S. Joseph autor, Zanini, Kátia J. autora, Zimmerman, Jess K. autor, Westoby, Mark autor
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Restauración forestal, Sucesión ecológica, Mitigación del cambio climático, Bosques tropicales,
Online Access:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0882-6
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