Strong floristic distinctiveness across neotropical successional forests

Forests that regrow naturally on abandoned fields are important for restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services, but can they also preserve the distinct regional tree floras? Using the floristic composition of 1215 early successional forests (<_20 years) in 75 human-modified landscapes across the Neotropic realm, we identified 14 distinct floristic groups, with a between-group dissimilarity of 0.97. Floristic groups were associated with location, bioregions, soil pH, temperature seasonality, and water availability. Hence, there is large continental-scale variation in the species composition of early successional forests, which is mainly associated with biogeographic and environmental factors but not with human disturbance indicators. This floristic distinctiveness is partially driven by regionally restricted species belonging to widespread genera. Early secondary forests contribute therefore to restoring and conserving the distinctiveness of bioregions across the Neotropical realm, and forest restoration initiatives should use local species to assure that these distinct floras are maintained.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jakovac, Catarina C. autora, Meave, Jorge A. autor 12600, Bongers, Frans Doctor autor/a 22512, Letcher, Susan G. autora, Dupuy Rada, Juan Manuel Doctor autor 22546, Piotto, Daniel autor, Rozendaal, Danaë M. A. autor/a, Peña Claros, Marielos autora, Craven, Dylan autor 12606, Santos, Braulio A. autor, Siminski, Alexandre autor, Fantini, Alfredo C. autor, Rodrigues, Alice C. autora, Hernández Jaramillo, Alma autora, Idárraga, Alvaro autor, Junqueira, André B. autor, Almeyda Zambrano, Angélica M. autora 12603, De Jong, Bernardus Hendricus Jozeph Doctor autor 2038, Ximenes Pinho, Bruno autor, Finegan, Bryan autor, Castellano Castro, Carolina autora, Zambiazi, Daisy Christiane autora, Dent, Daisy H. autora 12609, García, Daniel Hernán autor, Kennard, Deborah autora, Delgado, Diego autor, Broadbent, Eben N. autor, Ortiz Malavassi, Edgar autor, Pérez García, Eduardo A. autor, Lebrija Trejos, Edwin autor, Berenguer, Erika autora, Marín Spiotta, Erika autora 14093, Alvarez Davila, Esteban autor, Valadares de Sá Sampaio, Everardo autor, Melo, Felipe autor, Elias, Fernando autor, França, Filipe autor, Oberleitner, Florian autor/a, Mora Ardila, Francisco Doctor autor 21285, Williamson, G. Bruce autor, Dalla Colletta, Gabriel autor, Cabral, George A. L. autor 12608, Derroire, Géraldine autora, Wilson Fernandes, Geraldo autor, Van Der Wal, Hans Doctor autor 2020, Mancini Teixeira, Heitor autor, Vester, Henricus F. M. Doctor autor 2052, García, Hernando autor, Vieira, Ima C. G. autora, Jiménez Montoya, Jaider autor, Almeida Cortez, Jarcilene Silva autora 12607, Hall, Jefferson S. autor, Chave, Jerome autor, Zimmerman, Jess K. autora, Edison Nieto, Jhon autor, Ferreira, Joice autor/a, Rodríguez Velázquez, Jorge autor, Ruíz, Jorge autor, Barlow, Jos autor/a, Aguilar Cano, José autor, Hernández Stefanoni, José Luis autor 12602, Engel, Julien autor/a, Becknell, Justin M. autor, Zanini, Kátia autora, Lohbeck, Madelon autor, Tabarelli, Marcelo autor, Romero Romero, Marco Antonio autor, Uriarte, Maria autora, Veloso, Maria D. M. autora, Espírito Santo, Mário M. autor, Van der Sande, Masha T. autora, van Breugel, Michiel autora 13510, Martínez Ramos, Miguel autor 21149, Schwartz, Naomi B. autora, Norden, Natalia autora, Pérez Cárdenas, Nathalia autora, González Valdivia, Noel autor, Petronelli, Pascal autor, Balvanera, Patricia autora 12604, Massoca, Paulo autor, Brancalion, Pedro H. S. autor, Villa, Pedro M. autor, Hietz, Peter autor, Ostertag, Rebecca autora, López Camacho, René autor, César, Ricardo G. autor, Mesquita, Rita autora, Chazdon, Robin L. autor 12605, Muñoz, Rodrigo autor, DeWalt, Saara J. Doctora autora 22574, Müller, Sandra C. autora, Durán, Sandra M. Doctora autora 22581, Venâncio Martins, Sebastião autor, Ochoa Gaona, Susana Doctora autora 72, Rodríguez Buritica, Susana autora, Aide, T. Mitchell autora, Vizcarra Bentos, Tony autor, Moreno, Vanessa de S. autora, Granda, Vanessa autora, Thomas, Wayt autor/a, Silver, Whendee L. autora, Nunes, Yule R. F. autor/a, Poorter, Lourens autor
Format: Texto biblioteca
Language:eng
Subjects:Restauración forestal, Composición botánica, Bosque secundario, Biogeografía,
Online Access:https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn1767
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Summary:Forests that regrow naturally on abandoned fields are important for restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services, but can they also preserve the distinct regional tree floras? Using the floristic composition of 1215 early successional forests (<_20 years) in 75 human-modified landscapes across the Neotropic realm, we identified 14 distinct floristic groups, with a between-group dissimilarity of 0.97. Floristic groups were associated with location, bioregions, soil pH, temperature seasonality, and water availability. Hence, there is large continental-scale variation in the species composition of early successional forests, which is mainly associated with biogeographic and environmental factors but not with human disturbance indicators. This floristic distinctiveness is partially driven by regionally restricted species belonging to widespread genera. Early secondary forests contribute therefore to restoring and conserving the distinctiveness of bioregions across the Neotropical realm, and forest restoration initiatives should use local species to assure that these distinct floras are maintained.