Abstract
ABSTRACT Management of degraded tropical forest fragments is usually done by cutting climbers (cutting). However, it is still necessary to understand the outcomes of cutting in combination with planting native tree species' seedlings (cutting + planting), especially on the edges of fragments, which are subject to higher disturbance than the forest interior. We tested whether cutting + planting is the restoration strategy that most improves structural attributes of a degraded edge of a tropical seasonal semideciduous forest fragment in southeastern Brazil, relative to cutting and the absence of management (control). Linear mixed models revealed that, after an eight‐year period, cutting + planting resulted in the highest decrease in the density and basal area of climbers longer than 1 m, and in the highest increase in the density of large living trees (diameter at breast height, DBH, ≥ 4.8 cm). Although cutting + planting decreased the percentage of large dead trees and increased tree sapling (DBH < 4.8 cm and total height ≥ 50 cm) richness, these variables were more affected by cutting. Management had no effect on the basal area of large living trees and tree sapling density. Because most structural attributes of the degraded edge studied were improved by cutting + planting, we advocate that it is the best strategy tested here for restoring tropical seasonal forests. We hypothesize that seedling planting improves forest conditions and stimulates recruitment, facilitating the regeneration of tree species. Thus, an interesting future avenue is to elucidate the mechanisms by which seedling planting affects regeneration and its long‐lasting effects on forest structural attributes.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting plus planting most decreased climber density.
- Taxon
- treet0
- Treatment
- cutting + plantinge0
- Interactor
- climberse0other
- Outcome
- density and basal area of climberse0
- Direction
- highest decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“cutting + planting resulted in the highest decrease in the density and basal area of climbers longer than 1 m”
t0“Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting plus planting most decreased climber basal area.
- Taxon
- Treet0
- Treatment
- cutting + plantinge0
- Interactor
- climberse0other
- Outcome
- basal area of climberse0
- Direction
- highest decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“cutting + planting resulted in the highest decrease in the density and basal area of climbers longer than 1 m”
t0“Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting plus planting most increased large living tree density.
- Taxon
- treese0
- Treatment
- cutting + plantingt0
- Outcome
- density of large living treese0
- Direction
- highest increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“highest increase in the density of large living trees (diameter at breast height, DBH, ≥ 4.8 cm)”
t0“cutting + planting resulted in the highest decrease”
Claim · model-written summary
Both strategies reduced large dead tree percentage, with cutting having the greater effect.
- Taxon
- treese0
- Treatment
- cutting + plantinge0
- Outcome
- percentage of large dead treese0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“cutting + planting decreased the percentage of large dead trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting plus planting increased tree sapling richness.
- Taxon
- treee0
- Treatment
- cutting + plantingt0
- Outcome
- tree sapling (DBH < 4.8 cm and total height ≥ 50 cm) richnesse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“increased tree sapling (DBH < 4.8 cm and total height ≥ 50 cm) richness”
t0“cutting + planting decreased the percentage”
Claim · model-written summary
Management did not affect large living tree basal area.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Management had no effect on the basal area of large living trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Management did not affect tree sapling density.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Management had no effect on the basal area of large living trees and tree sapling density”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advocate cutting plus planting as the best tested restoration strategy.
Verbatim
e0“we advocate that it is the best strategy tested here for restoring tropical seasonal forests”
t0“Tree”