What is the state of tropical montane cloud forest restoration?

The conversion of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) to pastures and agricultural lands has been an important activity in this life zone for many years. Although forest clearing and grazing continues, in some areas, changing political, economic, and social drivers have led to the abandonment of marginal areas. These dynamics provide an excellent opportunity to study the rates of secondary succession and test different restoration strategies. The two major questions addressed in this review are: “What factors control rates of TMCF recovery once pastures or agricultural lands are abandoned?”, and “What restoration strategies can be used to overcome barriers to regeneration and accelerate forest recovery?” To answer these questions a literature review was carried out. Because few restoration projects have been conducted in TMCF as such, the conclusions are mainly based on studies in tropical montane forests at large. Competition with invasive grasses and ferns and poor seed dispersal appear to be the most important factors limiting natural forest recovery. To overcome these barriers, one of the most cost-effective ways to accelerate recovery is to promote the establishment of shrubs, which help to shade out invasive grasses and ferns and create more appropriate conditions for seedling growth. Although this strategy can reduce competition, planting will also be required to recover a species composition similar to intact forest because most forest species are rarely dispersed far from forest stands.