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2019•Science AdvancesOpen access

Biodiversity recovery of Neotropical secondary forests

Danaë M. A. Rozendaal, Frans Bongers, T. Mitchell Aide, Esteban Álvarez‐Dávila, Nataly Ascarrunz, Patricia Balvanera, Justin M. Becknell, Tony Vizcarra Bentos, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, George A. L. Cabral, Sofía Calvo-Rodríguez, Jérôme Chave, Ricardo G. César, Robin L. Chazdon, Richard Condit, Jorn S. Dallinga, Jarcilene Silva de Almeida‐Cortez, Ben de Jong, Alexandre A. Oliveira, Julie S. Denslow, Daisy H. Dent, Saara J. DeWalt, Juan Manuel Dupuy, Sandra M. Durán, Loïc Dutrieux, Mário M. Espírito‐Santo, María Fandiño, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Bryan Finegan, Hernando García, Noel González, Vanessa Granda Moser, Jefferson S. Hall, José Luis Hernández‐Stefanoni, Stephen P. Hubbell, Catarina C. Jakovac, Alma Hernández‐Jaramillo, André Braga Junqueira, Deborah Kennard, Denis Larpin, Susan G. Letcher, Juan‐Carlos Licona, Edwin Lebrija‐Trejos, E. Marín-Spiotta, Miguel Martı́nez-Ramos, Paulo Massoca, Jorge A. Meave, Rita C. G. Mesquita, Francisco Mora, Sandra Cristina Müller, Rodrigo Muñoz, Sílvio Nolasco de Oliveira Neto, Natalia Norden, Yule Roberta Ferreira Nunes, Susana Ochoa‐Gaona, Edgar Ortíz‐Malavassi, Rebecca Ostertag, Marielos Peña‐Claros, Eduardo A. Pérez‐García, Daniel Piotto, Jennifer S. Powers, José Aguilar‐Cano, Susana Rodríguez‐Buriticá, Jorge Rodríguez‐Velázquez, Marco Antonio Romero-Romero, Jorge Ruíz, Arturo Sánchez‐Azofeifa, Jarcilene Silva de Almeida‐Cortez, Whendee L. Silver, Naomi B. Schwartz, William Wayt Thomas, Marisol Toledo, Maria Uriarte, Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio, Michiel van Breugel, Hans van der Wal, Sebastião Venâncio Martins, Maria das Dores Magalhães Veloso, Hans F. M. Vester, Alberto Vicentini, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, Pedro Manuel Villa, G. Bruce Williamson, Kátia Janaína Zanini, Jess K. Zimmerman, Lourens Poorter

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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.

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What this paper is about

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.

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Available 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.

Key concepts: Species richness, Secondary forest, Biodiversity, Secondary succession, Ecological succession, Old-growth forest, Rarefaction (ecology), Ecology

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