scholarly journals Active versus passive restoration: Recovery of cloud forest structure, diversity and soil condition in abandoned pastures

2018 ◽  
Vol 117 ◽  
pp. 50-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma L. Trujillo-Miranda ◽  
Tarin Toledo-Aceves ◽  
Fabiola López-Barrera ◽  
Patricia Gerez-Fernández
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 194008291988220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edilia de la Rosa-Manzano ◽  
Glenda Mendieta-Leiva ◽  
Antonio Guerra-Pérez ◽  
Karla María Aguilar-Dorantes ◽  
Leonardo Uriel Arellano-Méndez ◽  
...  

Vascular epiphytes contribute significantly to tropical diversity. Research on the factors that determine vascular epiphytic diversity and composition in tropical areas is flourishing. However, these factors are entirely unknown in tropical-temperate transition zones, which represent the distribution limit of several epiphytic species. We assessed the degree to which climatic and structural variables determine the diversity of vascular epiphytic assemblages (VEAs) in a transition zone in Mexico: the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve. We found 12,103 epiphytic individuals belonging to 30 species and 15 genera along a climatic gradient from 300 to 2,000 m a.s.l. Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the most species-rich families. Forests along the windward slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental (semideciduous forest and tropical montane cloud forest) had higher species richness than forests along the leeward slope (pine-oak forest and submontane scrub). Species richness was largely determined by seasonality and, to a lesser degree, by forest structure, whereas abundance was mainly determined by host tree size. Variation in VEAs composition was largely explained by climatic variables, whereas forest structure was not as important. VEAs differed among forest types and slopes in terms of taxonomic and functional composition. For example, certain bromeliad indicator species reflected differences between slopes. Although within-tree epiphytic species richness (alpha diversity) was low in this transition zone relative to other habitats, species turnover among forest types (beta diversity) was high. These findings suggest that each forest type makes a unique and important contribution to epiphytic diversity in this transition zone.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 447-467
Author(s):  
M.T. BADSHAH ◽  
A. AHMAD ◽  
M.A. MUNEER ◽  
A.U. REHMAN ◽  
J. WANG ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Ana Luisa Santiago Pérez ◽  
Enrique José Jardel Peláez ◽  
Ramón Cuevas Guzmán ◽  
Francisco Martín Huerta Martínez

<p>Species composition, diversity, structure and microclimate were compared in two edge type of montane cloud forest (FF, edges with pine forest and FS, secondary shrubland) within a forest-edge-exterior gradient at Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (Jalisco, Mexico). The cloud forest presented higher richness (126 species, 52 interior habitat specifi c) than pine forests (84) and shrublands (71). Richness and diversity were similar in FF, but species replacement was higher in FS. Density, diameter structure, basal area and canopy cover were major in FF than in FS. Microclimatic and soil condition, was gradual in FF edges and abrupt in FS edges. Tree species of the cloud forests (high density of seedlings and saplings &lt;5 cm diameter breast height) are colonizing the understory of adjacent pine forests, whereas in shrublands their establishment appears to be limited by competition with shrubs and herbaceous species and microclimatic conditions. Our results highlight the importance of considering edge type contrast in conservation and restoration of cloud forest in forest landscapes.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 4419-4430
Author(s):  
Lisa T. Haber ◽  
Robert T. Fahey ◽  
Shea B. Wales ◽  
Nicolás Correa Pascuas ◽  
William S. Currie ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Enrique Valente Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
Lauro López-Mata ◽  
Edmundo García-Moya ◽  
Ramón Cuevas-Guzmán

In this paper we describe the structure, floristic composition and woody (tree and shrub) species diversity of a cloud forest at Cuzalapa, Sierra de Manantlán, Jalisco. Two localities with four 2,500 m2 plots each were established at El Durazno and La Pareja. All species present in the plots were identified and recorded, and their diameters at breast height (DBH ≥ 3cm) and heights measured. Forest structure is described using the relative values of density and basal area; in addition, a diagram  of forest profile was drawn for each plot. Among-plot similarity was assessed with Sørensen 's Index. Species diversity was evaluated using Shannon-Wiener 's, Simpson's, and Fisher's α indexes. In the total sampled area (2 ha) 2,086 individuals  belonging to 101 species (including two new records for the flora de la Sierra de Manantlán, Sapranthus foetidus and AIchornea  latifolia), distributed in 75 genera and 44 farnilies, were recorded. The families with the largest numbers of species were:  Leguminosae (8), Solanaceae and Fagaceae (7 each), Moraceae and Compositae (6 each), Lauraceae (5), and Rubiaceae (3).  Tree density at El Durazno and La Pareja was 1,084 and 1,002 trees ha-', and basal area was 38.7 and 31.9 m2 ha-', respectively.  At both localities, Styrax radians had the highest relative importance value. Forest structure and species composition at both  localities correspond to tracks of transitional forest between early to intermediate stages, which results from recurrent anthro- pogenic disturbances such as logging 50 years ago. Species diversity in Cuzalapa is one of the highest ever recorded for cloud  forests of Mexico, which presumably is a consequence of anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Both kind of disturbances  are important forces in maintaining the structure, species composition, and high species diversity in this cloud forest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Duque ◽  
Helene C. Muller-Landau ◽  
Renato Valencia ◽  
Dairon Cardenas ◽  
Stuart Davies ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (S1) ◽  
pp. S89-S102
Author(s):  
Rafael Bonilla-Mata ◽  
Luis Guillermo Acosta-Vargas

Introduction: Islands are essential for world biodiversity. Isla del Coco National Park is an oceanic island in which a tropical rain forest grows; however, its ecology and the effect of introduced species are poorly understood. Objective: To evaluate the mortality, recruitment, regeneration, and growth of forest canopy species. Methods: We measured 15 permanent sampling plots (PSP), nine in the Premontane Pluvial Rainforest (PPR), and six in the Cloud Forest (CF); trees with DBH > 5 cm (diameter at breast height) were measured. The sampling regeneration was done within every PSP, along two transects of 1 X 50 m. Data analyses were performed using data obtained in 2006 and 2012 as baseline. Results: In the period 2012-2017, the annual mortality rate in the PPR was 5.75 % and for CF 6.31 %. The yearly recruitment rate in the PPR was 5.38 %, and 5.90 % for CF. For the PPR the total registered regeneration was 5 656 individuals and 8 700 for the CF. Sacoglottis holdridgei reported the highest mortality and the lowest values of recruitment and regeneration. Forest structure fits the inverted J model for most of the tropical forests. Sacoglottis holdridgei define the forest population structure above DBH > 20 cm. But, diameters under 20 cm are strongly influenced by H. succosa, because it reported the highest abundance of regeneration and recruitment. The annual average increase in diameter between forest was statically different (p = 0.0414; N = 15), 0.36 cm/year in the PPR, and 0.33 cm/year the in CF. Conclusions: The PPR and CF differ in the patterns of mortality, recruitment, and regeneration, confirming the uniqueness of these ecosystems. More successful regeneration of H. succosa will lead to changes in structure and composition of forests, mainly PPR. The changes in forest structure will have a strong impact on epiphytic flora, microclimate conditions, and bird nesting such as Gygis alba (White Tern) due to the loss of mature trees of Sacoglottis. The low regeneration of S. holdridgei is associated with the presence of introduced herbivores, their management is needed for restoring the forest.


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