Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests
Abstract Natural regeneration of Amazon forests offers a promising strategy to mitigate forest loss and advance the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. However, the vast variability in regeneration rates across environmental gradients and over time poses considerable challenges for asse...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01949-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850184680168488960 |
|---|---|
| author | André L. Giles Juliana Schietti Milena F. Rosenfield Rita C. Mesquita Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira Ima C. G. Vieira Lourens Poorter Pedro H. S. Brancalion Marielos Peña-Claros João Siqueira Luis Oliveira Junior Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo Priscila Sanjuan de Medeiros Sarmento Joice N. Ferreira Erika Berenguer Jos Barlow Fernando Elias Henrique Luis Godinho Cassol Richarlly C. Silva Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro Natália Medeiros André B. Junqueira Paulo Massoca Marciel Jose Ferreira Markus Gastauer Leandro V. Ferreira Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida Luiz E. O. C. Aragão Catarina C. Jakovac |
| author_facet | André L. Giles Juliana Schietti Milena F. Rosenfield Rita C. Mesquita Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira Ima C. G. Vieira Lourens Poorter Pedro H. S. Brancalion Marielos Peña-Claros João Siqueira Luis Oliveira Junior Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo Priscila Sanjuan de Medeiros Sarmento Joice N. Ferreira Erika Berenguer Jos Barlow Fernando Elias Henrique Luis Godinho Cassol Richarlly C. Silva Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro Natália Medeiros André B. Junqueira Paulo Massoca Marciel Jose Ferreira Markus Gastauer Leandro V. Ferreira Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida Luiz E. O. C. Aragão Catarina C. Jakovac |
| author_sort | André L. Giles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Natural regeneration of Amazon forests offers a promising strategy to mitigate forest loss and advance the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. However, the vast variability in regeneration rates across environmental gradients and over time poses considerable challenges for assessing regeneration success and ecosystem services provision in human-modified landscapes. Here we compiled 448 plots from forest regeneration in the Amazon to investigate the drivers of regrowth capacity and identify robust ecological indicators. By modeling optimal successional trajectories, we estimated reference values for vegetation structure, diversity, and functioning. After 20 years, successful regeneration should reach a minimum basal area of 14 m². ha−¹, at least 34 tree species per 100 individuals, a structural heterogeneity index of 0.27, and 123 Mg.ha−¹ of aboveground biomass. These straightforward indicators and reference values provide a foundational framework for governments and practitioners to assess success and establish targets for Amazon restoration efforts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-86f44ddbbbf24c79a373ee9eeca31b03 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-86f44ddbbbf24c79a373ee9eeca31b032025-08-20T02:16:59ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-12-015111210.1038/s43247-024-01949-9Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forestsAndré L. Giles0Juliana Schietti1Milena F. Rosenfield2Rita C. Mesquita3Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira4Ima C. G. Vieira5Lourens Poorter6Pedro H. S. Brancalion7Marielos Peña-Claros8João Siqueira9Luis Oliveira Junior10Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo11Priscila Sanjuan de Medeiros Sarmento12Joice N. Ferreira13Erika Berenguer14Jos Barlow15Fernando Elias16Henrique Luis Godinho Cassol17Richarlly C. Silva18Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro19Natália Medeiros20André B. Junqueira21Paulo Massoca22Marciel Jose Ferreira23Markus Gastauer24Leandro V. Ferreira25Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida26Luiz E. O. C. Aragão27Catarina C. Jakovac28Federal University of Santa CatarinaDepartamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do AmazonasInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e BiotecnologiaMuseu Paraense Emilio GoeldiForest Ecology and Forest Management Group- Wageningen University & ResearchDepartment of Forest Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture - University of São PauloForest Ecology and Forest Management Group- Wageningen University & ResearchMapbiomasInstituto do Homem e Meio Ambiente da Amazônia – ImazonDepartamento de Biologia Geral-Universidade Estadual de Montes ClarosInstituto Tecnologico Vale Desenvolvimento SustentávelEmbrapa Amazônia OrientalEnvironmental Change Institute-School of Geography and the Environment, University of OxfordLancaster Environment Centre - Lancaster UniversityUniversidade Federal Rural da AmazôniaRemote Sensing Division - National Institute for Space Research (INPE)Instituto de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado do AcreUniversidade Federal do AcrePrograma de Pós Graduação em Ecologia-Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da AmazôniaInstitut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaBiological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project - Environmental Dynamics Research CoordinationDepartamento de Ciências Florestais - Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM)Instituto Tecnologico Vale Desenvolvimento SustentávelMuseu Paraense Emilio GoeldiBiofloreEarth Observation and Geoinformatics Division-National Institute for Space Research (INPE)Federal University of Santa CatarinaAbstract Natural regeneration of Amazon forests offers a promising strategy to mitigate forest loss and advance the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. However, the vast variability in regeneration rates across environmental gradients and over time poses considerable challenges for assessing regeneration success and ecosystem services provision in human-modified landscapes. Here we compiled 448 plots from forest regeneration in the Amazon to investigate the drivers of regrowth capacity and identify robust ecological indicators. By modeling optimal successional trajectories, we estimated reference values for vegetation structure, diversity, and functioning. After 20 years, successful regeneration should reach a minimum basal area of 14 m². ha−¹, at least 34 tree species per 100 individuals, a structural heterogeneity index of 0.27, and 123 Mg.ha−¹ of aboveground biomass. These straightforward indicators and reference values provide a foundational framework for governments and practitioners to assess success and establish targets for Amazon restoration efforts.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01949-9 |
| spellingShingle | André L. Giles Juliana Schietti Milena F. Rosenfield Rita C. Mesquita Daniel Luis Mascia Vieira Ima C. G. Vieira Lourens Poorter Pedro H. S. Brancalion Marielos Peña-Claros João Siqueira Luis Oliveira Junior Mário Marcos do Espírito-Santo Priscila Sanjuan de Medeiros Sarmento Joice N. Ferreira Erika Berenguer Jos Barlow Fernando Elias Henrique Luis Godinho Cassol Richarlly C. Silva Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro Natália Medeiros André B. Junqueira Paulo Massoca Marciel Jose Ferreira Markus Gastauer Leandro V. Ferreira Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida Luiz E. O. C. Aragão Catarina C. Jakovac Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests |
| title_full | Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests |
| title_fullStr | Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests |
| title_short | Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests |
| title_sort | simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of amazonian forests |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01949-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrelgiles simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT julianaschietti simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT milenafrosenfield simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT ritacmesquita simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT danielluismasciavieira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT imacgvieira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT lourenspoorter simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT pedrohsbrancalion simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT marielospenaclaros simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT joaosiqueira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT luisoliveirajunior simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT mariomarcosdoespiritosanto simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT priscilasanjuandemedeirossarmento simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT joicenferreira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT erikaberenguer simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT josbarlow simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT fernandoelias simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT henriqueluisgodinhocassol simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT richarllycsilva simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT sabinacerrutoribeiro simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT nataliamedeiros simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT andrebjunqueira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT paulomassoca simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT marcieljoseferreira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT markusgastauer simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT leandrovferreira simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT danilorobertialvesdealmeida simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT luizeocaragao simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests AT catarinacjakovac simpleecologicalindicatorsbenchmarkregenerationsuccessofamazonianforests |