Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon
The Amazon ecosystem plays a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation but faces escalating threats from deforestation and degradation. The resulting secondary forests (SFs) provide a promising opportunity for Transformative Territorial Management, fostering restoration a...
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| author | Carlos H. Rodríguez-León Armando Sterling Amelia Trujillo-Briñez Yerson D. Suárez-Córdoba Lilia L. Roa-Fuentes |
| author_facet | Carlos H. Rodríguez-León Armando Sterling Amelia Trujillo-Briñez Yerson D. Suárez-Córdoba Lilia L. Roa-Fuentes |
| author_sort | Carlos H. Rodríguez-León |
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| description | The Amazon ecosystem plays a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation but faces escalating threats from deforestation and degradation. The resulting secondary forests (SFs) provide a promising opportunity for Transformative Territorial Management, fostering restoration and enhancing conservation values. This study evaluated aboveground biomass (AGB), species diversity, forest structure, and soil properties in SFs of the Colombian Amazon along a chronosequence, from early to mature successional stages, in landscapes of mountains and of hills to identify key indicators for effective restoration management. The results show a consistent increase in AGB, species diversity, forest structure, and soil quality with forest age, though recovery patterns varied between both landscapes evaluated. Topographic differences influenced successional dynamics, with mountainous landscapes showing faster early recovery compared to the steadier, linear growth observed in hill areas. In hills, AGB at 10 years reached 12.65% of the biomass expected in a mature forest, increasing to nearly 42% by 40 years of abandonment, at a rate of 0.708 Mg C ha<sup>−1</sup> year<sup>−1</sup>. In contrast, in the mountain landscape, AGB at 10 years reached approximately 8.35% of the carbon in a mature forest and increased to nearly 63.55% at 40 years. Forest age and soil properties emerged as primary drivers of AGB recovery, while diversity and forest structure played indirect but significant roles. In hill areas, soil conservation practices are critical for maintaining steady growth, whereas mountain regions benefit from assisted natural regeneration (ANR) to accelerate recovery. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the management of SFs as a central strategy for achieving restoration goals. Such practices are essential to enhance the ecological resilience of SFs and ensure their long-term sustainability, fostering their role as key contributors to restoration efforts and the provision of ecosystem services. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-8971fe58b60848a8955417537923a4472025-01-24T13:29:27ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-01-011713910.3390/d17010039Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the AmazonCarlos H. Rodríguez-León0Armando Sterling1Amelia Trujillo-Briñez2Yerson D. Suárez-Córdoba3Lilia L. Roa-Fuentes4Programa Modelos de Funcionamiento y Sostenibilidad, Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Florencia 180001, ColombiaPrograma Modelos de Funcionamiento y Sostenibilidad, Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Florencia 180001, ColombiaPrograma Modelos de Funcionamiento y Sostenibilidad, Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Florencia 180001, ColombiaPrograma Modelos de Funcionamiento y Sostenibilidad, Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, Florencia 180001, ColombiaDepartamento de Ecología y Territorio, Facultad de Estudios Ambientales y Rurales, Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, ColombiaThe Amazon ecosystem plays a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation but faces escalating threats from deforestation and degradation. The resulting secondary forests (SFs) provide a promising opportunity for Transformative Territorial Management, fostering restoration and enhancing conservation values. This study evaluated aboveground biomass (AGB), species diversity, forest structure, and soil properties in SFs of the Colombian Amazon along a chronosequence, from early to mature successional stages, in landscapes of mountains and of hills to identify key indicators for effective restoration management. The results show a consistent increase in AGB, species diversity, forest structure, and soil quality with forest age, though recovery patterns varied between both landscapes evaluated. Topographic differences influenced successional dynamics, with mountainous landscapes showing faster early recovery compared to the steadier, linear growth observed in hill areas. In hills, AGB at 10 years reached 12.65% of the biomass expected in a mature forest, increasing to nearly 42% by 40 years of abandonment, at a rate of 0.708 Mg C ha<sup>−1</sup> year<sup>−1</sup>. In contrast, in the mountain landscape, AGB at 10 years reached approximately 8.35% of the carbon in a mature forest and increased to nearly 63.55% at 40 years. Forest age and soil properties emerged as primary drivers of AGB recovery, while diversity and forest structure played indirect but significant roles. In hill areas, soil conservation practices are critical for maintaining steady growth, whereas mountain regions benefit from assisted natural regeneration (ANR) to accelerate recovery. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the management of SFs as a central strategy for achieving restoration goals. Such practices are essential to enhance the ecological resilience of SFs and ensure their long-term sustainability, fostering their role as key contributors to restoration efforts and the provision of ecosystem services.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/1/39secondary successionnatural restorationchronosequenceaboveground biomasscarbon sequestrationlandscape configuration |
| spellingShingle | Carlos H. Rodríguez-León Armando Sterling Amelia Trujillo-Briñez Yerson D. Suárez-Córdoba Lilia L. Roa-Fuentes Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon Diversity secondary succession natural restoration chronosequence aboveground biomass carbon sequestration landscape configuration |
| title | Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon |
| title_full | Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon |
| title_fullStr | Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon |
| title_short | Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon |
| title_sort | forest attribute dynamics in secondary forests insights for advancing ecological restoration and transformative territorial management in the amazon |
| topic | secondary succession natural restoration chronosequence aboveground biomass carbon sequestration landscape configuration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/1/39 |
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