Does forest restoration assist the recovery of threatened species? A study of cloud forest amphibian communities

Abstract

Forest restoration may support recovery and conservation of biodiversity. However, the response of biodiversity to forest restoration is likely to vary depending on the restoration strategy used and taxa considered. Our goal was to assess the recovery of amphibians, a highly threatened biological group, in three cloud forests under different restoration strategies. We compared different measures of species diversity in cattle pasture, 13-year-old forest under passive restoration (P13), 23-year-old forest under passive restoration (P23), 23-year-old forest under active restoration (A23) and mature cloud forest in Mexico. We sampled amphibians in 45 plots and measured landscape and habitat variables to assess their influence on amphibian recovery. We found a total of 13 amphibian species, of which 23% are in the Vulnerable (VU) category of the IUCN Red List and 15% are Critically Endangered (CR). All forests under restoration recovered amphibian species richness and composition, including that of the threatened species, but abundance differed among restoration strategies. Abundance of VU and CR species was higher in A23 than in P13 and P23, but that of CR species was highest in cloud forest. Responses to forest restoration differed among taxa; recovery of salamanders was lower than that of anurans. Proximity to water bodies, as well as high canopy and leaf litter cover, had a strong positive influence on amphibian recovery. Our results indicate that recovery of threatened biodiversity could be promoted through forest restoration, particularly active restoration, and highlight the essential role of mature forest in the maintenance and recovery of amphibian communities.