Abstract
ABSTRACT Enrichment plantings into secondary forest are an important option in restoring species diversity and ecosystem services. However, little attention has been given to environmental requirements for species performance. This study evaluated the effects of lightgaps and topographic position on the growth and survival of four native tree species (Pouteria caimito, Garcinia macrophylla, Dipteryx odorata and Cynometra bauhiniaefolia) planted into a 26-year old secondary forest originating from abandoned pastures in the central Amazon Basin. Artificial lightgaps and control plots under closed canopy were uniformly distributed on plateaus and bottomlands near water bodies. Seedlings were planted randomly into the plots and monitored for 28 months. Seedling survival rate was high (93%) and did not differ among species. Overall, lightgaps produced a 38% increase in seedling height relative to the controls. Although the four species naturally occur in mature forest, two of the four grew significantly more in lightgaps than in closed canopy secondary forest. Overall, bottomlands facilitated greater seedling growth in height (38%) relative to plateaus, but only one species exhibited a significant increase. This study shows the importance of the environmental variability generated with canopy openings along the topographic gradient, suggesting that both the selection of species and microsite conditions of planting sites have to be considered important criteria in the recovery of degraded areas.
Highlights
In the Brazilian Amazon, despite efforts to control the advance of deforestation, extensive areas continue to be clearcut and converted to various anthropogenic land uses
The study was conducted at the Esteio ranch research area of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) (2°30’S, 60°W), located 80 km north of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Ten died in the plateau plots, seven of 84 in lightgaps and three of 32 in control plots
Summary
In the Brazilian Amazon, despite efforts to control the advance of deforestation, extensive areas continue to be clearcut and converted to various anthropogenic land uses. Forests regenerating from abandoned pastures are characterized by low biodiversity and slow species replacements relative to areas clearcut and abandoned without conversion to pasture (Williamson et al 2012; Longworth et al 2014; Mesquita et al 2015). In this scenario of impeded succession, intervention with adequate management is considered one of the principal methods for forest restoration on abandoned pastures (Lamb et al 2005; Norden et al 2010)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
