Woody Species Regeneration in Atlantic Forest Restoration Sites Depends on Surrounding Landscape

Abstract

Both passive and active restoration are limited by diaspore arrival from neighboring sources. Surrounding landscape is thus important for restoration success in fragmented landscapes, where reforestation, for long periods, may be limited to the planted species pool. We sampled woody species regeneration in 17 reforestation sites in Southern Brazil to investigate the effects of distance to seed sources and amount of remaining nearby Atlantic Forest habitat. The abundance and species richness of regenerating plants were explained by multiple regressions performed using plantation age and species richness, distance to the nearest patch, and surrounding habitat. Distance to the nearest forest remnant, through both the matrix in a straight line and riparian vegetation, was the best predictor of species richness and abundance of regenerating plants. Riparian corridors doubled the distance at which forest remnants influenced restoration sites. However, the area of forest remnants in the site neighborhood did not influence regeneration diversity, suggesting that the quality of both the seed source (including the status of seed dispersing fauna) and reforestation environment for the establishment of forest species should be investigated.