reviewScience AdvancesNov 3, 2017GOLD OA

Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro · Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro · +8 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

Is active restoration the best approach to achieve ecological restoration success (the return to a reference condition, that is, old-growth forest) when compared to natural regeneration in tropical forests? Our meta-analysis of 133 studies demonstrated that natural regeneration surpasses active restoration in achieving tropical forest restoration success for all three biodiversity groups (plants, birds, and invertebrates) and five measures of vegetation structure (cover, density, litter, biomass, and height) tested. Restoration success for biodiversity and vegetation structure was 34 to 56% and 19 to 56% higher in natural regeneration than in active restoration systems, respectively, after controlling for key…

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