Simple ecological indicators benchmark regeneration success of Amazonian forests
Natural regeneration of Amazon forests offers a promising strategy to mitigate forest loss and advance the goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. However, the vast variability in regeneration rates across environmental gradients and over time poses considerable challenges for assessing regeneration success and ecosystem services provision in human-modified landscapes. Here we compiled 448 plots from forest regeneration in the Amazon to investigate the drivers of regrowth capacity and identify robust ecological indicators. By modeling optimal successional trajectories, we estimated reference values for vegetation structure, diversity, and functioning. After 20 years, successful regeneration should reach a minimum basal area of 14 m². ha−¹, at least 34 tree species per 100 individuals, a structural heterogeneity index of 0.27, and 123 Mg.ha−¹ of aboveground biomass. These straightforward indicators and reference values provide a foundational framework for governments and practitioners to assess success and establish targets for Amazon restoration efforts. Optimal regeneration success in Amazonian forests is mapped by simple ecological indicators, providing reference values for measuring restoration success across successional stages based on a large compiled dataset on forest regeneration.
Authors
- Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8747-0085)
- Marielos Peña‐Claros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9134-6733)
- Priscila Sanjuan de Medeiros Sarmento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5001-9573)
- João Victor Siqueira
- Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4504-3050)
- Jos Barlow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4992-2594)
- André Braga Junqueira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3681-1705)
- André L. Giles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1973-400X)
- Markus Gastauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9599-0902)
- Luis Oliveira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7220-3673)
- Marciel José Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7164-2284)
- Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1233-318X)
- Daniel Luís Mascia Vieira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2709-5308)
- Mário M. Espírito‐Santo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8274-3075)
- Milena Fermina Rosenfield (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1799-2822)
- Natália Lopes Medeiros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4522-5938)
- Lourens Poorter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1391-4875)
- Paulo Massoca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6396-8244)
- Henrique Cassol (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6728-4712)
- Richarlly da Costa Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8312-760X)
- Luiz E. O. C. Aragão (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-6708)
- Joice Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4008-2341)
- Leandro Valle Ferreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9674-0238)
- Pedro H. S. Brancalion (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8245-4062)
- Catarina C. Jakovac (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8130-852X)
- Érika Berenguer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8157-8792)
- Juliana Schietti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1687-4373)
- Rita C. G. Mesquita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1746-3215)
- Fernando Elias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9190-1733)
Institutions
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- The Nature Conservancy (US)
- Universidade Federal do Acre (BR)
- Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (BR)
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (BR)
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (BR)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR)
- The Nature Conservancy (CO)
- Amazon Research Foundation (BR)
- Forest Science and Research Institute (BR)
- Imazon (BR)
- Instituto de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá (BR)
- Instituto Federal do Acre (BR)
- Vale Technological Institute (BR)
- Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas (BR)
- Lancaster University (GB)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (BR)
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2024-12-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01949-9
- Citations
- 13
- Primary Topic
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.67
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical
- Instituto Serrapilheira
- Instituto Superior de Agronomia