Lessons Learned From Direct Seeding to Restore Degraded Mountains in Cauca, Colombia

ABSTRACT Direct seeding is a technique frequently used to restore degraded lands worldwide. Direct seeding is attractive to restore degraded lands mainly because of its low cost compared to planting seedlings. However, this technique has been poorly studied in tropical mountains. Here, we investigated the outcomes of direct seeding at four degraded sites in the Andean mountains of Cauca, Colombia. We used 45 native tree species, most of them commonly used in restoration projects in the Andean region of Colombia. After 150 days of sowing, we evaluated seedling emergence, survival and establishment costs. Performance of direct seeding was markedly different across sites. Most species had low seedling emergence, with Guayaba ( Psidium guajava ) and Matachande ( Bocconia frutescens ) showing the highest emergence. Species with large seeds showed higher emergence compared with medium and small seeds. Seedling density was considerably variable among sites, ranging from 496 to 5550 ind. ha −1 . Our results evidence the need for long‐term monitoring at mountain restoration sites and that restoring tropical degraded mountains using direct seeding is a challenge that can be complemented with native tree planting. Further research is required to explore the advantages and disadvantages of direct seeding in mountain terrain.