Population dynamics of the guabiroba tree (Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg) in a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest across three disturbance histories

We have analyzed the demography of the guabiroba tree (Campomanesia xanthocarpa O. Berg) in high- to low-disturbances areas within the Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in Southern Brazil. We sought to verify the regeneration status of the species using a projection model in a Brazilian Protected Area. Three 50 × 50 m plots were set: (i) a high-disturbed area with intensive logging in 1984; (ii) a medium-disturbed fragment that underwent selective tree logging between 1940 and 1968; and (iii) a low-disturbed area with no logging history. All guabiroba trees were identified and measured by height and diameter between 2016 and 2018. We thus calculated demographic rates and fruit production to understand how distinct landscapes affect species’ population dynamics. Canopy openness was measured using hemispherical photographs. Guabiroba tree populations in high- and low-disturbed plots showed growing trends, whereas in medium-disturbed plots, the species showed stagnation, possibly due to the press disturbance caused by long-term logging, which might have affected the seed bank. Reforestation using saplings ≥ 30 cm is therefore recommended to boost species regeneration, grounded in the calculated survival rates (close to 100%). The greater canopy openness and the lower interspecific competition explain the elevated number of regenerants in high-disturbed areas compared to low- to medium-disturbed areas. Increased fruit production was linked to the species’ preference for preserved patches. The species showed higher colonization capacity in the high-disturbed area, and the species’ broad plasticity to shade levels also contributes to persistence in the floristic composition of preserved remnants. We thus recommend the guabiroba tree as a key suitable native species for reforestation and/or restoration initiatives within the threatened Mixed Ombrophilous Forests of Brazil, as well as for broader restoration strategies for the Atlantic Forest Biome.