Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges

A major global effort to enable cost‐effective natural regeneration is needed to achieve ambitious forest and landscape restoration goals. Natural forest regeneration can potentially play a major role in large‐scale landscape restoration in tropical regions. Here, we focus on the conditions that fav...

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Autores principales: Chazdon, R.L., Guariguata, Manuel R.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Wiley 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/95355
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author Chazdon, R.L.
Guariguata, Manuel R.
author_browse Chazdon, R.L.
Guariguata, Manuel R.
author_facet Chazdon, R.L.
Guariguata, Manuel R.
author_sort Chazdon, R.L.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description A major global effort to enable cost‐effective natural regeneration is needed to achieve ambitious forest and landscape restoration goals. Natural forest regeneration can potentially play a major role in large‐scale landscape restoration in tropical regions. Here, we focus on the conditions that favor natural regeneration within tropical forest landscapes. We illustrate cases where large‐scale natural regeneration followed forest clearing and non‐forest land use, and describe the social and ecological factors that drove these local forest transitions. The self‐organizing processes that create naturally regenerating forests and natural regeneration in planted forests promote local genetic adaptation, foster native species with known traditional uses, create spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and sustain local biodiversity and biotic interactions. These features confer greater ecosystem resilience in the face of future shocks and disturbances. We discuss economic, social, and legal issues that challenge natural regeneration in tropical landscapes. We conclude by suggesting ways to enable natural regeneration to become an effective tool for implementing large‐scale forest and landscape restoration. Major research and policy priorities include: identifying and modeling the ecological and economic conditions where natural regeneration is a viable and favorable land‐use option, developing monitoring protocols for natural regeneration that can be carried out by local communities, and developing enabling incentives, governance structures, and regulatory conditions that promote the stewardship of naturally regenerating forests. Aligning restoration goals and practices with natural regeneration can achieve the best possible outcome for achieving multiple social and environmental benefits at minimal cost.
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spelling CGSpace953552025-06-17T08:24:10Z Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges Chazdon, R.L. Guariguata, Manuel R. natural regeneration ecological restoration forests tropical forests forest management conservation forest rehabilitation land rehabilitation A major global effort to enable cost‐effective natural regeneration is needed to achieve ambitious forest and landscape restoration goals. Natural forest regeneration can potentially play a major role in large‐scale landscape restoration in tropical regions. Here, we focus on the conditions that favor natural regeneration within tropical forest landscapes. We illustrate cases where large‐scale natural regeneration followed forest clearing and non‐forest land use, and describe the social and ecological factors that drove these local forest transitions. The self‐organizing processes that create naturally regenerating forests and natural regeneration in planted forests promote local genetic adaptation, foster native species with known traditional uses, create spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and sustain local biodiversity and biotic interactions. These features confer greater ecosystem resilience in the face of future shocks and disturbances. We discuss economic, social, and legal issues that challenge natural regeneration in tropical landscapes. We conclude by suggesting ways to enable natural regeneration to become an effective tool for implementing large‐scale forest and landscape restoration. Major research and policy priorities include: identifying and modeling the ecological and economic conditions where natural regeneration is a viable and favorable land‐use option, developing monitoring protocols for natural regeneration that can be carried out by local communities, and developing enabling incentives, governance structures, and regulatory conditions that promote the stewardship of naturally regenerating forests. Aligning restoration goals and practices with natural regeneration can achieve the best possible outcome for achieving multiple social and environmental benefits at minimal cost. 2016-11 2018-07-03T11:02:50Z 2018-07-03T11:02:50Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/95355 en Limited Access Wiley Chazdon, R.L., Guariguata, M.R.. 2016. Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics : prospects and challenges. Biotropica, 48 (6) : 716-730. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12381
spellingShingle natural regeneration
ecological restoration
forests
tropical forests
forest management
conservation
forest rehabilitation
land rehabilitation
Chazdon, R.L.
Guariguata, Manuel R.
Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title_full Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title_fullStr Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title_full_unstemmed Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title_short Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: prospects and challenges
title_sort natural regeneration as a tool for large scale forest restoration in the tropics prospects and challenges
topic natural regeneration
ecological restoration
forests
tropical forests
forest management
conservation
forest rehabilitation
land rehabilitation
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/95355
work_keys_str_mv AT chazdonrl naturalregenerationasatoolforlargescaleforestrestorationinthetropicsprospectsandchallenges
AT guariguatamanuelr naturalregenerationasatoolforlargescaleforestrestorationinthetropicsprospectsandchallenges