Effects of insect herbivory on seedling mortality in restored and remnant tropical forest

Active restoration increases tree species richness and recruitment of large-seeded taxa after 16-18 years

Tropical forest restoration presents a potential lifeline to mitigate climate change and biodiversity crises in the Anthropocene. Yet, the extent to which human interventions, such as tree planting, accelerate the recovery of mature functioning ecosystems or redirect successional trajectories toward novel states remains uncertain due to a lack of long-term experiments. In 2004-2006, we established three 0.25-ha plots at 10 sites in southern Costa Rica to test three forest restoration approaches: natural regeneration (no planting), applied nucleation (planting in patches), and plantation (full planting). In a comprehensive survey after 16-18 years of recovery, we censused >80,000 seedlings, saplings, and trees from at least 255 species across 26 restoration plots (nine natural regeneration, nine applied nucleation, eight plantation) and six adjacent reference forests to evaluate treatment effects on recruitment patterns and community composition. Both applied nucleation and plantation treatments resulted in significantly elevated seedling and sapling establishment and more predictable community composition compared with natural regeneration. Similarity of vegetation composition to reference forest tended to scale positively with treatment planting intensity. Later-successional species with seeds ≥5 mm had significantly greater seedling and sapling abundance in the two planted treatments, and plantation showed similar recruitment densities of large-seeded (≥10 mm) species to reference forest. Plantation tended toward a lower abundance of early-successional recruits than applied nucleation. Trees (≥5 cm dbh) in all restoration treatments continued to be dominated by a few early-successional species and originally transplanted individuals. Seedling recruits of planted taxa were more abundant in applied nucleation than the other treatments though few transitioned into the sapling layer. Overall, our findings show that active tree planting accelerates the establishment of later-successional trees compared with natural regeneration after nearly two decades. While the apparent advantages of higher density tree planting on dispersal and understory establishment of larger seeded, later-successional species recruitment is notable, more time is needed to assess whether these differences will persist and transition to the more rapid development of a mature later-successional canopy. Our results underscore the need for ecological restoration planning and monitoring that targets biodiversity recovery over multiple decades.

Herbivory limits success of vegetation restoration globally

Restoring vegetation in degraded ecosystems is an increasingly common practice for promoting biodiversity and ecological function, but successful implementation is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the processes that limit restoration success. By synthesizing terrestrial and aquatic studies globally (2594 experimental tests from 610 articles), we reveal substantial herbivore control of vegetation under restoration. Herbivores at restoration sites reduced vegetation abundance more strongly (by 89%, on average) than those at relatively undegraded sites and suppressed, rather than fostered, plant diversity. These effects were particularly pronounced in regions with higher temperatures and lower precipitation. Excluding targeted herbivores temporarily or introducing their predators improved restoration by magnitudes similar to or greater than those achieved by managing plant competition or facilitation. Thus, managing herbivory is a promising strategy for enhancing vegetation restoration efforts.