10.7291/D1XD4N
Holl, Karen D.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Casanoves, Fernando
Centro Agronomico Tropical De Investigacion Y Ensenanza Catie
Zahawi, Rakan A.
0000-0002-5678-2967
University of California, Santa Cruz
Celentano, Danielle
Universidade Cidade de São Paulo
Delgado, Diego
Centro Agronomico Tropical De Investigacion Y Ensenanza Catie
Lanuza, Oscar
Centro Agronomico Tropical De Investigacion Y Ensenanza Catie
Data from: Litterfall and nutrient dynamics shift in tropical forest
restoration sites after a decade of recovery
Dryad
dataset
2021
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
NSF DEB 14-56520
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
NSF DEB 05-15577
Earthwatch Institute
https://ror.org/0585vsm16
German Academic Exchange Service
https://ror.org/039djdh30
National Autonomous University of Nicaragua
2017-11-27T00:00:00Z
2017-11-27T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12533
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Multi‐year studies comparing changes in litterfall biomass and nutrient
inputs in sites under different restoration practices are lacking. We
evaluated litterfall dynamics and nutrient inputs at 5 yr and after a
decade of recovery in four treatments (natural regeneration—no planting,
plantation—entire area planted, tree islands—planting in patches, and
reference forest) at multiple sites in an agricultural landscape in
southern Costa Rica. We inter‐planted two native species (Terminalia
amazonia and Vochysia guatemalensis) and two naturalized N‐fixing species
(Inga edulis and Erythrina poeppigiana) in plantation and island
treatments. Although litterfall N was higher in plantations in the first
sampling period, litter production and overall inputs of C, N, Ca, Mg, P,
Cu, Mn, and Fe did not differ between island, plantation, or reference
forest after a decade; however, all were greater than in natural
regeneration. Potassium inputs were lower in the natural regeneration,
intermediate in island and plantation, and greater in reference forest.
The percentage of litterfall comprised by the N‐fixing planted species
declined by nearly two‐thirds in both plantations and islands between
sampling periods, while the percentage of V. guatemalensis more than
doubled, and the percentage from naturally regenerated species increased
from 27 to 47 percent in islands. Island and plantation treatments were
equally effective at restoring litterfall and nutrient inputs to levels
similar to the reference system. The nutrient input changed substantially
over the 7‐yr interval between measurements, reflecting shifts in
vegetation composition and demonstrating how rapidly nutrient cycling
dynamics can change in recovering forests.
We examined changes in litter and nutrient dynamics in tropical forest
restoration sites after a decade of recovery in southern Costa Rica. Each
site contained three 0.25-ha treatment plots: natural regeneration, trees
planted in patches or “islands”, and tree plantations. Sites spanned
elevational (1100-1430 m) and deforestation gradients (4-94% forest cover
within a 100-m radius around each site). Within sites, treatments were
separated by =5 m; restoration sites were separated by 1-10 km.