Seed functional traits as predictors of seedling establishment success in Brazilian tropical forest restoration

Several ecological filters in deforested and degraded areas reduce seedling emergence and establishment and hinder ecological restoration by direct seeding. Understanding whether functional traits are related to a species' capacity to overcome these filters and predict their field performance m...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: de Souza, Diego Cerveira [UNESP], Engel, Vera Lex [UNESP]
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:Brasil
Recursos:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/304296
Acesso em linha:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/btp.13355
https://hdl.handle.net/11449/304296
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:cotyledon function
ecological restoration
germination speed
seed mass
seedling establishment
tropical tree species
Descrição
Resumo:Several ecological filters in deforested and degraded areas reduce seedling emergence and establishment and hinder ecological restoration by direct seeding. Understanding whether functional traits are related to a species' capacity to overcome these filters and predict their field performance might improve the success of direct seeding techniques for ecological restoration. We assessed eight seed functional traits of tropical tree species, seeking those that best explained their establishment success in direct seeding restoration projects. We analyzed a dataset from 52 studies that tested direct seeding techniques with tree species in Brazil. From each study, we collected the mean establishment percentage for all tree species. Seed mass, cotyledon function, and germination speed were the only functional traits that significantly affected the species establishment percentage in direct seeding restoration projects. Species with larger seeds, storage cotyledons, and faster germination had higher establishment percentages. Choosing species with these functional traits for seed mixes will provide higher establishment percentages and, consequently, improve restoration success by direct seeding techniques.