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Effects of grass clearing and soil tilling on establishment of planted tree seedlings in tropical riparian pastures

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Abstract

Anthropogenic disturbances frequently exceed resilience of riparian forests. In small-scale restoration projects revegetation is a common technique, but its success depends on the plant species used and some environmental filters. We investigated whether grass competition and soil compaction together with seasonal drought and flooding limit the establishment of seven tree species experimentally planted in abandoned riparian pastures in Southern Mexico. We tested the effects of grass clearing and soil tilling and analyzed seasonal variation of vertical distance to water level, and changes in tree performance, microclimate, and vegetation biomass after planting. Seedling survival was low (19 ± 3 %), ranging between 3 (Brosimum alicastrum, Moraceae) and 38 % (Pachira aquatica, Bombacaceae). Survival was negatively correlated to vertical distance to water level, highlighting the importance of the short but severe dry season that may occur in the humid tropics, which reduced survival by >60 %. Flooding events also produced high seedling mortality (80 % after the two first events). Clearing but not tilling enhanced seedling survival. Clearing also significantly increased seedling growth of some species, suggesting competition release. Tilling did not have any consistent effect on growth, but it appears to counteract the positive effects of clearing. Both pre-existing and planted trees ameliorated microclimate to produce better conditions for establishment of new trees following natural regeneration. We conclude that clearing can enhance seedling establishment in riparian abandoned tropical pastures, but other revegetation treatments intended to reduce soil drying and uprooting by flooding during early establishment should be evaluated to improve the cost-benefit of restoring riparian forest.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of a project involving the reestablishment of native riparian forest along the small tributaries of Lacantún River in Marqués de Comillas municipality (Chiapas, Mexico).We particularly thank to C. Méndez, R. Cao, R. Aguilar and all Natura staff that were involved in field work. J. Madrigal, K. Holl and P. Villar advised with statistical analyses and greatly improved the content and presentation of a previous version of this manuscript. Funding was mostly provided by Pemex and the WWF-FCS Alliance, and a Rufford Small Grant for Nature Conservation to PM (40.11.09). JMRB thanks Projects CGL2010-18312 (Spanish Ministry of Science and Education) and S2009AMB-1783 REMEDINAL-2 (Madrid Government). MMR thanks CONACyT and PSPA-DGAPA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos A.C., Plaza San Jacinto 23-D, Col. San Ángel, 01000, Mexico, DF, Mexico

    Paula Meli

  2. Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Edificio de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    José María Rey Benayas

  3. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua carretera a Pátzcuaro No. 8701, 58190, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Miguel Martínez Ramos

  4. Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Circuito Exterior S/N, 04510, Mexico, DF, Mexico

    Julia Carabias

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  1. Paula Meli
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Correspondence to Paula Meli.

Appendix

Appendix

Soil properties in restoration plots; generalized models of survival of tree seedlings and; parameter estimates of seedling survival model (Tables 3, 4 and 5).

Table 3 Mean (standard error) of soil properties under four experimental treatments applied to ten degraded riparian pastures at Marqués de Comillas, southern Mexico
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Table 4 Generalized models of survival of tree seedlings of seven tree species 8 and 24 months after planting into ten riparian pastures under four treatment conditions
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Table 5 Parameter estimates and associated error for the supported model of seedling survival of seven native tree species planted into ten riparian pastures
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Meli, P., Rey Benayas, J.M., Martínez Ramos, M. et al. Effects of grass clearing and soil tilling on establishment of planted tree seedlings in tropical riparian pastures. New Forests 46, 507–525 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-015-9479-3

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