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Influence of Removal of a Non-native Tree Species Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. on the Regenerating Plant Communities in a Tropical Semideciduous Forest Under Restoration in Brazil

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Abstract

Exotic species are used to trigger facilitation in restoration plantings, but this positive effect may not be permanent and these species may have negative effects later on. Since such species can provide a marketable product (firewood), their harvest may represent an advantageous strategy to achieve both ecological and economic benefits. In this study, we looked at the effect of removal of a non-native tree species (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) on the understory of a semideciduous forest undergoing restoration. We assessed two 14-year-old plantation systems (modified “taungya” agroforestry system; and mixed plantation using commercial timber and firewood tree species) established at two sites with contrasting soil properties in São Paulo state, Brazil. The experimental design included randomized blocks with split plots. The natural regeneration of woody species (height ≥0.2 m) was compared between managed (all M. caesalpiniifolia trees removed) and unmanaged plots during the first year after the intervention. The removal of M. caesalpiniifolia increased species diversity but decreased stand basal area. Nevertheless, the basal area loss was recovered after 1 year. The management treatment affected tree species regeneration differently between species groups. The results of this study suggest that removal of M. caesalpiniifolia benefited the understory and possibly accelerated the succession process. Further monitoring studies are needed to evaluate the longer term effects on stand structure and composition. The lack of negative effects of tree removal on the natural regeneration indicates that such interventions can be recommended, especially considering the expectations of economic revenues from tree harvesting in restoration plantings.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the National Council of Research and Technology (CNPq) for their financial support through the Project “Manejar é preciso” (Grant # 561771/2010-3) and for the Research Productivity fellowship to G. D. and V. L. E. First author was granted with a master’s scholarship from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). We thank all the students of the Laboratory of Ecology and Forest Restoration of São Paulo State University (UNESP) and staff of the School of Agricultural Sciences (FCA) for field assistance, and in particular Aparecido Agostinho Arruda. We also are grateful to Dr. Luzia Aparecida Trinca and Danilo Scorzoni Ré for valuable assistance in statistical analyses. We thank two anonymous reviewers for making important suggestions to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Agricultural Sciences-FCA, São Paulo State University-UNESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Diego S. Podadera, Vera L. Engel, Deivid L. Machado & Luciane M. Sato

  2. USDA Forest Service - Research & Development, Washington, DC, USA

    John A. Parrotta

  3. Forestry Institute of São Paulo State, Assis State Forest, Assis, SP, Brazil

    Giselda Durigan

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  1. Diego S. Podadera
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  2. Vera L. Engel
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Correspondence to Diego S. Podadera.

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Podadera, D.S., Engel, V.L., Parrotta, J.A. et al. Influence of Removal of a Non-native Tree Species Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. on the Regenerating Plant Communities in a Tropical Semideciduous Forest Under Restoration in Brazil. Environmental Management 56, 1148–1158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0560-7

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