Exotic and invasive species compromise the seed bank and seed rain dynamics in forests undergoing restoration at urban regions

The control of exotic and invasive species in areas undergoing recovery is a challenge for ecological restoration and this problem may be even greater in urbanized areas. This study evaluated the seed bank and seed rain of a 5-year-old riparian forest located at the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte in southeast Brazil, and verified changes over time in the abundance and species richness and whether planted species already were providing propagules to the site. At the forest, fifteen parcels of 100 m2 were distributed randomly and soil samples were collected thrice (October 2011, March 2012 and July 2012) to evaluate the seed bank. Seed traps were installed in nine parcels to collect propagules over 1 year. Propagules were segregated and germinate at greenhouse. Species richness and abundance were estimated, and variance and similarity were quantified. In total, 86 species were recorded in the seed banks, 41.9% natives and 33.7% exotics, with the predominance of herbs (87.2%) and only 7% of trees. Species classified as weeds amounted to 52.3%. In the seed rain 642 seedlings germinated but they belonged to only 10 species, half of them were exotics. Regarding life forms, half of the species were arboreal and dominated the samples, highlighting the exotic species Melia azedarach. The species richness of the seed bank did not differ by season, unlike the seed rain which varied significantly by month. Seed bank and seed rain species had a very low floristic similarity with the list of planted species, suggesting that few planted trees had dispersed or were stocking propagules. Many non-planted species were recorded, mostly exotics and/or invasive that were probably derived from the surrounding urban matrix. These might interrupt the successional dynamics of the restoration forest and compromise the restoration process in the medium and long-terms. Our results highlight: (1) the importance of monitoring areas undergoing restoration; (2) that restoration methods and management actions directed to control exotic and invasive species are particularly important for sites in urban regions; and (3) the relevance of conserving forest fragments as sources of propagules for nearby areas.

Phenological study of congeneric Myrcia species and Clethra scabra in wetland and drained habitats in a Montane Forest

Although important,phenological studies comparing congeneric species or the same species growing in different habitats are still scarce for the tropics.Herein,we integrate phylogeny,ecology and biometeorology to verify whether the phenophases of congeneric species Myrcia laruotteana and Myrcia amazonica or Clethra scabra differ when their populations inhabit wetland and drained habitats and to determine what abiotic factors affect the vegetative and reproductive phenophases of these species in distinct habitat patches.We collected data on phenological events of 80 trees for 1 year in Itacolomi State Park,Brazil,and related them to abiotic local factors.Contrary to our expectation,the phenophases of the congeneric species did not differ between habitats,but the reproductive phenophases of C.scabra did and was greater in drained soil.Phenophases of C.scabra were affected by the depth of the water table and maximum temperature in the wetland soil.Insolation,precipitation,maximum temperature and relative humidity influenced Myrcia and Clethra in the drained soil.The differences between C.scabra populations suggest that this species is phenotypically plastic and can present distinct phenophases depending on the habitat it inhabits.On the other hand,the congeneric Myrcia species may have similar phenophases in distinct habitats because of their shared similarities during their evolution.This study provides a better understanding of the ecology of these species and their adaptations to different abiotic conditions.Data of this nature are important in a changing world and can inform strategies for adaptive management.

Structure of a Semideciduous Seasonal Forest in the National Forest of Ipanema,Brazil:Contributing to the Floristic Knowledge of a Poorly Studied Protected Area

Studies on composition and structure generate crucial information for characterizing plant communities and planning conservation actions.There are still substantial knowledge gaps in Brazilian protected areas,preventing design programs to mitigate biodiversity loss.This is the case of the National Forest of Ipanema(Ipanema NAFO)in São Paulo state,Brazil,where plant diversity remains uncalculated.To help fill this gap,in 1-ha of a seasonal semideciduous forest(SSF)stand on the Araçoiaba hill,the authors sampled all woody stems with dbh≥5 cm in a total of 103 dead and 1,301 living plants representing 65 species,57 genera,and 31 families.The number of species and families was lower than old-growth SSF and,together with the land-use history,which suggests the community is a secondary stand.The initial species Guazuma ulmifolia,Machaerium stipitatum,Croton floribundus,and Aloysia virgata totalized 50%of the living stems,whereas 37%of the other species summed up only 1.8%.The high abundance of these initial species and the presence of the climax species Cariniana legalis,Holocayx balansae,Myroxylon peruiferum,Zanthoxylum caribaeum and others indicate that the community is in an intermediate to advanced successional stage.Three species are considered vulnerable to extinction and 27 of least concern.Ipanema NAFO is an important conservation unit,sheltering some plants vulnerable to extinction and others locally rare.This study adds to other few studies about the flora of Ipanema NAFO,helping to estimate its biodiversity and planning conservation actions.Additionally,it is a source for defining reference values for ecological restoration in the Atlantic forest.

The Importance of Ecological Redundancy for Ecosystems Restoration

Restoration ecology is a multidisciplinary science that exchanges several concepts with other scientific fields to improve its practices.In this article,I discuss the ecological redundancy concept and its implications and appli­cations on ecological restoration.Ecological redundancy was coined in the early 1990s to characterize those species that play similar(equivalent)func­tions in the ecosystem.The concept made it possible to segregate species into functional groups that operate in maintaining the system.I searched the literature and found that although some restoration models naturally consider this concept,studies in areas undergoing restoration which di­rectly measure and test the ecological redundancy are still rare(n=14).I provide evidence that distinguishing redundant species and identifying key species is feasible for ecological restoration.Additionally,I suggest that redundancy should also be part of the restoration monitoring,for example,by checking if functional groups have been recovered.Theory predicts that if ecological redundancy is correctly incorporated in restoration,projects with more chances of success will be created because redundancy tends to increase ecosystem resilience.Resilience is a crucial factor for restoration sustainability in a changing environment.

A Tip for Decolonising Ecology and Conservation:The English Language is not the Problem,But Look beyond it

Discussions about bias in publications in ecology and conservation towards authors from the Global North and the underrepresentation of authors from the Global South have increased recently.This underrepresentation is not novel,but the interest in such discrepancies has gained at­tention in social media and scientific journals.Renowned scientists(mainly from the North)have published in top ecology/conservation journals evidence that the number of submitted articles is greater than the number of accept­ed articles from the Global South[1].The opposite is true for North American,European,and Oceanian authors,i.e.,the percentage of accepted articles is greater than submit­ted ones[1].In addition,not surprisingly,women are also highly underrepresented among the top-publishing ecolo­gists[2],especially those from the Global South.