Assessing the recovery gap in forest restoration within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Author(s)

Romanelli, Joao ; Kroc, Ed ; Assad, Maria ; Souza, Lukas ; Rodrigues, Andre ; Marcilio-Silva, Vinicius ; Silva, Joao ; Rodrigues, Ricardo ; Cadotte, Marc

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY; v. 62, n. 6, p. 13-pg., 2025-04-22.

Abstract

Biodiversity serves as a proxy for numerous ecosystem services that can be realized through forest restoration, benefitting both people and the environment. We investigated the magnitude of biodiversity recovery incompleteness (i.e. the recovery gap) in forest restoration within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, hereafter referred to as the Atlantic Forest. We conducted a meta-analysis to analyse how species richness and species abundance of soil microorganisms, invertebrates, and vascular plants, as well as the vegetation structure, recover across major gradients in environmental conditions and human-caused disturbances. Our study shows that forest restoration in the Atlantic Forest faces a notable biodiversity gap in species richness across both passive and active restoration areas. However, the vegetation structure could potentially reach reference levels within 25-50 years. Forest type influenced the recovery of species abundance in active restoration areas, with dense forests displaying the largest gaps. Likewise, taxonomic group influenced species richness gaps in passive restoration areas, with invertebrates showing the largest gap. Reference forest age and past land use did not significantly affect biodiversity outcomes in either restoration approach. However, biodiversity levels were lower than those of the reference forest at various levels of the moderating factors analysed. Synthesis and applications: The study shows that after 25-50 years, restoration sites develop a vegetation structure similar to that of reference forests, regardless of the restoration approach. Species richness also tends to recover over time, but the rate and pattern of recovery differ between approaches. Passive restoration follows a gradual, long-term decline in the recovery gap, while active restoration exhibits a less clear trajectory. Past land use is the strongest predictor of biodiversity recovery, particularly for vegetation structure. The restoration age, forest type, and taxonomic group play more moderate roles but explain significant variation within particular categories of each variable. These findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions to enhance restoration outcomes and the need to prioritize efforts based on specific restoration objectives. Our results emphasize the importance of setting realistic, taxon-specific goals and provide metrics to guide resource allocation based on recovery gaps and timelines. A biodiversidade funciona como um indicador para in & uacute;meros servi & ccedil;os ecossist & ecirc;micos que podem ser alcan & ccedil;ados por meio da restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o florestal, beneficiando tanto as pessoas quanto o meio ambiente. Investigamos a magnitude da incompletude na recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o da biodiversidade (isto & eacute;, a lacuna de recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o) na restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o florestal da Mata Atl & acirc;ntica brasileira. Conduzimos uma meta-an & aacute;lise para examinar como a riqueza e a abund & acirc;ncia de esp & eacute;cies de microrganismos do solo, invertebrados e plantas vasculares, assim como a estrutura da vegeta & ccedil;& atilde;o, se recuperam ao longo de diferentes gradientes de condi & ccedil;& otilde;es ambientais e perturba & ccedil;& otilde;es causadas pelo ser humano. Nosso estudo mostra que a restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o florestal na Mata Atl & acirc;ntica enfrenta uma lacuna significativa de biodiversidade em termos de riqueza de esp & eacute;cies, tanto em & aacute;reas de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o passiva quanto ativa. No entanto, a estrutura da vegeta & ccedil;& atilde;o pode potencialmente alcan & ccedil;ar os n & iacute;veis das florestas de refer & ecirc;ncia em um per & iacute;odo de 25 a 50 anos. O tipo de floresta influenciou a recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o da abund & acirc;ncia de esp & eacute;cies em & aacute;reas de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o ativa, com as florestas ombr & oacute;filas densas apresentando as maiores lacunas de recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o. Da mesma forma, o grupo taxon & ocirc;mico influenciou as lacunas da riqueza de esp & eacute;cies em & aacute;reas de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o passiva, sendo os invertebrados o grupo com a maior defasagem. A idade da floresta de refer & ecirc;ncia e o uso anterior do solo n & atilde;o afetaram significativamente os resultados da biodiversidade em nenhuma das abordagens de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o. No entanto, os n & iacute;veis de biodiversidade permaneceram inferiores aos das florestas de refer & ecirc;ncia em diversos n & iacute;veis dos fatores moderadores analisados. S & iacute;ntese e aplica & ccedil;& otilde;es: O estudo revela que, ap & oacute;s 25 a 50 anos, os locais de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o desenvolvem a estrutura da vegeta & ccedil;& atilde;o semelhante & agrave; das florestas de refer & ecirc;ncia, independentemente do m & eacute;todo de restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o adotado. A riqueza de esp & eacute;cies tamb & eacute;m tende a se recuperar ao longo do tempo, mas a taxa e o padr & atilde;o de recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o diferem entre as abordagens. A restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o passiva segue um decl & iacute;nio gradual e prolongado na lacuna de recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o, enquanto a restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o ativa apresenta uma trajet & oacute;ria menos clara. O uso anterior do solo & eacute; o principal preditor da recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o da biodiversidade, especialmente para a estrutura da vegeta & ccedil;& atilde;o. A idade da restaura & ccedil;& atilde;o, o tipo de floresta e o grupo taxon & ocirc;mico desempenham pap & eacute;is moderados, mas explicam varia & ccedil;& otilde;es significativas dentro de categorias espec & iacute;ficas de cada vari & aacute;vel. Esses achados destacam a import & acirc;ncia de interven & ccedil;& otilde;es direcionadas para melhorar os r Nossos resultados enfatizam a import & acirc;ncia de estabelecer metas realistas e espec & iacute;ficas para cada t & aacute;xon e fornecem m & eacute;tricas para orientar a aloca & ccedil;& atilde;o de recursos com base nas lacunas e nos prazos de recupera & ccedil;& atilde;o. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/50718-5 - Ecological restoration of riparian forests, native forest of economic production and of degraded forest fragments (in APP and RL) based on restoration ecology of reference ecosystems in order to scientifically test the precepts of the New Brazilian Forest Code
• Grantee: Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/08533-4 - Understanding ecological and social aspects of restoration actions in tropical regions through systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• Grantee: João Paulo Romanelli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 22/14695-0 - Economic feasibility and silvicultural potential of native timber species from Brazilian Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: João Paulo Bispo Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/18416-2 - Understanding restored forests for benefiting people and nature - NewFor
• Grantee: Pedro Henrique Santin Brancalion
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants