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Applying plant–plant interaction theory to advance tropical dry forest restoration

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Abstract

Key message

Species interactions should be considered during the design of restoration plans for tropical dry forests.

Abstract

Legume trees dominate old-growth and regenerating tropical dry forests with some pioneers becoming temporarily monodominant during secondary succession. Yet, the mechanisms promoting legume coexistence in this ecosystem are poorly understood but essential to develop restoration strategies for degraded forests. We studied plant–plant interactions in the regeneration niche of an early and a late successional legume tree species, increasingly co-occurring in northwestern Mexico due to persistent climatic and anthropogenic disturbance that is altering forest dynamics. Our experiment comprised two species (Acacia cochliacantha, typical early successional and monodominant, and Lysiloma watsonii, typical late successional) × two habitats (direct light and shade) × three plant interaction treatments (control, intraspecific and interspecific). Each of the 12 experimental units contained 20 pots, totaling 240 replicates. We examined germination, seedling survival, and growth dynamics and determined seedling dry mass (total and root: shoot) at the end of the experiment. Our results suggest that legume monodominance in regenerating tropical dry forests starts early during germination and may be temporarily maintained through the interplay between interspecific facilitation and intraspecific competition. In contrast, late successional species may avoid negative heterospecific interactions by recruiting later (benefiting from neighbors’ shade) and maintaining neutral associations with conspecifics since early ontogenetic stages. Therefore, a cautious selection of early and late successional species and their spatial arrangement should be considered during the planning stage of restoration programs for tropical dry forests. Advancing our understanding of plant interactions in tropical dry forests should lead us to develop better tools for restoring this highly degraded ecosystem.

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Data availability

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We express our gratitude to Instituto de Geología UNAM (Hermosillo, Sonora) for allowing us to use their facilities during this experiment. We thank Dr. Alberto Búrquez and Dra. Enriquena Bustamante Ortega for logistical and technical support. We appreciate the assistance of David Parra, Michel Gómez, Gilberto Valenzuela, Diego Ramos and Sharon Hernández during plant measurements and harvesting.

Funding

This research was funded by PAPIIT-DGAPA, UNAM (#IN207315) to AMY, and CB-CONACYT (RETROSECE project #36971) and PROFAPI-ITSON (2024–009) to JCAY.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa Educativo Licenciatura en Ecología, Universidad Estatal de Sonora, Ley Federal del Trabajo S/N, Col. Apolo, 83100, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

    Rosita Villegas & Eugenio Larios

  2. Ecología Para La Conservación del Gran Desierto A.C, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

    Eugenio Larios & Ricardo E. Félix-Burruel

  3. Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Colosio y Sahuaripa S/N, Los Arcos, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

    Angelina Martínez-Yrízar

  4. Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 5 de Febrero 818 Sur Centro, 85000, Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico

    Adrián Bojórquez & Juan C. Álvarez-Yépiz

  5. Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Concepción, Chile

    Bárbara Larraín-Barrios

Authors
  1. Rosita Villegas
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  2. Eugenio Larios
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  3. Ricardo E. Félix-Burruel
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  4. Angelina Martínez-Yrízar
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  5. Adrián Bojórquez
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  6. Bárbara Larraín-Barrios
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  7. Juan C. Álvarez-Yépiz
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Contributions

E.L., R.E.F.B., and J.C.A.Y. conceived and design the experiment. E.L., R.E.F.B., and R.V. analyzed the data. R.V., A.B., B.L.B., and J.C.A.Y. wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. A.M.Y. and J.C.A.Y. obtained financial support. All authors contributed to data collection and provided editorial advice.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan C. Álvarez-Yépiz.

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Communicated by F. Scarano .

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Villegas, R., Larios, E., Félix-Burruel, R.E. et al. Applying plant–plant interaction theory to advance tropical dry forest restoration. Trees 38, 1023–1033 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-024-02532-7

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