Secondary forests are increasingly important components of human‐modified landscapes in
the tropics. Successional pathways, however, can vary enormously across and within …

In this review, we highlight the main biotic and abiotic factors that influence the patterns of
Neotropical secondary forest successions, referred as the woody vegetation that regrows …

Land-use history interacts with natural forces to influence the severity of disturbance events
and the rate and nature of recovery processes in tropical forests. Although we are far from an …

Variation in forest canopy structure influences both understory light availability and its spatial
distribution. Because light is a major environmental factor limiting growth and survival of …

1 We examined how seed size and seedling growth rate influence recruitment success of
neotropical pioneer species. We investigated the soil seed bank, and followed seedlings …

Identifying factors that influence variation in light availability within forested ecosystems
represents an important component in our understanding of the complex determinants of …

Although lack of seeds can limit forest recovery in abandoned agricultural lands, few studies
have documented the patterns of seed rain and soil seed bank in active pastures. To …

Rain forests represent the world's richest repository of terrestrial biodiversity, and play a
major role in regulating the global climate. They support the livelihoods of a substantial …

We experimentally investigated interacting effects of canopy gaps, understory vegetation
and leaf litter on recruitment and mortality of tree seedlings at the community level in a 20 …

Vast areas of degraded tropical forest, combined with increasing interest in mitigating
climate change and conserving biodiversity, demonstrate the potential value of restoring …