Are nurse plants useful for facilitating the reintroduction of mid- and late successional tree species in tropical montane cloud forests?

Abstract

Background: In Mexico, where 50 % of the original Tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) has been lost due to human activities, the restoration of these forests is essential. Questions and/or hypotheses: (1) L. styraciflua favors the survival and growth of Q. germana and M. schiedeana species (2) Are there competitive effects between nurses and beneficiary species? and (3) Is the magnitude of these positive/negative interspecific interactions affected by the canopy cover of nurses? Studied species: Liquidambar styraciflua L. (pioneer tree), Magnolia schiedeana Schltdl. (mid-successional tree) and Quercus germana Schltdl. & Cham. (late-successional tree). Study site and dates: A fallow in Xilitla, state of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, between 2016 and 2018. Methods: Seedling of mid- and late-successional species were transplanted 0.3 m and 2 m away from the stems of pioneer tree (protected and unprotected saplings, respectively). Performance of the species were compared after two years and the effects of canopy cover of pioneer trees. Results: Pioneer trees facilitated the establishment probabilities of the mid-and late-successional ones. Increasing canopy cover of pioneer trees enhanced the establishment probabilities of both beneficiary species. Conclusions: Joint transplanting of pioneer trees with mid- and late-successional tree seedlings in their close vicinity is a strategy to favor the recovery of the ecosystem.