Tropical montane forest (Shola) tree species can regenerate under abandoned exotic tree plantations in the Western Ghats of India

Abstract Whether environmental conditions under exotic tree plantations abandoned in the Western Ghats of India can facilitate the natural regeneration of tropical montane forest (Shola forest) tree species is being debated. In many cases, the exotic tree plantations are being cleared to allow for the restoration of native ecosystems. In this paper, we examined whether exotic tree plantations have indeed a negative effect on the regeneration of Shola forest tree species. For this, we assessed the abundance, diversity, and composition of the regeneration of Shola forest tree species in plantations, each with different dominant tree species (Acacia mearnsii, Pinus sp., and Eucalyptus sp.). We tested the abundance of regenerating native tree species against the main plantation canopy species (plantation type) as well as other environmental factors (aspect, distance to nearest Shola forest, structural diversity, slope, elevation, presence of herbivores, and canopy closure). We found that the number of native tree species regenerating in all plantation types was at an acceptable level: 1960, 1773, and 462 individuals ha−1 for Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Pinus plantations, respectively. A rare fraction analysis showed that the highest number of Shola tree species were regenerating under Acacia mearnsii (25) followed by Eucalyptus (19) and Pinus (8) plantations. The density and diversity of regenerating Shola trees was greatest under Acacia plantations and northern aspects but declined with increasing elevation. The presence of herbivores also reduced the density and diversity of Shola tree regeneration. We concluded that the restoration of Shola forest in the Western Ghats is possible in existing stands of exotic tree species and this process can be accelerated with appropriate silvicultural methods. We additionally recommend that studies involving long-term exclosures can provide valuable insights into the effects of browsing on regeneration and species composition.