Native forests reclaim ground from invasive trees over time
In short
- Researchers from about 60 institutions analysed data from more than 1,500 forest regeneration areas across the Americas.
- Non-native trees multiply during the first 10 to 20 years, helped by open sunlight.
- Their dominance declines as native trees grow tall enough to shade the forest.
Why the Good News Desk likes this one
Invasive species are often treated as a permanent threat to forest recovery. This large study suggests their early advantage is temporary, which could reduce the need for costly intervention in some regrowing areas. The findings were published in Nature Plants.
From Phys.org
The presence of non-native trees is often seen as an obstacle to the recovery of tropical forests regrowing in previously deforested areas. To better understand the behavior of these plants over time in both humid and dry forests, researchers from approximately 60 institutions analyzed data from over 1,500 areas of forest regeneration across the Americas. The results, published in the journal Nature Plants, indicate that the initial dominance of exotic species is temporary. They multiply easily during the first 10 to 20 years, taking advantage of abundant sunlight in open areas. However,...
