Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Although ecosystem services are a motivation for
restoring tropical forests, there has been relatively little
study of the effect of forest restoration efforts on the
recovery of ecosystem processes, besides carbon accu-
mulation. Some studies provide promising results for
the prospect of restoring nutrient cycling in restored
forests (Macedo
et al
. 2008 ; Celentano
et al
. 2011 ) but
long-term studies are important to determine how suc-
cessful restoration efforts are in promoting the recov-
ery not only of tropical forest structure, but also of the
processes and functions that translate into ecosystem
services to society.
Finally, throughout this chapter I have discussed
tropical forest restoration efforts to date, which gener-
ally aim towards a species composition similar to that
present prior to disturbance. Tropical forests, like all
ecosystems globally, will be strongly impacted by
climate change (J. Wright
et al
. 2009 ). Increasing
carbon dioxide levels will not only directly affect plants,
but also result in increases in temperature, decreases
in cloud cover at high elevations, and changes in the
timing and amount of precipitation. This means that
in the tropics, as elsewhere, restorationists will have
to make diffi cult decisions about selecting sources of
seeds locally versus from more extreme conditions.
They will also need to consider both the physiological
tolerances of plants and animals to a changing climate
and how these tolerances, along with limited capacity
for dispersal, will affect ecosystem processes and biotic
interactions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I appreciate helpful comments from the editors, B.
Ferguson, and D. Lamb on a previous version of this
manuscript.
