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The most important condition of ecological restoration is the identification of reference ecosystems, which function as a guide for assertive practice with which biological integrity and ecosystem structure and function can be compared. For restoration and conservation projects to be effective in the current scenario of biodiversity and ecosystem services decay worldwide, it is fundamental to understand the soil-plant interactions in each environment. In this study, we evaluated the structure and composition of the flora in 45 plots, equally distributed in three preserved areas (reference ecosystems) of Atlantic Forest in the upper Rio Doce watershed, Southeast Brazil. We also tested whether differences in species composition were influenced by edaphic factors, both in the adult tree and sapling strata. In both tree and sapling strata, Fabaceae was the species-richest family, followed by Myrtaceae, and Lauraceae. The Fabaceae family also showed the highest importance value for both strata. The soils of the riparian forests were highly heterogeneous among the studied sites. Co-inertia analyses indicated a clear edaphic-floristic gradient in both tree (RV = 0.467; p < 0.001) and sapling (RV = 0.478; p < 0.001) strata, with a connection of 46.7% and 47.8% between the edaphic and floristic matrices for trees and saplings, respectively. We identified the groups of tree and sapling strata species that were strongly associated with either nutritionally richer or poorer soils on each studied site. Understanding how ecological and life-history traits of plant species relate with edaphic factors is an important step to provide scientific-based knowledge to support policies for ecosystem recovery and restoration in the stretches of the Rio Doce watershed.

Background and Aims: Anthropogenic disturbances are causing a co-occurring increase in biotic (ungulate herbivory) and abiotic (drought) stressors, threatening plant reproduction in oak-dominated ecosystems. However, we wonder whether herbivory could compensate for the adverse impact of drought by reducing evapotranspiration. Thus, we investigate the isolated and joint effects of herbivory and drought on oak seedlings of two contrasting Mediterranean species that differ in leaf habit and drought resistance., Methods: California oak seedlings from the evergreen, and more drought-resistant, Quercus agrifolia and the deciduous Q. lobata (n=387) were assigned to a fully crossed factorial design with herbivory and drought as stress factors. Seedlings were assigned in a greenhouse to 3-4 clipping levels simulating herbivory and 3-4 watering levels, depending on the species. We measured survival, growth, and leaf attributes (chlorophyll, secondary metabolites, leaf area and weight) once a month (May-Sep) and harvested above- and below-ground biomass at the end of the growing season., Key Results: For both oak species, simulated herbivory enhanced seedling survival during severe drought or delayed its adverse effects, probably due to reduced transpiration resulting from herbivory-induced leaf area reduction and compensatory root growth. Seedlings from the deciduous, and less drought-resistant species, benefitted from herbivory at lower levels of water stress, suggesting different response across species. We also found complex interactions between herbivory and drought on their impact on leaf attributes. In contrast to chlorophyll content which was not affected by herbivory, anthocyanins increased with herbivory - although water stress reduced differences in anthocyanins due to herbivory., Conclusions: Herbivory seems to facilitate Mediterranean oak seedlings to withstand summer drought, potentially alleviating a key bottleneck in the oak recruitment process. Our study highlights the need to consider ontogenetic stages and species-specific traits in understanding complex relationships between herbivory and drought stressors for the persistence and restoration of multi-species oak savannas., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background and Aims: The majority of the earth's land area is currently occupied by humans. Measuring how terrestrial plants reproduce in these pervasive environments is essential for understanding their long-term viability and their ability to adapt to changing environments., Methods: We conducted hierarchical and phylogenetically-independent meta-analyses to assess the overall effects of anthropogenic land-use changes on pollination, and male and female fitness in terrestrial plants., Key Results: We found negative global effects of land use change (i.e., mainly habitat loss and fragmentation) on pollination and on female and male fitness of terrestrial flowering plants. Negative effects were stronger in plants with self-incompatibility (SI) systems and pollinated by invertebrates, regardless of life form and sexual expression. Pollination and female fitness of pollination generalist and specialist plants were similarly negatively affected by land-use change, whereas male fitness of specialist plants showed no effects., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that angiosperm populations remaining in fragmented habitats negatively affect pollination, and female and male fitness, which will likely decrease the recruitment, survival, and long-term viability of plant populations remaining in fragmented landscapes. We underline the main current gaps of knowledge for future research agendas and call out not only for a decrease in the current rates of land-use changes across the world but also to embark on active restoration efforts to increase the area and connectivity of remaining natural habitats., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)