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The Atlantic Forest is a global biodiversity hotspot and a significant provider of ecosystem services to 65% of the Brazilian population. Due to being highly threatened, it is protected by federal law 11,428/2006, which establishes forest use restrictions based on native vegetation successional stages in the Atlantic Forest, with more advanced stages receiving more protection. The classification parameters are established at the state level. However, the parameters employed to classify forest fragments in different successional stages are subjective and imprecise, negatively impacting environmental permitting and related offset policies. Here, we critically assessed the major limitations in applying the 11,428/2006 law and presented alternatives for establishing a more transparent, applicable, legally safe, and effective protocol for identifying the conservation value of forest fragments. We also highlight problems related to sampling, indicators, and methodologies and present guidelines for revising the parameters for applying the Atlantic Forest law and associated state-level resolutions. We suggest an inclusive two-step analysis based on vegetation structure, forest cover history, biodiversity, ecosystem services (social), and landscape indicators. By employing a more technological approach and transferring part of the assessment responsibility to the state-level environmental agencies instead of allowing self-declared reports by landowners, our proposal focuses on the potential for evaluating ecological integrity among different successional classes by forest types. As nearly 90% of the remaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest is located within private lands, improving this legal instrument is essential for protecting the vulnerable biodiversity of this unique and threatened biome.

Abstract Whilst the importance of fungal primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) has been recognised, few studies have empirically assessed how land-use patterns influence them. Here, we show the impacts of different land-use patterns on fungal PBAPs within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. Spanning a distance of ca. 600 km within this biome, we collected fungal bioaerosols in the following land-use patterns: a 25-year-old coffee plantation, a 2.5-year-old Eucalyptus plantation, a 3-months-old maize crop, a 2-year-old and another 7-year-old native forest reforestation area, and a native forest fragment. Using the portable Burkard air sampler, a total of 14 morphotype-species were found. Cladosporium sp. comprised as much as about 95% of all fungal spores collected, being present in all samples (frequency of 100%). Forest systems had as much as 5-to-19-fold more fungal spores in the air than maize crops. Sampling height and time (morning vs. afternoon) did not influence fungal concentration and number of species. In addition, using data derived from an eddy covariance tower in the Eucalyptus site, we estimated the emission rate to be 6649 spores m−2 s−1. Our study confirms that land-use patterns affect fungal PBAPs, and that replacing large areas of native Atlantic Forest by monospecific stands, a homogenisation of airborne fungi is occurring, with unknown consequences for climate regulation.

Integrating Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) enhances the assessment of tropical forest degradation and regeneration, which is crucial for conservation and climate mitigation strategies. This study optimized procedures using combined airborne LiDAR, HSI data, and machine learning algorithms across 12 sites in the Brazilian Amazon, covering various environmental and anthropogenic conditions. Four forest classes (undisturbed, degraded, and two stages of second-growth) were identified using Landsat time series (1984–2017) and auxiliary data. Metrics from 600 samples were analyzed with three classifiers: Random Forest, Stochastic Gradient Boosting, and Support Vector Machine. The combination of LiDAR and HSI data improved classification accuracy by up to 12% compared with single data sources. The most decisive metrics were LiDAR-based upper canopy cover and HSI-based absorption bands in the near-infrared and shortwave infrared. LiDAR produced significantly fewer errors for discriminating second-growth from old-growth forests, while HSI had better performance to discriminate degraded from undisturbed forests. HSI-only models performed similarly to LiDAR-only models (mean F1 of about 75% for both data sources). The results highlight the potential of integrating LiDAR and HSI data to improve our understanding of forest dynamics in the context of nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change impacts.

ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the contributions of applying the Lean methodology to improve work processes in health and nursing and its impact on associated financial aspects. Method: an integrative review, carried out in six databases, whose sample of ten (100.0%) studies was analyzed and summarized descriptively. Results: the outcomes obtained were stratified into: benefits/barriers to Lean Healthcare implementation; economic aspects involving Lean Healthcare implementation; and process improvements through Lean Healthcare implementation. The majority of studies (60.0%) were carried out in university hospitals, contexts that need to continually improve the quality of services provided, generally with scarce and limited resources, which support the viability of maintaining the teaching, research and extension tripod. Conclusion: three (30.0%) studies highlighted the financial aspects associated with Lean methodology application. The others only mentioned the possibility of financial gains through improving processes and reducing waste.

Restoring tropical forests still relies on expensive tree planting. Timber production from native trees offers a promising opportunity to make restoration financially viable, but species growth data are lacking. We assessed the potential of tropical forest restoration plantations for producing native timber in the Atlantic Forest. For that we inventoried a chronosequence of unmanaged restoration plantation sites with ten commercial native tree species. Then we developed growth models and used the Growth-Oriented Logging (GOL) method to inform targeted management decisions, including an optimized timber-focused scenario, based on growth and bole quality assessment. Usually, growth-rate classes for saw wood production would be defined according to the time necessary for achieving 35 cm in DBH. Harvesting age was markedly reduced using GOL for species of fast-growth (from 70 to 50–75 years). Following GOL, basal area was 42 ± 30% larger at harvest (taking 35 ± 23% more time) or 60 ± 16.5% smaller (taking 66 ± 16% less time). The optimized scenario speeded tree-size achievement and anticipated harvesting in an average of 58 years. Species selection, individualization, and silvicultural management are critical for producing timber in forest restoration programs.

Abstract Background Nature-based interventions (NbIs) for climate change mitigation include a diverse set of interventions aimed at conserving, restoring, and/or managing natural and modified ecosystems to improve their ability to store and sequester carbon and avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Recent projections estimate that terrestrial NbIs can lead to more than one-third of the climate change mitigation necessary to meet the Paris Climate Agreement by 2030. Further, these interventions can provide co-benefits in the form of social and ecological outcomes. Despite growing recognition of the potential benefits, a clear characterization of the distribution and occurrence of evidence which supports linkages between different types of NbIs and outcomes for climate change mitigation, ecosystems, and people remains poorly understood. Methods This systematic map assesses the evidence base on the links between NbIs and climate change mitigation, social, and ecological outcomes in tropical and subtropical terrestrial regions. We searched three bibliographic databases, 65 organization websites, and conducted backward citation chasing within 39 existing evidence syntheses to identify relevant articles. Additionally, we reached out to key informants for additional sources of evidence. We then used machine learning to rank returned results by relevance at the title and abstract stage and manually screened for inclusion using predefined criteria at the title, abstract, and full text stages. We extracted relevant meta-data from included articles using an a priori coding scheme. Lastly, we conducted a targeted, complementary search to identify relevant review and synthesis articles to provide broader context for the findings of the systematic map. Review findings We included 948 articles in this systematic map. Most of the evidence base (56%) examined links between protection, natural resource management, and restoration interventions with changes to ‘proxy’ outcomes for climate change mitigation (changes to land condition, land cover, and/or land use). Other areas with high occurrence of articles included linkages between interventions within natural resource management and trees in croplands categories and changes to aboveground carbon storage and/or sequestration (17% of articles). A key knowledge gap was on measured changes in GHG emissions across all intervention types (6% of articles). Overall, articles in the evidence base did not often assess changes in co-benefits alongside direct or indirect changes for climate change mitigation (32%). In most cases, the evidence base contained studies which did not explicitly test for causal linkages using appropriate experimental or quasi-experimental designs. Conclusions The evidence base for NbIs is significant and growing; however, key gaps in knowledge hamper the ability to inform ongoing and future investment and implementation at scale. More comprehensive evidence is needed to support causal inference between NbIs and direct outcomes for climate change mitigation to better determine additionality, permanence, leakage, and other unintended consequences. Similarly, priorities emerging from this map include the need for coordinated and harmonized efforts to collect diverse data types to better understand whether and how other outcomes (e.g. social, ecological) of NbIs can be achieved synergistically with mitigation objectives. Understanding potential benefits and trade-offs of NbIs is particularly urgent to inform rapidly expanding carbon markets for nature.

The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful and non-invasive method for monitoring the presence of species in ecosystems. However, ecologists and laboratory staff can find it challenging to use eDNA analysis software effectively due to the unfamiliar command-line interfaces used by many of these packages. Therefore, we developed the eDNA-container app, a free and open-source software package that provides a simple user-friendly interface for eDNA analysis. The application is based on the popular QIIME2 library and is distributed as a Docker image. The use of Docker makes it compatible with a wide range of operating systems and facilitates the reproducible analysis of data across different laboratories. The application includes a point-and-click user interface for selecting sequencing files, configuring parameters, and accessing the results. Key pipeline outputs, such as sequence quality plots, denoising, and ASV generation statistics, are automatically included in a PDF report. This open-source and freely available analysis package should be a valuable tool for scientists using eDNA in biodiversity and biosecurity applications.

The ability of multiple manned and unmanned aircraft systems to cooperatively engage and disable an aerial threat plays a decisive role in modern warfare scenarios. In this paper, we apply key methods to enable the so-called cooperative threat engagement capability among multiple networked agents, e.g., a swarm of drones, with combat and communication capabilities. In particular, this research combines AI-based decision-making and control techniques for a swarm of loyal wingman drones to coordinate efficient defense actions in a cooperative and autonomous manner. We apply these concepts in a defense scenario that is modeled to analyze the loyal wingman concept, which we consider an interesting testbed for cooperative decision-making and low-level control techniques. The investigated methods were implemented in a realistic 3D UAV simulator for demonstration and evaluation.

Abstract The central motivation to restore ecosystems at a planetary scale has been to reverse degradation and provide multiple environmental benefits, but key global players like governments may be more interested in social outcomes from undertaking restoration, such as job creation. Assessing the job opportunities stemming from ongoing restoration programmes can leverage additional investments for their implementation and support their long‐term maintenance. Here, we aimed to understand and quantify current and potential ecosystem restoration jobs in Brazil, based on a widely distributed online survey performed in 2020 and led by the main restoration networks in the country. We explored the structure, job distribution and outputs of the national restoration supply chain. At the beginning of 2020, 4713 temporary and 3510 permanent jobs were created, nearly 60% of which were generated by organizations specialized in restoration, mainly from the non‐profit (48%) and private (37%) sectors. Restoration jobs were concentrated in organizations working in one (58%) or two (28%) biomes, and the vast majority were in the Atlantic Forest (85%). Similarly, most restoration jobs were concentrated in the southeast region (61%), with one‐third in the state of São Paulo. This geographical distribution was more strongly associated with the states' GDP than with the legal deficit of native vegetation area. Nearly 20% of the restoration jobs were terminated during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020. We estimate that restoration activities can generate 0.42 jobs per hectare undergoing restoration, which could potentially create 1.0–2.5 million direct jobs through the implementation of Brazil's target of restoring 12 million hectares. We conclude by reinforcing the value of ecosystem restoration in promoting economic development and job creation, which can be crucial to promote countries' effective engagement in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. We also highlight the critical role of grassroots organizations to maximize restoration opportunities for socioeconomic development during the post‐pandemic economic recovery. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Understanding the mechanisms driving community assembly has been a major focus of ecological research for nearly a century, yet little is known about these mechanisms in commensal communities, particularly with respect to their historical/evolutionary components. Here, we use a large-scale dataset of 4,440 vascular plant species to explore the relationship between the evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) (as measured by the ’species evolutionary history’ (SEH)) of host species and the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of their associated epiphyte species. Although there was considerable variation across hosts and their associated epiphyte species, they were largely unrelated to host SEH. Our results mostly support the idea that the determinants of epiphyte colonization success might involve host characteristics that are unrelated to host SEH (e.g., architectural differences between hosts). While determinants of PD of epiphyte assemblages are poorly known, they do not appear to be related to the evolutionary history of host species. Instead, they might be better explained by neutral processes of colonization and extinction. However, the high level of phylogenetic signal in epiphyte PD (independent of SEH) suggests it might still be influenced by yet unrecognized evolutionary determinants. This study highlights how little is still known about the phylogenetic determinants of epiphyte communities.

Tree planting and reforestation are currently in the spotlight as strategies for solving global environmental degradation. Many ongoing large-scale initiatives have proposed restoring millions of hectares and planting a trillion trees to solve climate change and biodiversity loss. Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is one of the approaches most frequently employed to support these initiatives. Currently, many FLR initiatives are implemented in developing countries through a top-down approach, not fully anchored to the social-ecological characteristics of landscapes (e.g. land use and tenure, values of local peoples, local livelihoods), and sometimes relegating human well-being to a secondary concern. Therefore, issues of social equity and legitimacy might hamper the effectiveness of FLR initiatives and projects regarding their environmental outcomes. In this perspective article, we present four challenges to better link FLR and human well-being in Latin America: (1) the high dependence of local communities and countries’ economies on natural resources, (2) conflicts over land tenure and access, (3) divergence in perceptions and values, and (4) the fragility of public institutions and policies. After describing these interrelated challenges, we discuss how to tackle them by implementing instruments and approaches recently organized under the concept of transformative governance. Finding an equitable and legitimate balance between global interests and urgency and increasing local well-being is the main challenge of FLR in Latin America, for which transformative governance is critical.

Tropical deforestation drivers are complex and can change rapidly in periods of profound societal transformation, such as those during a pandemic. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred illegal, opportunistic forest clearing in tropical countries, threatening forest ecosystems and their resident human communities. A total of 9583 km2 of deforestation alerts from Global Land Analysis & Discovery (GLAD) were detected across the global tropics during the first month following the implementation of confinement measures of local governments to reduce COVID-19 spread, which is nearly double that of 2019 (4732 km2). We present a conceptual framework linking tropical deforestation and the current pandemic. Zoonotic diseases, public health, economy, agriculture, and forests may all be reciprocally linked in complex positive and negative feedback loops with overarching consequences. We highlight the emerging threats to nature and society resulting from this complex reciprocal interplay and possible policy interventions that could minimize these threats.

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The complexity of ecological systems is a major challenge for practitioners and decision-makers who work to avoid, mitigate and manage environmental change. Here, we illustrate how metaecology – the study of spatial interdependencies among ecological systems through fluxes of organisms, energy, and matter – can enhance understanding and improve managing environmental change at multiple spatial scales. We present several case studies illustrating how the framework has leveraged decision-making in conservation, restoration and risk management. Nevertheless, an explicit incorporation of metaecology is still uncommon in the applied ecology literature, and in action guidelines addressing environmental change. This is unfortunate because the many facets of environmental change can be framed as modifying spatial context, connectedness and dominant regulating processes - the defining features of metaecological systems. Narrowing the gap between theory and practice will require incorporating system-specific realism in otherwise predominantly conceptual studies, as well as deliberately studying scenarios of environmental change.

Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) could benefit from the land sharing/sparing approaches to support decisions. We discuss four questions potentially shaping FLR outcomes in agricultural landscapes in the context of land sharing/sparing decisions: (1) Which are the main focuses of restorative interventions?; (2) Which kind of restored forests should these interventions target?; (3) Which restorative interventions should be implemented and where?; and (4) What are the major factors influencing restoration outcomes? Some restorative interventions embraced by FLR may compete with specific land uses and thus require careful planning to minimize trade-offs and maximize synergies. Decision making on the restorative intervention combination needs considering the spatial distribution and configuration of the final land uses in the landscape together with its social context and a multi-stakeholder process. Ultimately, finding the right balance between land sharing/sparing approaches will also require navigating governance issues that regulate FLR implementation.

Achieving ambitious global restoration commitments is a huge challenge. The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact, created in 2009 as a movement to restore 15 Mha of degraded/deforested lands by 2050, pledged 1 Mha towards the 2020 Bonn Challenge. We documented the restoration of an estimated 673,510–740,555 ha of native forests from 2011 to 2015 in the Atlantic Forest, and expect that a total of 1.35–1.48 Mha will be under recovery by 2020. The Pact is one of the first Brazilian restoration initiatives to monitor an international restoration commitment and to demonstrate that ambitious targets can be reached. Part of this success in large-scale restoration is related to three main Pact activities: (i) development of restoration governance, communication and articulation; (ii) promotion of strategies to influence public policies; and (iii) establishment of restoration monitoring systems. The experience and lessons learned by the Pact could inspire and inform other restoration initiatives worldwide.

Abstract Natural regeneration is key for large‐scale forest restoration, yet it may lead to different biodiversity outcomes depending on socio‐environmental context. We combined the results of a global meta‐analysis to quantify how biodiversity recovery in naturally regenerating forests deviates from biodiversity values in reference old‐growth forests, with structural equation modeling, to identify direct and indirect associations between socioeconomic, biophysical and ecological factors and deviation in biodiversity recovery at a landscape scale. Low deviation within a landscape means higher chances of multiple sites in naturally regenerating forests successfully recovering biodiversity compared to reference forests. Deviation in biodiversity recovery was directly negatively associated with the percentage of cropland, forest cover, and positively associated with the percentage of urban areas in the surrounding landscape. These three factors mediated the indirect associations with rural population size, recent gross deforestation, time since natural regeneration started, mean annual temperature, mean annual water deficit, road density, land opportunity cost, percentage cover of strictly protected forest areas, and human population variation in the surrounding landscape. We suggest that natural forest restoration should be prioritized in landscapes with both low socioeconomic pressures on land use conversion to pasturelands and urban areas, and high percentage of forest cover.

First-order streams in Brazil are protected by the Native Vegetation Protection Law of Brazil (NVPL), which regulates the land-use in rural properties and is linked with aquatic conservation. We investigated the importance of the data-set resolution to identify first-order streams (State of São Paulo, Brazil) and estimated its length compared to other water bodies. We found that first-order streams represent around 58% of the total length of the drainage system. In addition, we compared this database with that of the Environmental Rural Registry (CAR in Portuguese). Compared with the lower resolution data-set, the length of first-order streams self-declared in CAR was 80% lower. We also found a concerning number of small dams in first-order streams, which severely changes their dynamics. Therefore, we recommend the use of finer resolution data-sets in order to create tools to support legal compliance that goes beyond the limited information provided by CAR.

Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) is considered worldwide as a powerful approach to recover ecological functionality and to improve human well-being in degraded and deforested landscapes. The literature produced by FLR programs could be a valuable tool to understand how they align with the existing principles of FLR. We conducted a systematic qualitative review to identify the main FLR concepts and definitions adopted in the literature from 1980 to 2017 and the underlying actions commonly suggested to enable FLR implementation. We identified three domains and 12 main associated principles—(i) Project management and governance domain contains five principles: (a) Landscape scale, (b) Prioritization, (c) Legal and normative compliance, (d) Participation, (e) Adaptive management; (ii) Human aspect domain with four principles: (a) Enhance livelihoods, (b) Inclusiveness and equity, (c) Economic diversification, (d) Capacity building; (iii) Ecological Aspects domain with three principles: (a) Biodiversity conservation, (b) Landscape heterogeneity and connectivity, (c) Provision of ecosystem goods and services. Our results showcase variations in FLR principles and how they are linked with practice, especially regarding the lack of social aspects in FLR projects. Finally, we provide a starting point for future tools aiming to improve guidance frameworks for FLR.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar o poder dióptrico da lente intraocular (LIO) em miniporco e as dimensões do bulbo do olho. Foram utilizados 17 miniporcos, sadios, adultos, machos e fêmeas, com peso médio de 70kg. Em todos os olhos foram realizadas a ultrassonografia modo A, a ceratometria e a medida da distância limbo a limbo. O cálculo do poder dióptrico da LIO foi obtido utilizando-se as fórmulas Haigis, Hoffer Q, SRK/T, Holladay I e Holladay II e o software Holladay IOL Consultant(r). Na comparação entre o sexo e a lateralidade do olho, não houve diferença nas variáveis biométricas e poder da LIO. A aplicação das fórmulas (Haigis, Holladay II, Holladay I, SRK/T e Hoffer Q) possibilitou o cálculo do poder da LIO. A Holladay II, fórmula que melhor individualiza o bulbo do olho do miniporco, estima valor dióptrico ao redor de 41 D. Os miniporcos têm potencial como modelo experimental em oftalmologia, relacionado ao seu menor porte e à facilidade no manejo, especialmente em experimentos de longa duração.

Existing guidelines and best-practices documents do not satisfy, at present, the need for guiding implementation of Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) based on core principles. Given the wide range of FLR practices and the varied spectrum of actors involved, a single working framework is unlikely to be effective, but tailored working frameworks can be co-created based on a common conceptual framework (i.e., a common core set of principles and a generalized set of criteria and indicators). We present background regarding FLR concepts, definitions, and principles, and discuss the challenges that confront effective and long-term implementation of FLR. We enumerate the many benefits that a transformative criteria and indicators framework can bring to actors and different sectors involved in restoration when such framework is anchored in the FLR principles. We justify the need to co-develop and apply specifically tailored working frameworks to help ensure that FLR interventions bring social, economic, and environmental benefits to multiple stakeholders within landscapes and adjust to changing conditions over time. Several examples of working FLR frameworks are presented to illustrate the goals and needs of communities, donors and investors, and government agencies. Transparency, feedback, communication, assessment, and adaptive management are important components of all working frameworks. Finally, we describe existing FLR guidelines and what we can learn from them. Working frameworks can be developed and used by different actors who seek to initiate an FLR process and to align restoration actions at different scales and levels.

Tropical forests are often located in difficult-to-access areas, which make high-quality forest structure information difficult and expensive to obtain by traditional field-based approaches. LiDAR (acronym for Light Detection And Ranging) data have been used throughout the world to produce time-efficient and wall-to-wall structural parameter estimates for monitoring in native and commercial forests. In this study, we compare products and aboveground biomass (AGB) estimations from LiDAR data acquired using an aircraft-borne system in 2015 and data collected by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based GatorEye Unmanned Flying Laboratory in 2017 for ten forest inventory plots located in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Acre state, southwestern Brazilian Amazon. The LiDAR products were similar and comparable among the two platforms and sensors. Principal differences between derived products resulted from the GatorEye system flying lower and slower and having increased returns per second than the aircraft, resulting in a much higher point density overall (11.3 ± 1.8 vs. 381.2 ± 58 pts/m2). Differences in ground point density, however, were much smaller among the systems, due to the larger pulse area and increased number of returns per pulse of the aircraft system, with the GatorEye showing an approximately 50% higher ground point density (0.27 ± 0.09 vs. 0.42 ± 0.09). The LiDAR models produced by both sensors presented similar results for digital elevation models and estimated AGB. Our results validate the ability for UAV-borne LiDAR sensors to accurately quantify AGB in dense high-leaf-area tropical forests in the Amazon. We also highlight new possibilities using the dense point clouds of UAV-borne systems for analyses of detailed crown structure and leaf area density distribution of the forest interior.

ABSTRACT The exploitation of valuable native timber species in forest restoration projects has emerged as a promising strategy to make restoration financially viable. There are few studies regarding the quality of timber from restoration plantations. The aim of this study was to analyze growth stresses by determining the longitudinal residual strain (LRS) and evaluate their correlation with the growth variables in the species Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub in a 14-year old restoration plantation. Eighteen individuals were evaluated, determining the following variables: diameter at breast height (DBH), bark thickness, average annual growth in diameter (IMA) and annual periodic growth in diameter (IPA 2012-2015 ). The LRS was determined by the extensometer (CIRAD-Forêt), on DBH height and in the north-south direction of each tree. The LRS average was 0.072 mm, within the range of expected wood values for sawmilling. There was a significant positive correlation between the LRS, DBH and IMA.

The primary focus of tropical forest restoration has been the recovery of forest structure and tree taxonomic diversity, with limited attention given to genetic conservation. Populations reintroduced through restoration plantings may have low genetic diversity and be genetically structured due to founder effects and genetic drift, which limit the potential of restoration to recover ecologically resilient plant communities. Here, we studied the genetic diversity, genetic structure and differentiation using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers between restored and natural populations of the native tree Casearia sylvestris in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. We sampled leaves from approximately 24 adult individuals in each of the study sites: two restoration plantations (27 and 62 years old) and two forest remnants. We prepared and sequenced a genotyping-by-sequencing library, SNP markers were identified de novo using Stacks pipeline, and genetic parameters and structure analyses were then estimated for populations. The sequencing step was successful for 80 sampled individuals. Neutral genetic diversity was similar among restored and natural populations (AR = 1.72 ± 0.005; HO = 0.135 ± 0.005; HE = 0.167 ± 0.005; FIS = 0.16 ± 0.022), which were not genetically structured by population subdivision. In spite of this absence of genetic structure by population we found genetic structure within populations but even so there is not spatial genetic structure in any population studied. Less than 1% of the neutral alleles were exclusive to a population. In general, contrary to our expectations, restoration plantations were then effective for conserving tree genetic diversity in human-modified tropical landscapes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that genotyping-by-sequencing can be a useful tool in restoration genetics.

Negotiation, reconciliation of multiple scales through both ecological and social dimensions and minimization of power imbalances are considered critical challenges to overcome for effective governance of forest restoration. Finding the right mix of “command and control” in forest restoration vs. “environmental governance”, which includes non-state actors, regulatory flexibility, and market based instruments is at the heart of these challenges. This Special Issue attempts at shedding light on these challenges with case studies from South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. Some provide within-country as well as cross-country comparisons. A few others present case studies at the household level. Both policy and legal constraints towards implementing forest restoration are also discussed as a function of top down vs. bottom up approaches. The effectiveness of payments for environmental services is examined as catalyzers of forest restoration initiatives. Finally, two papers deal with the legal and policy constraints in making restoration through natural regeneration a viable and cost-effective tool. In the face of renewed perspectives for expanding forest restoration programs globally, governance issues will likely play a key role in eventually determining success. As many of the papers in this Special Issue suggest, the fate of forest restoration outcomes is, more often than not, associated with overall governance challenges, some of which are often overlooked particularly across multiple scales.

In many human-modified tropical landscapes, biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services require large-scale restoration initiatives. Such initiatives must be able to augment the amount and the quality of remaining natural habitats. There is thus a growing need for long-term, multi-stakeholder and multi-purpose initiatives that result in multiple ecological and socioeconomic benefits at the biome scale. The Atlantic Forest Restoration Pact (AFRP) is a coalition of 260+ stakeholders, including governmental agencies, private sector, NGOs and research institutions, aimed at restoring 15 million ha of degraded and deforested lands by 2050. By articulating, and then integrating common interests, this initiative has allowed different sectors of society to implement an ambitious vision and create a forum for public and private concerns regarding forest restoration. The AFRP adopts a set of governance tools so multiple actors can implement key processes to achieve long-term and visionary restoration goals. Having overcome some initial challenges, AFRP now has to incorporate underrepresented stakeholders and enhance its efforts to make forest restoration more economically viable, including cases where restoration could be less expensive and profitable. The AFRP experience has resulted in many lessons learned, which can be shared to foster similar initiatives across tropical regions.

Investigations of seed size and number differences among plant populations growing in contrasting habitats can provide relevant information about ecological strategies that optimize reproductive effort. This may imply important consequences for biodiversity conservation and restoration. Therefore, we sought to investigate seed size-number trade-off in Euterpe edulis populations growing in plant communities in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Seed dry mass and seed number per bunch were evaluated in 2008 and 2009 in large remnants of the Seasonally Dry Forest, Restinga Forest and Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil, in 20 individuals per site and year. Seed size and seed number varied among forest types, but a seed size-number trade-off was neither observed within nor among populations. Positive association between seed size and number was found in the Atlantic Rainforest, and reduced seed crop was not accompanied by heavier seeds in the Restinga Forest. Seed dry mass declined in 2009 in all three forest types. Compared to seed number in 2008, palms of both the Restinga Forest and the Atlantic Rainforest produced in 2009 higher yields of smaller seeds - evidence of between years seed size-number trade-off -, while the Seasonally Dry Forest population produced a reduced number of smaller seeds. Such a flexible reproductive strategy, involving neutral, positive, and negative associations between seed size and number could enhance the ecological amplitude of this species and their potential to adapt to different environment conditions.

Implementation of forest restoration projects requires cross-scale and hybrid forms of governance involving the state, the market, civil society, individuals, communities, and other actors. Using a case study from the Atlantic Forest Hotspot, we examine the governance of a large-scale forest restoration project implemented by an international non-governmental organization (NGO) on family farmer landholdings located within protected areas of sustainable development. In addition to forest restoration, the project aims to provide an economic benefit to participating farmers by including native species with market potential (fruits, timber) in restoration models and by contracting farmers in the planting phase. We employed qualitative methods such as structured interviews and participant observation to assess the effect of environmental policy and multi-scalar governance on implementation and acceptability of the project by farmers. We demonstrate that NGO and farmer expectations for the project were initially misaligned, hampering farmer participation. Furthermore, current policy complicated implementation and still poses barriers to project success, and projects must remain adaptable to changing legal landscapes. We recommend increased incorporation of social science methods in earlier stages of projects, as well as throughout the course of implementation, in order to better assess the needs and perspectives of participants, as well as to minimize trade-offs.

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) has been considered as a primary source to model the structure and function of a forest canopy through the indicators leaf area index (LAI) and vertical canopy profiles of leaf area density (LAD). However, little is known about the effects of the laser pulse density and the grain size (horizontal binning resolution) of the laser point cloud on the estimation of LAD profiles and their associated LAIs. Our objective was to determine the optimal values for reliable and stable estimates of LAD profiles from ALS data obtained over a dense tropical forest. Profiles were compared using three methods: Destructive field sampling, Portable Canopy profiling Lidar (PCL) and ALS. Stable LAD profiles from ALS, concordant with the other two analytical methods, were obtained when the grain size was less than 10 m and pulse density was high (>15 pulses m−2). Lower pulse densities also provided stable and reliable LAD profiles when using an appropriate adjustment (coefficient K). We also discuss how LAD profiles might be corrected throughout the landscape when using ALS surveys of lower density, by calibrating with LAI measurements in the field or from PCL. Appropriate choices of grain size, pulse density and K provide reliable estimates of LAD and associated tree plot demography and biomass in dense forest ecosystems.

A classroom exercise for undergraduate and beginning graduate students that takes about one class period is proposed and discussed. It is an easy, interesting exercise that demonstrates important aspects of sampling techniques (sample amount, particle size, and the representativeness of the sample in relation to the bulk material). The exercise also explores a simple statistical approach to commonly used parameters (mean, median, standard deviation, errors, quartiles, confidence limits); the presentation of results using histogram, box-plot and whisker plot; and the related tests (normality, outliers, significance) using parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.)

Alternative methods to control invasive fodder grasses are necessary to reduce the use of herbicides in forest restoration, which has been carried out primarily in riparian zones. We sought to investigate if inter-row cultivation of crotalaria (Crotalaria breviflora DC) or pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duschene ex. Poir) with native tree species is an efficient strategy to control invasive fodder grasses in restoration plantings. We tested five treatments in a randomized block design, namely (1) control of brachiaria grass (Urochloa decumbens (Stapf.) Webster) with glyphosate in the implementation and post-planting grass control of the reforestation, (2 and 3) glyphosate use in the implementation and inter-row sowing of crotalaria (2) or pumpkin (3), and control of brachiaria by mowing in the post-planting phase, (4 and 5) mowing in the implementation and inter-row sowing of crotalaria (4) or pumpkin (5), and control of brachiaria by mowing in the post-planting phase. Post-planting grass control was carried out four and nine months after tree seedling planting. Throughout 13 months, we evaluated the percentage of ground cover by brachiaria grass, pumpkin production, and native tree seedling mortality, height and crown cover. The exclusive use of glyphosate, without inter-row sowing of pumpkin or crotalaria showed the most favorable results for controlling brachiaria grass and, consequently, for tree seedling development. Hence, inter-row cultivation of green manure or short-lived crop species is not enough to control invasive grasses in restoration plantings, and complementary weeding is necessary to reduce the highly competitive potential of C4 grasses for supporting native species seedlings growth.

While research demonstrates the utmost importance of tropical secondary forests for biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services, these forests are being continuously converted for agriculture, as well as being degraded by a variety of human-induced disturbances. Therefore, in addition to understanding the formation, functioning, and development of tropical secondary forests, it is also vital that the protection and maturation of secondary forests become a focus of public policies aimed at maximizing the conservation of iodiversity and provision of ecosystem services in human-modified landscapes. Here we review the drivers of the conversion and degradation of tropical secondary forests in human-dominated Brazilian landscapes. Based on this review, and examples of successful reforestation initiatives, we propose policy options based on ecological, socioeconomic, and legal aspects of forest management and conservation for two contrasting scenarios – high- and low-modified tropical landscapes, exemplified by the Brazilian biomes of the Atlantic Forest and Amazon respectively. This framework provides a new and more holistic approach for sustaining and promoting a favorable outlook for the conservation of secondary forests in Brazil and across the tropics in general.