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27 June 2016 Artificial Perches and solarization for forest restoration: assessment of their Value
Aline Luiza Tomazi, Tânia Tarabini Castellani
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Abstract

Artificial perches have been considered an effective way to increase the influx of zoochoric seeds on degraded areas. A main barrier to seedling recruitment beneath perches is competition with other plants, including non-native or invasive species. We therefore believed that the seedling recruitment would increase with invasive species management through solarization. We assessed the use of artificial perches combined with solarization as a management technique for forest restoration. An outline of subdivided plots was installed in an abandoned pasture originally covered by subtropical Atlantic forest in southern Brazil. The invasive species were Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus - Cyperaceae) and African Liverseed Grass (Urochloa arrecta - Poaceae). Solarization was achieved using a black polyethylene cover. Artificial perches were installed after solarization was complete. Seed rain and established plant community species were assessed. Solarization initially eliminated previously existing vegetation, but the effects were not long lasting. Invasive species grew aggressively by vegetative means from the borders of solarized areas. Artificial perches increased the influx of zoochoric seeds, but the seeds were unable to germinate and establish due to competition by the fast growing invasive species. The combined use of artificial perches and solarization for forest restoration seems to have limited effectiveness.

© 2016 Aline Luiza Tomazi and Tânia Tarabini Castellani This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The license permits any user to download, print out, extract, archive, and distribute the article, so long as appropriate credit is given to the authors and source of the work. The license ensures that the published article will be as widely available as possible and that your article can be included in any scientific archive. Open Access authors retain the copyrights of their papers. Open access is a property of individual works, not necessarily journals or publishers.
Aline Luiza Tomazi and Tânia Tarabini Castellani "Artificial Perches and solarization for forest restoration: assessment of their Value," Tropical Conservation Science 9(2), 809-831, (27 June 2016). https://doi.org/10.1177/194008291600900215
Received: 28 February 2016; Accepted: 2 May 2016; Published: 27 June 2016
KEYWORDS
Cyperus rotundus
degraded area
Invasive species control
Urochloa arrecta
Zoochory
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