Synopses & Reviews
For decades, conservation and research initiatives in tropical forests have focused almost exclusively on old-growth forests because scientists believed that these and#147;pristineand#8221; ecosystems housed superior levels of biodiversity. With
Second Growth, Robin L. Chazdon reveals those assumptions to be largely false, bringing to the fore the previously overlooked counterpart to old-growth forest: second growth.
Even as human activities result in extensive fragmentation and deforestation, tropical forests demonstrate a great capacity for natural and human-aided regeneration. Although these damaged landscapes can take centuries to regain the characteristics of old growth, Chazdon shows here that regeneratingand#151;or second-growthand#151;forests are vital, dynamic reservoirs of biodiversity and environmental services. What is more, they always have been.
With chapters on the roles these forests play in carbon and nutrient cycling, sustaining biodiversity, providing timber and non-timber products, and integrated agriculture, Second Growth not only offers a thorough and wide-ranging overview of successional and restoration pathways, but also underscores the need to conserve, and further study, regenerating tropical forests in an attempt to inspire a new age of local and global stewardship.
Review
and#8220;Impressive and very timely given the growing recognition of the importance of secondary forests in conserving biodiversity. Second Growth provides a very thorough review of the human impacts on tropical forests over several centuries and more recently, and on the ecology of forest regeneration after a range of disturbances. It is a well-researched and valuable contribution to the literature on tropical secondary forests.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A tremendous survey. Chazdon draws on paleobotany, ecology, natural history, and policy and forest management to make the case for the potential of forest regeneration. Second Growth is astounding in its breadth and depth.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;What a wonderful book! Secondary forests have been ignored for too long, and Second Growth brings together a wealth of material from across the Latin American, African, and Asian tropics to provide a synthesis of what we know about how they can develop and what influences their succession. Sadly, even optimists must accept that primary or old-growth forests will continue to shrink. This means secondary forests are likely to replace them in the future as the main repositories of biodiversity and sources of many ecosystem services. This book is destined to become a key text for those protecting and managing these new forests.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;At last, an authoritative and very readable account of the most neglected aspect of tropical forest ecology: the vast areas of second growth that if restored and managed properly will yield enormous human and conservation benefit. Chazdonand#8217;s book fills a yawning gap in tropical ecology and land management. A great and important work, Second Growth will be an enduring scholarly masterpiece.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Second Growth combines an in-depth review with an eloquent case for the importance of understanding, promoting, and managing forest regeneration in contexts ranging from climate change to provision of ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. In doing so, it may help to meet those challenges by providing evidence to ensure that the value of secondary forests is recognized. It will certainly stimulate the science needed to support practical action.and#8221;
Review
andldquo;Chazdon provides a remarkable compilation of our understanding of naturally regenerating forests across the tropics in this book. She draws upon many fields of knowledgeandmdash;paleoecology, ecosystem ecology, socio-economic and political ecology, forest managementandmdash;to convey that regenerating tropical forests are socio-ecological systems that play a critical role in human and ecosystem health. The book is rich with case studies and examples from all over the globe, and provides a much-needed synthesis of second growth in the tropics. . . . Each time I open this book I find something new and interesting. For those working in tropical forests, this text will be an essential reference that not only fills an important gap in our understanding of tropical forest regeneration, but also provides a solid grounding for their conservation and future management.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Second Growth provides broad coverage of a subject that, despite its importance, has received less popular attention than andlsquo;old growthandrsquo; tropical rain forests. Chazdon does an excellent job of synthesizing key ideas and bringing together recent research on tropical forest regeneration. . . . Chazdonandrsquo;s work is a valuable resource, providing both a solid review for those with knowledge in the field and a starting point for those new to the topic. . . . Highly recommended.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Chazdon . . . has become a leading voice in arguing that large-scale forest regrowth can help to solve some of the worldandrsquo;s problems. . . . Decades of watching the Costa Rican forests recover have taught Chazdon that, at least in areas that still have healthy forests nearby to supply seeds, the main thing human beings need to do is just get out of the way. After all, forests were recovering from fires and other natural calamities long before people ever came along to chop them down.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A very thorough and holistic review of the ecology of secondary tropical forests. For many years, studies of tropical forest biodiversity tend to have been concentrated on primary forest. Here, Chazdon argues well and forcefully that second-growth forests are also an important reservoir of biodiversity and that they are exciting ecosystems in which to do research. . . . A tour de forceandmdash;absolutely brilliant. Anyone interested in tropical forests, their conservation and their restoration will want a copy of this book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A complete review covering topics from ancient forest management to the effect of global economy on the fate of local forests. . . . Chazdon states in the preface that she wants to deliver an urgent message about forests: they are regenerating and this regeneration is malleable and it can be for our benefit. The message is remarkably delivered. This book integrates patterns that occur in the entire gradient from wet to dry forests. . . . Second Growth has answered most of my questions and has raised a thousand more, as good books and research always do. . . . This well-produced book . . . will be enormously useful for students, professors, and practitioners of forest restoration and management.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Throughout the book, Chazdon returns to the central theme that tropical forests are highly resilient ecosystems whose recent histories are inextricably intertwined with people. Contrary to the dichotomous view of andlsquo;primevalandrsquo; old-growth versus andlsquo;degradedandrsquo; second-growth forests, Chazdon repeatedly and convincingly makes the case that todayand#39;s tropical forests reflect legacies of human interactions dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. . . . Second Growth is truly extraordinary in its breadth, depth, and synthesis of a voluminous literature. The book covers regenerating forest ecology, dynamics, and socioecological linkages throughout the tropics and is exhaustively researched; there are over 100 pages of references.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;As policy makers come to grips with . . . ecological uncertainty, they are finding Chazdonandrsquo;s recent book, Second Growth, all the more valuable. Five years in the writing and published last year, the tome is a kind of guide to restoration, synthesizing decades of research and explaining how tropical forests can come back on their ownandmdash;and what to do if they donandrsquo;t. andlsquo;Itandrsquo;s an opus; it covers all you would want to know and could imagine you want to know about secondary forests,andrsquo; says Thomas Rudel, a rural sociologist at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, in New Jersey. andlsquo;Thereandrsquo;s nothing quite like [it].andrsquo; The book . . . arrived at a timely moment, just as large-scale forest restoration was gaining momentum.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Tropical forests the world over are in a state of degradation. The unrelenting pressures of human activity are seen by many as irreversible, and include logging, fire, war, agriculture, industry, ranching, pollution, among others. Conservation initiatives have tended to focus specifically on old-growth forests, based on the assumption that in these ecosystems the greatest biodiversity can be found. But it can take centuries for a forest to regain the characteristics of old growth. And natures adaptive abilities have resulted in the great ecological value of secondary forests, particularly in the tropics.
For decades underappreciated by scientists and conservations, secondary forests have been shown to harbor incredibly biodiversity. And Second Chance is Robin Chazdons attempt to recognize these forests through the trees. This book deconstructs the myth of the pristine forest, and shows readers just how dynamic a system secondary forests are. Chapters discuss the role these forests play in carbon cycling, local climates, food (fruit) production, and agriculture. And an important tap root that runs throughout the work is the need to conserve, and further study, secondary tropical forests in an attempt to inspire local and global stewardship.
About the Author
Robin L. Chazdon is professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut and coeditor of Tropical Forest Plant Ecophysiology. She lives in Storrs, CT.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Perceptions of Tropical Forests and Natural Regeneration
1.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Viewing Forests as a Cycle
1.2and#160;and#160;and#160; The Resilience of Tropical Forests
1.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Forest Regeneration, Succession, and Forest Degradation
1.4and#160;and#160;and#160; The Geographic Extent of Deforestation and Forest Regeneration across the Tropics
1.5and#160;and#160;and#160; The Tropical Forests of the Future
Chapter 2
Ancient Human Legacies in Tropical Forest Landscapes
2.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
2.2and#160;and#160;and#160; The Peopling of the Tropics
2.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Impacts of Early Hunter-Gatherer Societies
2.4and#160;and#160;and#160; The Development of Agriculture
2.5and#160;and#160;and#160; Holocene Climate Variability, Forest Change, and Agricultural Expansion
2.6and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 3
Landscape Transformation and Tropical Forest Regeneration through Prehistory
3.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
3.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Earthworks and Landscape Transformations
3.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Prehistoric Fires: Synergies between Natural and Human Causes
3.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Ancient Soil Modifications
3.5and#160;and#160;and#160; The Scale of Prehistoric Human Impacts in the Neotropics
3.6and#160;and#160;and#160; Paleoecological Reconstruction of Tropical Forest Regeneration
3.7and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 4
Tropical Forest Dynamics and Disturbance Regimes
4.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
4.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Disturbance Regimes in Tropical Forest Regions
4.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Gap Dynamics and the Forest Growth Cycle
4.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Detection of Tropical Forest Disturbance
4.5and#160;and#160;and#160; Are Old-Growth Tropical Forests Stable?
4.6and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 5
Successional Pathways and Forest Transformations
5.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
5.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Variability in Successional Pathways
5.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Successional Stages and Species Classification
5.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Forest Definitions and Concepts
5.5and#160;and#160;and#160; Approaches to Studying Tropical Forest Succession
5.6and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 6
Tropical Forest Succession on Newly Created Substrates
6.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
6.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Biological Legacies and Local Resource Availability
6.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Colonization and Succession on Landslides
6.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Succession following Volcanic Eruptions
6.5and#160;and#160;and#160; Riverbank Succession
6.6and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 7
Forest Regeneration following Agricultural Land Uses
7.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
7.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Effects of Land Use and Biological Legacies on Propagule Availability and Modes of Regeneration
7.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Effects of Land Use on Site Quality and Resource Availability
7.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 8
Forest Regeneration following Hurricanes and Fires
8.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
8.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Hurricane Damage and Regeneration
8.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Tropical Forest Regeneration after Single and Recurrent Fires
8.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 9
Forest Regeneration following Selective Logging and Land-Use Synergisms
9.1and#160;and#160;and#160; Overview
9.2and#160;and#160;and#160; Harvesting Intensity, Forest Disturbance, and Postlogging Forest Regeneration
9.3and#160;and#160;and#160; Effects of Logging on Animal Abundance and Diversity
9.4and#160;and#160;and#160; Consequences of Land-Use Synergisms for Forest Regeneration
9.5and#160;and#160;and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 10
Functional Traits and Community Assembly during Secondary Succession
10.1and#160; Overview
10.2and#160; Environmental Gradients during Succession
10.3and#160; Successional Changes in Life-Form Composition
10.4and#160; Functional Traits of Early and Late Successional Species
10.5and#160; Environmental Filtering, Functional Diversity, and Community Assembly during Succession
10.6and#160; A General Scheme for Community Assembly during Secondary Succession
10.7and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 11
Recovery of Ecosystem Functions during Forest Regeneration
11.1and#160; Overview
11.2and#160; Loss of Nutrients and Carbon during Conversion of Forest to Agriculture
11.3and#160; Accumulation of Carbon and Nutrients during Forest Regeneration
11.4and#160; Nutrient Cycling and Nutrient Limitation
11.5and#160; Hydrology and Water Balance
11.6and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 12
Animal Diversity and Plant-Animal Interactions in Regenerating Forests
12.1and#160; Overview
12.2and#160; Animal Diversity in Regenerating Forests
12.3and#160; Plant-Herbivore Interactions during Forest Regeneration
12.4and#160; Seed Dispersal and Predation during Forest Regeneration
12.5and#160; Pollination in Regenerating Forests
12.6and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 13
Tropical Reforestation Pathways
13.1and#160; Overview
13.2and#160; Reforestation Goals and Decisions
13.3and#160; Reforestation through Management of Forest Fallows
13.4and#160; Ecological Forest Restoration in the Tropics
13.5and#160; Recovery of Biodiversity during Reforestation
13.6and#160; Recovery of Ecosystem Properties during Reforestation
13.7and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 14
Regenerating Forests in Tropical Landscapes
14.1and#160; Overview
14.2and#160; Land-Use Transitions and Forest Transitions
14.3and#160; The Landscape Context of Forest Regeneration
14.4and#160; Socioecological Drivers of Tropical Reforestation
14.5and#160; Enhancing Forest Regeneration and Human Livelihoods in the Landscape Matrix
14.6and#160; Conclusion
Chapter 15
Synthesis: The Promise of Tropical Forest Regeneration in an Age of Deforestation
15.1and#160; The Power of Forest Regeneration
15.2and#160; Tropical Forest Change and Resilience
15.3and#160; The Current and Future Value of Regenerating Tropical Forests
15.4and#160; New Approaches to Promoting Forest Regeneration
References
Index