| dc.description | This research evaluates systematically the recovery of tropical
amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal diversity (i.e. species richness, species
composition, functional groups) during secondary forest succession in the
Pantropical region. A meta-analysis of the standardized response ratio for
species richness and species composition similarity were used to evaluate
differences between three secondary successional stages and reference old growth
forest. The meta-analysis was based on 72 studies of species richness
and 65 studies of species composition similarity. We extracted the prediction
interval of the time to reach 90% species composition similarity with reference
sites, independently for amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The relative
richness of functional groups was compared among successional stages for
tropical moist forest birds and mammals. Species richness of amphibians,
reptiles, birds, and mammals varied among groups, but recovered to reference
values sooner than species composition similarity. Birds recovered 90% species
composition similarity with a reference old-growth forest in approximately 36
years, which was much faster than the other vertebrate groups, possibly due to
their higher dispersal ability. Although species composition of tropical moist
forest birds and mammals varied through succession, there was little change in
the relative richness of functional groups. Because vertebrate groups vary in
natural history characteristics (e.g. dispersal ability), it is important to study their
patterns of recovery separately. Furthermore, even though species richness and
functional diversity seem to recovery relatively rapidly during secondary succession, the slow recovery of species composition highlights the need to
protect old-growth forest. As future studies accumulate more late successional
sites, we will improve the description of patterns of vertebrate recovery in the
tropics. | |
