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Mammalian Browsers Disrupt Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in a Forest Tree Restoration Planting
João Costa E Silva1, Brad M Potts2,3, Peter A Harrison2,3,4
1Centro de Estudos Florestais, Instituto Superior de Agronomia Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal.
Evolutionary Applications
|May 9, 2025
Summary
Large mammal herbivory disrupts eco-evolutionary dynamics in restored forests. Browsing reduced tree growth and survival, highlighting the need for genetic diversity in restoration efforts to ensure resilience.
Area of Science:
- Forest ecology
- Restoration ecology
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics
Background:
- Native and restored forests face threats from pests and diseases, notably large herbivores.
- Impacts of herbivores on community and species levels are known, but finer-scale eco-evolutionary effects are less understood.
- Understanding herbivory's influence is crucial for effective forest restoration and conservation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of large-mammal herbivory on tree survival and height growth in a mixed-species restoration planting.
- To assess the effects of browsing on species, population, and family-level variation in Australian forest trees (Eucalyptus ovata and E. pauciflora).
- To evaluate how herbivory alters eco-evolutionary processes and climate-growth relationships in restored forest ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Common-garden field trials comparing browsed (unfenced) and unbrowsed (fenced) plantings of mixed Eucalyptus species.
- Exposure of browsed plots to native marsupials and introduced European fallow deer (Dama dama).
- Utilizing open-pollinated families from 22 paired geographic areas to assess genetic variation effects.
Main Results:
- Browsing significantly reduced species and population differences, as well as family variance, in both height growth and survival.
- Height growth and survival patterns differed between browsing regimes, altering climate-growth relationships for both species.
- A marked disruption of eco-evolutionary dynamics was observed in the browsed restoration planting.
Conclusions:
- Large mammalian herbivores significantly disrupt the eco-evolutionary dynamics of restored forests.
- Translocation choices for restoration should not rely solely on climate matching; genetic diversity is essential for resilience.
- Prioritizing genetic diversity in restoration is critical for adapting to biotic and abiotic stresses under global change.
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