Post-Agricultural Succession in the Neotropics

Written for researchers, professionals, and students of ecology, the book provides a background in old field ecosystems and proposes restoration strategies and a trajectory for future research. This timely work draws implications from scientific studies for the wise management of old field ecosystems in the neotropics, where conversion of land to cropping systems is the most common kind of disturbance and many landscapes are defined by areas recovering from agriculture. Post-agricultural studies have been central to the development of both the science of plant ecology and ecology in general. The study of old field succession allows us to observe the development of the structure and function of communities, as well as understand the role of history and initial conditions in that process. Understanding old field succession can help the public address important scientific and social issues, such as deforestation and forest regeneration, forest restoration, sustainability of agriculture, maintenance of biodiversity, and impacts of global climate change on forest dynamics.

Presents a thorough discussion of old field succession studies in the neotropics Provides restoration and management strategies, as well as new farming methodologies for practical application Methods described will be applicable to areas outside of the neotropics as well

Auteur
Randall W. Myster is Assistant Professor in the Biology Department of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, OK, USA.

Contenu
Patterns of Living and Non-living Components of Old Fields After Abandonment.- Trends in Above and Belowground Carbon with Forest Regrowth After Agricultural Abandonment in the Neotropics.- Post Sugar Cane Succession in Moist Alluvial Sites in Puerto Rico.- Soil Fungi and Macrofauna in the Neotropics.- Earthworms and Post-Agricultural Succession.- Mechanisms and Tolerances that Cause Plant-Plant Replacements Producing Old Field Vegetation Patterns.- Factors Affecting the Species Richness and Composition of Neotropical Secondary Succession: A Case Study of Abandoned Agricultural Land in Panama.- Seed Dispersal by Cattle: Natural History and Applications to Neotropical Forest Restoration and Agroforestry.- The Roles of Disperser Behavior and Physical Habitat Structure in Regeneration of Post-Agricultural Fields.- Neotropic Post-Dispersal Seed Predation.- Facilitation Versus Competition in Neotropical Old-Fields: A Case Study After Pinus taeda Cultivation in Brazil.- Recruitment of Dry Forest Tree Species in Central Brazil Pastures.- Restoration, Management, and the Future of Post-Agricultural Areas.- Microbial Biomass in Native Amazonian Ecosystems and its Adaptation to Deforestation and Pasture Introduction and Management.- Management for Sustainability and Restoration of Degraded Pastures in the Neotropics.- Conclusions, Synthesis, and Future Directions.