Band planting: a new restoration technique under the multi-criteria analysis of ecological functionality

Abstract

We evaluated band planting (BP) to assess its efficiency in the early restoring of ecological processes using a multi-criteria protocol known as Framework for the Evaluation of Natural Resource Management Systems Incorporating Sustainability Indicators (MESMIS) to obtain the ecological functionality consolidation index (EFCI). We sampled a 4.3 ha-1 plantation, aged 3 years, with BP, 1.5-m space between bands, 2-m space between seedlings, and a 3.5-m band of natural regeneration, ten areas with conventional planting (CP), aged 5 years, in the coverage and diversity models, and ten areas restored by natural regeneration (NR), aged 4 years. Sampling was carried out in 36 10 m x 10 m blocks, totaling 144 plots, 15 blocks for BP, 11 blocks for CP, and 10 blocks for NR. Species richness was similar between the areas; however, there was a significant difference between BP and the other areas (CP and NR) by the Dunn’s test (p < 0.05). The NR area had the highest diversity (H' = 3.03; J' = 0.76), followed by BP (H' = 2.56; J' = 0.62), and CP (H' = 2.0; J' = 0.48), whereas the BP area (4.348 ind.ha-1) had the highest density. The BP had the highest EFCI for diversity (0.100), control, and management (0.067) compared to NR, for diversity (0.022), and similar to CP in soil protection and nutrient cycling (0.047). BP was efficient in recovering early ecological processes under conditions similar to fragments in the initial stage of succession.