Vertebrate diversity and biomass along a recovery gradient in a lowland tropical forest

Deforestation of tropical forests have resulted in extensive areas of secondary forests with the potential to restore biodiversity to former old-growth forest levels. The recovery of vertebrate communities is an essential component of biodiversity and ecosystem restoration, as vertebrates provide key ecosystem functions. However, little is known about the recovery trajectories and habitat preferences of vertebrates in tropical landscapes with differing land-use legacies. We used camera traps covering 3 weeks to study the activity of ground-based mammals and birds in the understory of 57 sites along a forest recovery gradient, ranging from active agriculture, such as pastures and cacao plantations, to naturally recovering forests and old-growth forests in the Chocó rainforest in north-western Ecuador. Our results show that diversity and biomass of wild vertebrates are highest in old-growth forests and late recovery stages, while for domestic vertebrates, these indices are highest in agricultural land. Additionally, while species-habitat networks showed low habitat specificity for vertebrate species, an indicator species analysis found no species to indicate old-growth forests, Dasyprocta punctata and Tayassu pecari to indicate all forest types, and Aramides wolfi and Pecari tajacu to indicate late regeneration forests. We suggest that these patterns are caused by a high habitat connectivity and large amounts of remaining old-growth forest in our study area. Our findings indicate that secondary forests have a high potential for the recovery of vertebrate species diversity and biomass to old-growth level in lowland tropical forests with short regeneration times.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.