Horizontal structure of a managed secondary tropical dry forest in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
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| Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | artículo original |
| Status: | Versión publicada |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Description: | Tropical dry secondary forests play a key role in landscape restoration and the provision of ecosystem services in tropical regions. This study evaluated the horizontal structure and floristic composition of a managed secondary tropical dry forest under silvicultural treatments at the Horizontes Experimental Forest Station, Costa Rica. Variables such as basal area, tree density, and species richness were analyzed in three forest management units during the period 2021–2024 under four treatments: harvesting, release, enrichment, and control. Results showed densities exceeding 890 trees/ha and basal area values close to 16 m²/ha in the most developed management units, as well as a richness ranging from 29 to 51 species per 0.04 ha. Harvesting caused localized reductions in basal area, while release and enrichment treatments exhibited stable or positive trends in structural variables. Floristic composition was dominated by families such as Fabaceae, Bignoniaceae, and Rubiaceae, accounting for more than 50% of the recorded richness. However, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not find statistically significant differences among treatments for the evaluated variables (p > 0.05). This result suggests that forest structural response may be influenced both by the inherent dynamics of secondary ecosystems and by the temporal scale of the study, which may be insufficient to detect significant changes. In this context, silvicultural treatments represent a strategy with potential to contribute to the sustainable management of tropical dry secondary forests, particularly when complemented by medium- and long-term monitoring. |
| Country: | Portal de Revistas TEC |
| Institution: | Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas TEC |
| Language: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/8795 |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.tec.ac.cr/index.php/kuru/article/view/8795 |
| Keyword: | ecological recovery, tree diversity, forest management, dry forests, assisted restoration recuperación ecológica, diversidad arbórea, manejo forestal, bosques secos, restauración asistida |