Partial recovery of large seed arrival following ecological restoration in fragmented tropical rainforests
Data files
Feb 10, 2026 version files 167.66 KB
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all_tree_seed_dat.csv
48.38 KB
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disp_tree_seed_dat.csv
27.39 KB
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Krishnan_et_al_R_script.R
81.97 KB
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location_attributes_final.csv
2.63 KB
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MetaData.txt
748 B
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README.md
2.78 KB
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species_traits_final.csv
3.77 KB
Abstract
Forest restoration success depends crucially on the reinitiation of ecological processes such as seed arrival that drive natural regeneration. We know little about whether, by increasing and diversifying local seed sources to alleviate seed limitation, and attracting animal frugivores to alleviate dispersal limitation, restoration could shift seed arrival rates and species composition in the direction of mature rainforests, particularly for large-seeded species in degraded fragments. We tested this by examining seed arrival in 189 1 m2 seed fall traps within 63 seed trapping stations across sites ecologically restored (through maximum diversity mixed-native species planting 13-21 years ago) and those left unrestored within degraded rainforest fragments, and in mature “benchmark” rainforests, in India’s Western Ghats. We found that overall, large-seeded species arrival rates in restored sites was comparable with the benchmark, and was higher than unrestored sites. Seeds arriving through dispersal (from fruiting trees absent in the overstory) also showed a recovery towards benchmark levels, but were dominated by alien species abundant in the matrix habitat. Restoration also had no effect on species richness and composition of all arriving seeds, with restored sites closely resembling unrestored sites and remaining distinct from benchmark sites. Further, restoration did not alleviate the effect of fragment isolation on large seed arrival rates, which declined with distance from benchmark forests similarly in restored and unrestored sites. Our results suggest that restoration can increase local availability and dispersal of large seeds, and highlights the value of diverse native species restoration plantings within degraded forests and promoting their use instead of alien tree species in the surrounding matrix. However, our findings also show that recovery of natural regeneration can remain slow or uncertain in restored forest fragments, and underscore the need for sustained monitoring and evaluation of restoration over multiple decades.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.547d7wmmj
Description of the data and file structure
Data from: Partial recovery of large seed arrival following ecological restoration in fragmented tropical rainforests
Data sets included:
- all_tree_seed_dat.csv: data of all-seed arrival
- disp_tree_seed_dat.csv: data of dispersed-seed arrival
- location_attributes_final.csv: data associated with trap locations
- species_traits_final.csv: data of species traits
Files and variables
File: MetaData.txt
Description: Description of the datasets
File: Krishnan_et_al_R_script.R
Description: R scripts used for analysing the data and making plots
File: species_traits_final.csv
Description: Species traits
Variables
- Final_species_name: Species name
- seed_length_cat: Seed size category-- Large > 1 cm and Small <= 1 cm
- Functional_group: Species classification as Native and Alien
- Disp_mode: Dispersal mode as Biotic or Abiotic
- Seeds_per_fruit: Average number of seeds in a fruit
- seed_length: Seed length in cm
- NA values indicate an absence of data collection
File: location_attributes_final.csv
Description:
Variables
- Treatment: Treatment
- Trap_ID: Trapping station ID
- dist_PA: Distance from benchmark forest in km
- Year_restored: Years since restoration
- Location: Fragment or Benchmark site name
- 'Benchmark' sites have NA values for dist_PA and Year_restored as they do not apply to these sites.
File: disp_tree_seed_dat.csv
Description:
Variables
- Treatment: Treatment
- Trap_ID: Trapping station ID
- Trap_code: Seed trap ID
- Final_species_name: Seed species name
- Overstory_fruiting: Whether the seed species has a conspecific tree in the overstory that is fruiting (Y) or not (N)
- Seeds_no_flesh: Whether the seed had fruit pulp (Y) or not (N)
- sampling_time: Number of days the seed fall trap was sampled for
- NA in Final_species_name indicates the lack of seed arrival of any species.
File: all_tree_seed_dat.csv
Description:
Variables
- Treatment: Treatment
- Trap_ID: Trapping station ID
- Trap_code: Seed trap ID
- Final_species_name: Seed species name
- Overstory_fruiting: Whether the seed species has a conspecific tree in the overstory that is fruiting (Y) or not (N)
- Seeds_no_flesh: Whether the seed had fruit pulp (Y) or not (N)
- Whole_fruits: The number of intact fruits that arrived (With pulp)
- sampling_time: Number of days the seed fall trap was sampled for
- NA in Final_species_name (and correspondingly in Overstory_fruiting) indicates the lack of seed arrival of any species.