Conversion of abandoned cattle pastures to secondary forests and plantations in the tropics has been proposed as a means to increase rates of carbon (C) sequestration from the atmosphere and enhance local biodiversity. We used a long-term tropical reforestation project (55–61 yr) to estimate rates of above- and belowground C sequestration and to investigate the impact of planted species on overall plant community structure. Thirteen tree species (nine native and four nonnative species) were planted as part of the reforestation effort in the mid to late 1930s. In 1992, there were 75 tree species (.9.1 cm dbh) in the forest. Overall, planted species accounted for 40% of the importance value of the forest; planted nonnative species contributed only 5% of the importance value. In the reforested ecosystem, the total soil C pool (0–60 cm depth) was larger than the aboveground C pool, and there was more soil C in the forest (102 6 10 Mg/ha [mean 6 1 SE]) than in an adjacent pasture of similar age (69 6 16 Mg/ha). Forest soil C (C3-C) increased at a rate of ;0.9 Mg·ha21·yr21, but residual pasture C (C4-C) was lost at a rate of 0.4 Mg·ha21·yr21, yielding a net gain of 33 Mg/ha as a result of 61 years of forest regrowth. Aboveground C accumulated at a rate of 1.4 6 0.05 Mg·ha21·yr21, to a total of 80 6 3 Mg/ha. A survey of 426 merchantable trees in 1959 and 1992 showed that they grew faster in the second 33 years of forest development than in the first 22 years, indicating that later stages of forest development can play an important role in C sequestration. Few indices of C cycling were correlated with plant community composition or structure. Our results indicate that significant soil C can accumulate with reforestation and that there are strong legacies of pasture use and reforestation in plant community structure and rates of plant C sequestration.

Approximately half of the tropical biome is in some stage of recovery from past human disturbance, most of which is in secondary forests growing on abandoned agricultural lands and pastures. Reforestation of these abandoned lands, both natural and managed, has been proposed as a means to help offset increasing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. In this paper we discuss the potential of these forests to serve as sinks for atmospheric carbon dioxide in aboveground biomass and soils. A review of literature data shows that aboveground biomass increases at a rate of 6.2 Mg ha−1 yr−1 during the first 20 years of succession, and at a rate of 2.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1 over the first 80 years of regrowth. During the first 20 years of regrowth, forests in wet life zones have the fastest rate of aboveground carbon accumulation with reforestation, followed by dry and moist forests. Soil carbon accumulated at a rate of 0.41 Mg ha−1yr−1 over a 100-year period, and at faster rates during the first 20 years (1.30 Mg carbon ha−1 yr−1). Past land use affects the rate of both above- and belowground carbon sequestration. Forests growing on abandoned agricultural land accumulate biomass faster than other past land uses, while soil carbon accumulates faster on sites that were cleared but not developed, and on pasture sites. Our results indicate that tropical reforestation has the potential to serve as a carbon offset mechanism both above- and belowground for at least 40 to 80 years, and possibly much longer. More research is needed to determine the potential for longer-term carbon sequestration for mitigation of atmospheric CO2 emissions.

Anthropogenic activities have accelerated the rate of global loss of biodiversity, making it more important than ever to understand the structure of biodiversity hotspots. One current focus is the relationship between species richness and aboveground biomass (AGB) in a variety of ecosystems. Nonetheless, species diversity, evenness, rarity, or dominance represent other critical attributes of biodiversity and may have associations with AGB that are markedly different than that of species richness. Using data from large trees in four environmentally similar sites in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico, we determined the shape and strength of relationships between each of five measures of biodiversity (i.e., species richness, Simpson’s diversity, Simpson’s evenness, rarity, and dominance) and AGB. We quantified these measures of biodiversity using either proportional biomass or proportional abundance as weighting factors. Three of the four sites had a unimodal relationship between species richness and AGB, with only the most mature site evincing a positive, linear relationship. The differences between the mature site and the other sites, as well as the differences between our richness–AGB relationships and those found at other forest sites, highlight the crucial role that prior land use and severe storms have on this forest community. Although the shape and strength of relationships differed greatly among measures of biodiversity and among sites, the strongest relationships within each site were always those involving richness or evenness.

This paper compares aboveground forest structure and macronutrient stoichiometry over 5 15 years of hurricane induced secondary succession by species, life history groups, community 6 species composition, and geomorphic setting. Stem density continually increased after the 7 impact of the Category 4 hurricane Hugo and 15 years later, it was greater than pre-hurricane. 8 There were significant spatial and temporal differences in the number of species, the diversity 9 index per plot, forest structure, and biomass. The greatest compositional differences occurred 10 between the post-Hugo and the 15-year census. Prior to hurricane Hugo most plots had very 11 similar species composition and abundances, and thus occupied a small area in non-metric 12 multidimensional species space. Following the hurricane new species combinations occurred 13 and the location of plots was spread in multidimensional space. Diversity indices were 14 significantly different among geomorphic settings before and immediately after hurricane Hugo. 15 However, these differences were not observed again until the 15-year census where they returned 16 to pre-hurricane levels. Plant associations based on abundance, life history traits, and landscape 17 position had measurable differences in their structure, composition, aboveground nutrient 18 storage, and stoichiometry. However, these differences were reflected in a variety of ways at 19 different spatial scales. At the species level differences in macronutrient tissue concentrations 20 were apparent when comparing co-existing primary forests dominants, early successional 21 dominants, high-light and low-light species, and species whose stem densities are negatively 22 correlated. Community level differences were greater for forest structure and total nutrient 23 storage compared to the mass weighted concentrations of macronutrients. The largest differences observed were in Mg and can be attributed to the succession of pioneer species 2 following the hurricane. Over the entire 15-year period, the watershed average aboveground 3 stoichiometry was relatively consistent and this is linked to the biomass dominance of a few 4 species. The successional history recorded here also suggests that community level differences 5 in species composition, structure, and stoichiometry were well established after 10 to 15 years of 6 secondary succession.