Seed‐rain–successional feedbacks in wet tropical forests

Tropical forest regeneration after abandonment of former agricultural land depends critically on the input tree seeds, yet seed dispersal is increasingly disrupted in contemporary human-modified landscapes. Here, we introduce concept seed-rain–successional feedbacks as a deterministic process which rain shaped by successional dynamics internal to site and that acts reinforce priority effects. We used combination time series chronosequence approaches investigate how quantity taxonomic functional composition change during succession evaluate strength feedbacks, relative other stochastic mechanisms, secondary wet forests Costa Rica. found both niches trajectories rain. Determinism due niche assembly was supported increasing convergence community structure mature forest, terms composition. With age, proportions large-seeded, shade-tolerant species increased, whereas proportion animal-dispersed did not significantly. Seed-rain–successional increased with immigrant seeds (species locally represented site) decreased became more similar adult trees at site. The generated feedback likely contributed divergence sites from each succession. To extent human modification tropical landscapes reduces connectivity via factors such cover loss, our results suggest are shape amplify floristic heterogeneity among forests.