Tree mono-plantations are susceptible to soil nutrient impoverishment and mixed species plantations have been proposed as a way of maintaining soil fertility while enhancing biodiversity. In the Solomon Islands, mixed species plantations where teak (Tectona grandis) is inter-planted with a local tree species (Flueggea flexuosa) have been used as an alternative to teak mono-plantations and are e...

Uncertainties remain in the potential of forest plantations to sequestrate carbon (C). We synthesized 86 experimental studies with paired-site design, using a meta-analysis approach, to quantify the differences in ecosystem C pools between plantations and their corresponding adjacent primary and secondary forests (natural forests). Totaled ecosystem C stock in plant and soil pools was 284 Mg C ...

The rapid transformation of natural forest areas into fast-growing exotic species plantations, where the main objective is timber and pulp production, has led to a neglect of other services forests provide in many parts of the world. One example of such a problem is the county of Biscay, where the management of these plantations has negative impacts on the environment, creating the necessity to...

In the current scenario of a fragmented Atlantic Forest, with less than 7% of the original cover remaining, the dominant agricultural and agroforestal matrices should be incorporated into conservation planning. However, little information is available on the conservation value of different land uses, especially those of commercial tree plantations. We studied bird communities in native forests ...

Eucalypt plantations cover over 1.5 million ha in the Iberian Peninsula. The effects of the replacement of native deciduous forests by exotic plantations on stream communities and litter decomposition, a key ecosystem process in forest streams, are poorly understood. We compared microbially driven and total (microbes + invertebrates) decomposition of alder and oak leaf litter (high and low qual...

During the past decade, Swiss needle cast (SNC) damage has intensified in many Douglas-fir plantations in the Coast Range of Oregon, particularly along the immediate north coast. In plantations with severe symptoms, growth losses and reduced tree vigor are evident, but the magnitude of growth losses associated with varying intensities of damage is not known. A growth impact study was conducted ...

Plantations of fast-growing tree species may be of use in conservation by accelerating the restoration of forest habitat on abandoned farmland and increasing connectivity in fragmented landscapes. The objective of this study was to determine if hybrid poplar plantations can be suitable habitats for the reintroduction of native forest plant species and, if so, which abiotic factors predict succe...

During the past decade, Swiss needle cast (SNC) damage has intensified in many Douglas-fir plantations in the Coast Range of Oregon, particularly along the immediate north coast. In plantations with severe symptoms, growth losses and reduced tree vigor are evident, but the magnitude of growth losses associated with varying intensities of damage is not known. A growth impact study was conducted ...

Where tropical forests have been cleared and abandoned, forest regrowth is often slow. Because of the increasing extent of such degraded lands and desire for these areas to fulfill conservation and ecosystem functions, it has become important to assess mechanisms that accelerate reforestation. In situations where site conditions limit tree establishment, one option to facilitate reforestation i...

7 About 2% of English-language literature on plantations deals with mixed-species 8 plantations, but only a tiny proportion (<0.1%) of industrial plantations are 9 polycultures. Small landholders are more innovative, with 12% of Australia’s farm 10 forestry plantations under mixed-species plantings, and 80% of Queensland’s farm 11 forestry as polycultures. We examine reasons for this discrepanc...