ZAP
Trees that protect other trees reveal secrets of forest restoration. From Brazil comes a study on this little known phenomenon.
Brazilian ecologist Gustavo Paternal has studied a little known but crucial phenomenon for the restoration of ecosystems: the ability of some trees to facilitate the growth of othercreating complex networks of ecological interactions.
The investigation began over a decade in Caatinga, northeastern Brazil, and more recently expanded Sumatra in Indonesia, where it observed similar patterns in tropical forests with trees up to 40 meters high.
The central concept is the call “Ecological Facilitation”, When one plant benefits another, protecting it from adverse environmental conditions.
In Petrolina, Pernambuco, paternal planted species such as the catingueira and the fans under the shadow of larger trees to verify how they influenced the germination, growth and survival of other species.
Found that Some trees promote the diversity and health of neighboring plants through the shadow and deposition of leaves that keep the soil wet and nutrient rich.
From these experiences, Paternal joined Recruitnet, a global network created by ecologist Miguel Verdú, from the University of Valencia, which brings together data from 143 locations in 23 countries, explains the.
The study of 2023 analyzed 118,411 interactions between 3,318 tree species, including tropical and subtropical forests in Panama, Peru, China, Papua New Guinea and Philippines. Papua New Guinea stood out for its largest number of interactions recorded, with 557 species and 40,365 pairs of facilitating and benefited tree.
In Brazil, paternal studies in Caatinga and Vinícius Marcílio-Silva in the Atlantic Forest identified key species, such as capororoca (Myrsine Umbellata) and Pixirica (Sellowian mycony), which act as “recruitors”, promoting the growth of multiple species around them. In the caatinga, the catingueira and the fans played a similar role. Curiously, The same species does not always take advantage of peers – Competition for nutrients or the presence of herbivores may contradict positive effects.
The investigation showed that the effect of recruiting trees tends to be more intense in more regions dried, where adverse conditions make dependence between species more evident. However, paternal warns that the results vary depending on the species involved, the stage of plant development and local conditions. Therefore, the selection of species for restoration projects should consider not only diversity but also the ecological function of each tree.
Experts point out that this approach represents a significant change in forest restoration, from a model based on indiscriminate diversity to strategic planning, centered on species interaction. USP-group Pedro Branca de Pedro Branca, adopts similar methods, combining “covering”, fast-growing and dense pantry trees, with more slowly growing diversity species, ensuring coverage and controlled competition with invasive.
Paternal plans to return to Brazil in 2026 to apply this knowledge to agricultural landscapes dominated by eucalyptus, coffee, soy and sugar cane monocultures. The goal is to create “Restoration Islands” that promote complex ecological networks, including interactions with pollinators, seed dispersers and soil organisms, making the recovery of degraded ecosystems more effective and sustainable.
