Low Herbivory among Targeted Reforestation Sites in the Andean Highlands of Southern Ecuador

摘要: Insect herbivory constitutes an important constraint in the viability and management of targeted reforestation sites. Focusing on young experimental stands at about 2000 m elevation southern Ecuador, we examined foliar damage over one season as a function tree species habitat. Native (Successional hardwood: Cedrela montana Tabebuia chrysantha; fast-growing pioneer: Heliocarpus americanus) have been planted among prevailing local landcover types (abandoned pasture, secondary shrub vegetation, Pinus patula plantation) 2003/4. Plantation trees were compared to conspecifics spontaneous undergrowth adjacent undisturbed rainforest matched for height volume. Specifically, tested hypotheses that H. americanus pioneer suffers more two successional species, is inversely related habitat complexity. Overall leaf caused by folivorous insects (excluding leafcutter ants) was low. Average loss highest T. chrysantha (7.50% ± 0.19 SE area), followed (4.67% 0.18 SE) C. (3.18% 0.15 SE). Contrary expectations, area closed-canopy natural rainforest, pine plantation, Harvesting activity ants (Acromyrmex sp.) strongly biased towards growing open (mean pasture: 2.5%; shrub: 10.5%) where it could result considerable (> 90.0%). folivory unlikely pose barrier tropical Andean mountain forest zone present, but may become problematic if temperatures increase wake global warming.