05. Overview of factors affecting the natural regeneration of tropical rainforests

Abstract

Natural regeneration is a very important component of forest dynamics and the sustainable development of tropical forest ecosystems. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect forest regeneration is very important in determining the success or failure of forest restoration. The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of research documents around the world on factors affecting natural regeneration in tropical forests. The results suggest that factors affecting the natural regeneration of tropical forest tree species may include competition from unwanted vegetation, seed and seedling predators and lack of seed sources due to limited seed dispersal ability, low seed germination rate,... The information provided in this paper can provide managers, scientists and foresters with a comprehensive picture of the factors affecting forest regeneration, as a foundation for developing silvicultural technical measures to promote the process of the forest ecosystem restoration.