Unlocking Tropical Forest Complexity: How Tree Assemblages in Secondary Forests Boost Biodiversity Conservation.

ABSTRACT: Secondary forests now dominate tropical landscapes and play a crucial role in achieving COP15 conservation objectives. This study develops a replicable national approach to identifying and characterising forest ecosystems, with a focus on the role of secondary forests. We hypothesised that dominant tree species in the forest canopy serve as reliable indicators for delineating forest ecosystems and untangling biodiversity complexity. Using national inventories, we identified in situ clusters through hierarchical clustering based on dominant species abundance dissimilarity, determined using the Importance Variable Index. These clusters were characterised by analysing species assemblages and their interactions. We then applied object-oriented Random Forest modelling, segmenting the national f

SUBMITTER: Souza Oliveira M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12600032 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature