Journal article
Biodiversity resilience in a tropical rainforest
Nature, Vol.Advanced access
08-Apr-2026
PMID: 41951739
Abstract
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to stop biodiversity losses1. Approximately 60% of tropical forests have already been lost or severely degraded2, making restoration essential to achieve conservation goals. Recovery trajectories of trees have been studied intensively3,4, but a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity recovery is lacking. Here we analyse recovery trajectories across trophic levels including 16 taxonomic groups from three kingdoms in a lowland tropical forest by investigating resistance to perturbation, recovery times and return rates to old-growth forest conditions. Abundance and diversity regained more than 90% and composition approximately 75% similarity to old-growth forests within 30 years, but full recovery takes several decades. Mobile animal communities acting as seed dispersers or pollinators had high resistance levels and recovered faster than trees or tree seedlings. Return rates contributed 1–2.5 times more than resistance to the recovery times of species composition. Taxon-specific recovery times could not be explained by simple mechanisms (life-history strategies, trophic level or mobility). We show the enormous potential of protecting naturally recovering secondary forests to stop and reverse biodiversity losses.
Details
- Title
- Biodiversity resilience in a tropical rainforest
- Authors
- Timo Metz (Corresponding Author) - Technische Universität DarmstadtNina Farwig - Philipps University of MarburgCarsten F Dormann - University of FreiburgH Martin Schaefer - Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco (Ecuador)Juan E Guevara Andino - Universidad de Las AméricasGunnar Brehm - Friedrich Schiller University JenaSantiago Burneo - Pontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorAnne Chao - National Tsing Hua UniversityRobin L Chazdon - University of the Sunshine CoastRobert K Colwell - University of ConnecticutUgo M Diniz - Technical University of MunichDavid A Donoso - Universidad de Las AméricasMaría-José Endara - Universidad de Las AméricasSantiago Erazo - Universität UlmSebastián Escobar - Universidad de Las AméricasAna Falconí-López - University of WürzburgHeike Feldhaar - University of BayreuthMishell Garcia Villamarin - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenNina Grella - University of BayreuthKatrin Heer - University of FreiburgMichael Heethoff - Technische Universität DarmstadtAlexander Keller - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenAnna R Landim - Goethe University FrankfurtSara D Leonhardt - Technical University of MunichEva Tamargo Lopez - Philipps University of MarburgDiego Marín-Armijos - Universidad Técnica Particular de LojaJörg Müller - University of WürzburgKarla Neira-Salamea - Museum für NaturkundeEike Lena Neuschulz - Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreKaren M Pedersen - Technische Universität DarmstadtMark-Oliver Rödel - Museum für NaturkundeMatthias Schleuning - Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreThomas Schmitt - University of WürzburgMichael Staab - Leuphana University of LüneburgArianna Tartara - Technische Universität DarmstadtBoris A Tinoco - University of AzuayConstance J Tremlett - Technische Universität DarmstadtMarco Tschapka - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteSybille Unsicker - Universitätsverlag KielEdith Villa-Galaviz - Technische Universität DarmstadtNico Blüthgen (Corresponding Author) - Technische Universität Darmstadt
- Publication details
- Nature, Vol.Advanced access
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41586-026-10365-2
- ISSN
- 1476-4687
- PMID
- 41951739
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Data Availability
- Raw data are available in an online CodeOcean repository (https://doi.org/10.24433/CO.1040081.v4).
- Grant note
- This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft funded Research Unit REASSEMBLY (FOR 5207, coordination funds BL 960/12).
- Organisation Unit
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991225024002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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