DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0rxwdbs8n
title: Data from: Seed functional traits as predictors of seedling establishment success in Brazilian tropical forest restoration

description: Several ecological filters in deforested and degraded areas reduce
 seedling emergence and establishment and hinder ecological restoration by
 direct seeding. Understanding whether functional traits are related to a
 species’ capacity to overcome these filters and predict their field
 performance might improve the success of direct seeding techniques for
 ecological restoration. We assessed eight seed functional traits of
 tropical tree species, seeking those that best explained their
 establishment success in direct seeding restoration projects. We analyzed
 a dataset from 52 studies that tested direct seeding techniques with tree
 species in Brazil. From each study, we collected the mean establishment
 percentage for all tree species. Seed mass, cotyledon function, and
 germination speed were the only functional traits that significantly
 affected the species establishment percentage in direct seeding
 restoration projects. Species with larger seeds, storage cotyledons, and
 faster germination had higher establishment percentages. Choosing species
 with these functional traits for seed mixes will provide higher
 establishment percentages and, consequently, improve restoration success
 by direct seeding techniques.
description: # Data from: Seed functional traits as predictors of seedling
 establishment success in Brazilian tropical forest restoration
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0rxwdbs8n](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0rxwdbs8n) We compiled information available on ecological restoration by direct seeding in Brazil until December 2021 by searching the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the combination of terms “direct seeding”, “restoration”, and “Brazil” and their Portuguese translations (“semeadura direta”, “restauração”, and “Brasil”). To be included in our analysis, the studies had to meet all of the following inclusion criteria: (1) being located in Brazil; (2) referring to ecological restoration projects in deforested or degraded areas (e.g., we did not consider studies of enrichment plantings under native or restored forest canopies); (3) using tree species; and (4) reporting field measurements of establishment by species. Whenever the study reported studies either of tree and non-tree species, we considered only the data for the tree species. From each study, we extracted the species and family names of each tree species tested and the establishment percentages for each tree species from the selected studies from figures, tables, and supporting information. The establishment percentage was reported as the percentage of established seedlings in the field, in relation to the number of seeds sown, 12 months after seeding, whenever this information was available or possible to be estimated, or at the time from the last monitoring period. The 76 species assessed were classified according to eight functional traits that might directly or indirectly affect seedling establishment percentages in the field. We selected eight functional traits with high relevance for seedling emergence and early seedling development, and that would be also easily measured or found in the literature. The information found are available in this dataset. Details of the eight functional traits used in our study and available in the dataset: 1. Seed mass: mass of one seed (g); 2. Seed shape: variance of the three seed’s dimensions (length, width, and thickness) after each of the values was divided by the largest one; 3. Seed storage post-collecting: orthodox and recalcitrant; 4. Seed water content: amount of water in the seed (%); 5. Germination speed: median of minimum and maximum germination days (days); 6. Position of cotyledon: epigeal and hypogeal; 7. Exposition of cotyledon: phanerocotylar and cryptocotylar; 8. Function of cotyledon: photosynthetic and storage