DOI: 10.5061/dryad.c740k
title: Data from: Nurse-based restoration of degraded tropical forests with tussock grasses: experimental support from the Andean cloud forest

description: 1. The degradation of the Andean cloud forest raises strong biological
 conservation issues and threatens the sustainability of a crucial water
 resource. The idea that nurse-based restoration can accelerate the
 recovery of these forests is underexplored, despite its promise as a
 restoration technique. Recent conceptual models predict that facilitation
 among plants may be an important mechanism, but there is a lack of strong
 empirical support. We gathered experimental data to test this prediction
 and explore the relevance of using nurse-based forest restoration in these
 environments. 2. A 20-month factorial experimental design in the Andean
 tropical cloud forest was established. We measured the survival and
 estimated the biomass production of transplanted seedlings of a keystone
 canopy forest species, Ceroxylon echinulatum (Arecaceae), in a deforested
 area in the presence/absence of herbivory, a potential nurse plant (the
 tussock grass Setaria sphacelata, Poaceae), and artificial shade. 3. The
 joint effects of deforestation and herbivory led to the death of all
 seedlings, whereas most seedlings survived in the adjacent forest, which
 was used as the control. The presence of nurse plants led to significantly
 higher survival and growth of Ceroxylon seedlings throughout the
 experiment, regardless of herbivore presence. 4. The nurse effects were
 explained by a reduction of the relative abiotic stress experienced by the
 seedlings outside the forest, i.e. the consistently decreasing maximum
 vapour pressure deficit. Furthermore, nurse tussocks delayed and reduced
 the effects of herbivory by offering physical protection and a refuge for
 seedlings against detection by herbivores. However, the effects of
 herbivory and abiotic stress on facilitation were not additive. 5.
 Synthesis and applications: Facilitation in degraded cloud forest can be
 intense as soon as the beneficiary plants are driven away from their
 physiological optimum (relative abiotic stress) and/or are confronted by
 herbivory. Using pre-established exotic tussock grasses as a nurse-based
 restoration technique in degraded cloud forest is a low-cost,
 non-detrimental (to biodiversity) option, especially in the absence of
 nurse trees and shrubs. The success of this method requires transplanting
 seedlings at the base of tussocks.
description: dataset on the survival
 and green area of palm seedlingsThis excel sheet
 provides data on the survival and the ratio of green area in leaves of
 palm seedling during 20 months of experimentation in a tropical montane
 forest of Ecuador. Treatments in deforested area are: herbivory vs. no
 herbivory & open area vs. presence of the nurse plant Setaria
 sphacelata vs. artificial shade. Additionally, a treatment in the adjacent
 secondary forest has been added. 30 repetitions for each
 treatment.dataset seedlings (survival and
 green area).xlsxDataset on the portion
 of palm seedlings grazedThis dataset provides
 raw data on the portion of palm seedlings grazed in four experimental
 treatments during a 20 month experiment in the tropical montane forest of
 Ecuador. 30 repetitions for each treatment. Treatments in open area:
 control, with the nurse plant Setaria sphacelata, with artificial shade.
 Additional treatment in the adjacent secondary forest.dataset seedlings
 grazed.xlsxdataset
 microenvironmentThis dataset provides
 average values each 30 minute during 12 days for three microenvironmental
 parameters in the degraded tropical montane forest of Ecuador: VPD
 (calculated from relative humidity and temperature 15 cm above soil
 surface), light intensity and soil temperature 5 cm below soil
 surface.