Indicators of integrative recovery of vegetation, soil and microclimate in successional fields of a tropical dry forest

Abstract Secondary succession involves dynamic feedback among vegetation, environmental conditions and biota. Nevertheless, the recovery of tropical forests after anthropic management is often evaluated based solely on vegetation cover, which is easier to measure and requires less equipment and expertise than the assessment of soil and microclimate, but does not always reflect synchronic and integrative recovery. Given the convenience of measuring vegetation properties, this study aimed to identify the vegetation traits that could best inform on the progress of integrative recovery through the exploration of correlations among changes in soil, vegetation and microclimate over the course of succession and by the selection of the most informative and suitable vegetation indicators. We measured vegetation, soil and microclimate properties along a successional gradient in the tropical dry forest region of the coast of Jalisco, Mexico. Bi- and multi-variate analyses revealed clear correlation between changes in soil and microclimate components. Bivariate and stepwise regressions indicated that basal area, litterfall, plant richness and litter mass were the vegetation properties that were the most related to soil and microclimate recovery. Basal area was the most closely related to soil and microclimate recovery, and it was also related to the recovery of soil P, a key soil property. However, litter mass, which was highly correlated with basal area, is a less time-consuming alternative measurement that may be more manageable for assessing many sites. Litter mass is also a key variable connecting aboveground and belowground recovery processes, making it a particularly useful variable for evaluating integrative recovery. Since all indicators can be affected by natural or human disturbance, the choice of indicators to be used in each evaluation should be cautious and, whenever possible, consider the history of the plot. We discuss and suggest the complementary use of several indicators when disturbance has occurred during secondary succession.