Assessing restoration strategies for the recovery of Colombian Moist Forests: a meta-analysis

To mitigate the loss of Colombia's Moist Forests—35% of their original extent by 2021—understanding successional dynamics is critical for effective restoration. This study synthesizes data from 34 peer-reviewed articles to evaluate the efficacy of restoration methods (natural regeneration, native or exotic plantations, nucleation, remediation, agroforestry, or silvopastoral systems) in recovering vegetation structure, leaf litter, soil nutrients, and species richness. Using meta-analyses and multivariate models, we compared active restoration methods with natural regeneration, evaluated their similarity to old-growth native forests, and identified key drivers of recovery. Results showed that native plantations and silvopastoral systems accelerate vegetation structure recovery in early successions (<30 years), reaching metrics comparable to old-growth native forests, whereas natural regeneration progresses slower. Exotic plantations underperformed in vegetation recovery, reinforcing the importance of using native species for restoration. Despite differences in structural recovery, species richness (plants, birds, and insects). Soil nutrients and leaf litter accumulation showed no significant variation across restoration methods, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of natural regeneration in resilient landscapes. Environmental factors—particularly precipitation, elevation, and climatic seasonality—strongly influenced tree density, basal area, and bird richness. Succession time and prior land use activity further shaped recovery outcomes, with forest degradation exhibiting faster structural recovery. The large residual heterogeneity in the meta-analyses reflects the variability in restoration contexts, emphasizing the need for site-specific strategies: active restoration in highly degraded or fragmented landscapes and natural regeneration in well-connected, resilient regions. These insights align with national and global restoration initiatives, integrating research with diverse outcomes in tropical forest restoration.