What Do Seedlings Like? The Relationship between Seedling Richness and Abundance with Abiotic Factors

Natural regeneration is the interaction of natural processes to restore the forest ecosystem. Its dynamics are influenced by the intensity and extent of a series of abiotic and biotic factors, which may be intrinsic or extrinsic. Knowing the importance of establishing natural regeneration within forest ecosystems, this work aimed to evaluate whether litter depth and trail distance influenced seedling abundance and richness in a forest fragment undergoing natural restoration. The hypothesis tested in this research was that abiotic factors influence the natural regeneration of this forest since they are factors that are directly linked to seed germination and seedling establishment. 30 plots of 1 m2 were randomly analyzed within the forest located on the brown trail. A millimeter ruler was used to diagnose the litter depth and a measuring tape to measure the distance from the plot to the edge. In each plot the seedlings were morpho-specified and each morphospecies had the number of individuals counted. Linear regression tests were performed to assess the relationships between species richness and trail distance and litter depth. The same was done for species abundance. All results showed that there is no relationship pattern between any of the variables. Other factors also influence the regeneration of a forest, such as luminosity and seed bank. Furthermore, litter depth is related to the successional stage of the forest. It was concluded that the abiotic factors tested do not influence the regeneration of the study area.