Conditions for establishment of a key restoration species, Lupinus elegans Kunth, in a Mexican temperate forest

Abstract

Seedling establishment is essential to ensure the persistence of most plant populations. When the establishment of early successional species is hampered, the regeneration dynamics of plant communities may be altered, thus becoming an obstacle for ecological restoration practice. This is the case of Lupinus elegans (Fabaceae), a pioneer leguminous shrub of temperate forests that facilitates the establishment of other plant species. In this experiment, L. elegans seeds were planted in the same density within a landscape of abandoned agricultural fields, to determine site characteristics that favor the establishment of this species. By analyzing classification trees, the variables that explain L. elegans establishment were determined, before and after herbivory by Zygogeomus trichopus, an endemic gopher known as tuza de Nahuatzen, that prevented establishment of this species by 40%. The results showed that S-SW and SW-W orientations, a soil density > 0.8047 g/cm3, a vegetation cover < 110%, and slopes > 11.5° favored L. elegans establishment and minimized mortality caused by the gopher.