TROPICAL SECONDARY FORESTS

The clearance, cultivation and abandonment of tropical forest lands ha s resulted in a rapid increase in the area of tropical secondary fores ts. Despite their growing extent, however, these forests have received relatively little attention from ecologists, foresters and conservati onists. In this article the use of the term 'secondary forest' is rest ricted to forests which have reoccupied a site after clearance. Forest s resulting from selective logging and other disturbances which permit most plant species to survive on the site are excluded. The literatur e on tropical forest succession is reviewed, showing the importance of the type, intensity and scale of the disturbance, the nature of the s urrounding landscape and the composition of the surviving disperser fa una. The value of tropical secondary forests is compared to primary fo rest, with regards to regulatory function, commercial value and conser vation significance. Finally, major research needs are briefly discuss ed.