Resilient secondary tropical forests? Although deforestation is rampant across the tropics, forest has a strong capacity to regrow on abandoned lands. These “secondary” forests may increasingly play important roles in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and landscape restoration. Poorter et al . analyzed the patterns of recovery in forest attributes (related to soil, plant functioning, structure, and diversity) in 77 secondary forest sites in the Americas and West Africa. They found that different attributes recovered at different rates, with soil recovering in less than a decade and species diversity and biomass recovering in little more than a century. The authors discuss how these findings can be applied in efforts to promote forest restoration. —AMS

Euterpe edulis (Martius) is a single‐stemmed, abundant Neotropical palm of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). The species produces the heart of palm, locally called palmito, which is an important source of income for forest owners. Because of its high market value, its short‐term demands of the forest environment, and its important interactions with animal species, this palm is suitable for sustainable management and conservation purposes. In this paper, we present the results from a 15‐year investigation of this species, synthesizing results on its demography, seed dispersion, reproductive biology, genetics, and economics. We have linked these results in a proposal for the species' sustainable management and conservation.

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RESUMOEste estudo teve por objetivo determinar critérios e parâmetros para o inventário e classificação das formações secundárias no estado de Santa Catarina. Foram realizados inventários florestais em 160 parcelas em quatro diferentes estágios de sucessão natural, em todas as formações florestais do Estado. Entre os resultados, propõe-se que os inventários, para fins de classificação, incluam todos os indivíduos da parcela que tenham ≥ 5 cm de DAP e que a área basal seja a pricipal variável analizada para a classificação da formação vegetal em estádios sucessionais. Também propõe-se a reavaliação dos parâmetros definidos pela atual Resolução. Palavras-chave: inventário florestal; regeneração natural; legislação florestal. ABSTRACTThis study was designed to determine the criteria and the parameters needed for the inventory and the classification of the secondary forest in the Atlantic coast of Santa Catarina state, in Brazil. The forest inventories were conducted in 160 plots at four different stages of natural succession, in all forest of the state. It is proposed that inventories needed for the legal classification of secondary forests should include all individuals of each plot ≥5cm DBH and that basal area should be the central variable used to assign these forest formations in successional stages. This study also suggests the need to review the current regulation parameters in this place for the forest classification of Mata Atlântica defined by the current resolution.