Limited relevance of studying colonization in degraded areas for selecting framework species for ecosystem restoration

The framework species method has been successfully used to restore tropical forests in different parts of the globe. However, establishing experimental plantations for selecting a set of appropriate framework species is extremely time and labor consuming. Here we tested if species performance during colonization of degraded areas could be used to select framework species for restoration programs. We made a survey of the vegetation naturally colonizing a lake margin impacted by bauxite tailings. We followed survival and growth of these individuals during two years and compared their performance with planted individuals of the same species on a restoration project developed nearby. We found no clear relation between species performance during natural colonization and performance when planted in the same substrate. Future studies evaluating performance in the nursery and experimental plantations are still essential for selecting the best framework species and will greatly contribute for restoration of highly diverse ecosystems.