Vegetation recruitment in different aged rehabilitated patches in monsoonal vine forest in the Northern Territory, Australia

Rehabilitation of coastal vine forest at East Point Recreational Reserve, Darwin, is ongoing. Rehabilitated stands ranging in age from 6 to 42 years were compared to a remnant community. Rehabilitation involved planting seedlings of pioneer species. Regeneration of climax species largely relies on dispersal from the nearby forest remnant. This study determined whetherregeneration of climax species was dispersal limited and whether the rehabilitation strategy of using pioneers is likely to eventually restore remnant forest tree diversity. We predicted that if the advanced regeneration in these patches was dispersal limited the patches would be dominated by seedlings of planted pioneer species. We measured seed and seedling diversity and abundance in different aged stands for comparison with the remnant forest. In young stands pioneer species from differentgrowth forms established easily and had achieved a closed canopy. Climax species established once canopy closure wasachieved. However, even the oldest rehabilitated stand (42 years) had not begun to converge on the climax species diversity and abundance contained in the nearby remnant monsoonal vine forest.