{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140045"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140045","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Restoring the Chocó: Growth and Survival of Native Chocoan Trees Using Different Propagation Methods","abstract":"The Chocó region is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and has been identified as a priority area for conservation due to its high levels of endemism and diversity, currently threatened by the ongoing loss of forest cover. In this context, establishing baseline data on the survival and growth rates of native species can contribute to the design of effective ecological restoration strategies in the region. With this objective, we evaluated the establishment capacity of 28 native species propagated from large cuttings. The results showed that survival depended primarily on species identity, suggesting that propagation capacity by this method is associated with intrinsic adaptations. Although the use of large cuttings is a more economical method than using seedlings, there are certain limitations, such as the fact that not all species can be propagated by this method or the requirement of a high number of donors in order not to affect genetic variability. Additionally, the survival and growth rates of 23 native species (seven of them endemic to the Ecuadorian Chocó) were documented in a restoration experiment based on the applied nucleation strategy. The results showed high variability among species, while edaphic factors such as more acidic, less dense soils with gentle slopes and eastward exposure favored growth and survival. Pioneer species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. promoted the development of highly diverse plantations, possibly by acting as nurse species. Finally, plantations with a higher density of islands (each composed of 25 individuals) showed increased growth rates, which could reflect competitive or facilitative interactions between individuals. This thesis presents key insights into the performance of various propagation methods and provides a scientific foundation to inform future forest restoration efforts in the Ecuadorian Chocó.","abstract_html":"The Chocó region is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and has been identified as a priority area for conservation due to its high levels of endemism and diversity, currently threatened by the ongoing loss of forest cover. In this context, establishing baseline data on the survival and growth rates of native species can contribute to the design of effective ecological restoration strategies in the region. With this objective, we evaluated the establishment capacity of 28 native species propagated from large cuttings. The results showed that survival depended primarily on species identity, suggesting that propagation capacity by this method is associated with intrinsic adaptations. Although the use of large cuttings is a more economical method than using seedlings, there are certain limitations, such as the fact that not all species can be propagated by this method or the requirement of a high number of donors in order not to affect genetic variability. Additionally, the survival and growth rates of 23 native species (seven of them endemic to the Ecuadorian Chocó) were documented in a restoration experiment based on the applied nucleation strategy. The results showed high variability among species, while edaphic factors such as more acidic, less dense soils with gentle slopes and eastward exposure favored growth and survival. Pioneer species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. promoted the development of highly diverse plantations, possibly by acting as nurse species. Finally, plantations with a higher density of islands (each composed of 25 individuals) showed increased growth rates, which could reflect competitive or facilitative interactions between individuals. This thesis presents key insights into the performance of various propagation methods and provides a scientific foundation to inform future forest restoration efforts in the Ecuadorian Chocó.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Aparicio, Sebastian"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","degree_department":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Reid, John Leighton"],"committee_members":["Gorne Viani, Ricardo Augusto","Entrekin, Sally"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12-18","date_published":"2025-12-18","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:04Z","subjects":["Ecuador; tropical forest restoration; reforestation; giant stakes","applied nucleation."],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45188"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:45188","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140045","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Reid, John Leighton"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Gorne Viani, Ricardo Augusto","Entrekin, Sally"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Aparicio, Sebastian"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-12-19T09:01:48Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-12-19T09:01:48Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-12-18"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Ecuador; tropical forest restoration; reforestation; giant stakes","applied nucleation."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45188"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140045"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Chocó region is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and has been identified as a priority area for conservation due to its high levels of endemism and diversity, currently threatened by the ongoing loss of forest cover. In this context, establishing baseline data on the survival and growth rates of native species can contribute to the design of effective ecological restoration strategies in the region. With this objective, we evaluated the establishment capacity of 28 native species propagated from large cuttings. The results showed that survival depended primarily on species identity, suggesting that propagation capacity by this method is associated with intrinsic adaptations. Although the use of large cuttings is a more economical method than using seedlings, there are certain limitations, such as the fact that not all species can be propagated by this method or the requirement of a high number of donors in order not to affect genetic variability. Additionally, the survival and growth rates of 23 native species (seven of them endemic to the Ecuadorian Chocó) were documented in a restoration experiment based on the applied nucleation strategy. The results showed high variability among species, while edaphic factors such as more acidic, less dense soils with gentle slopes and eastward exposure favored growth and survival. Pioneer species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. promoted the development of highly diverse plantations, possibly by acting as nurse species. Finally, plantations with a higher density of islands (each composed of 25 individuals) showed increased growth rates, which could reflect competitive or facilitative interactions between individuals. This thesis presents key insights into the performance of various propagation methods and provides a scientific foundation to inform future forest restoration efforts in the Ecuadorian Chocó."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["The Chocó region boasts extraordinary biodiversity, making it a site of great importance for conservation. However, high rates of deforestation have considerably reduced its area. The use of large cuttings is presented as a propagation method capable of rapidly producing fruit and ground cover. With this objective, we evaluated the survival capacity of 28 native species. The results show that this method is not effective for all species and that its success depends on the specific characteristics of each one. Even so, this method proved more economical than the use of seedlings, and the application of rooting hormones could improve survival. Additionally, we evaluated the growth rate of 23 native species, providing basic information on their development during the first two years of establishment. We identified that both survival and growth vary according to the species, but we did not find a direct relationship between the two. We also observed that species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. favored the development of more diverse plantations by facilitating resource acquisition. Finally, we found that plantations with a higher density of islands showed higher growth, possibly due to competitive or collaborative interactions between the species present within and around the plantations."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Restoring the Chocó: Growth and Survival of Native Chocoan Trees Using Different Propagation Methods"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Reid, John Leighton"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Gorne Viani, Ricardo Augusto","Entrekin, Sally"],"dc:contributor.department":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Aparicio, Sebastian"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-12-19T09:01:48Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-12-19T09:01:48Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-12-18"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Chocó region is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and has been identified as a priority area for conservation due to its high levels of endemism and diversity, currently threatened by the ongoing loss of forest cover. In this context, establishing baseline data on the survival and growth rates of native species can contribute to the design of effective ecological restoration strategies in the region. With this objective, we evaluated the establishment capacity of 28 native species propagated from large cuttings. The results showed that survival depended primarily on species identity, suggesting that propagation capacity by this method is associated with intrinsic adaptations. Although the use of large cuttings is a more economical method than using seedlings, there are certain limitations, such as the fact that not all species can be propagated by this method or the requirement of a high number of donors in order not to affect genetic variability. Additionally, the survival and growth rates of 23 native species (seven of them endemic to the Ecuadorian Chocó) were documented in a restoration experiment based on the applied nucleation strategy. The results showed high variability among species, while edaphic factors such as more acidic, less dense soils with gentle slopes and eastward exposure favored growth and survival. Pioneer species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. promoted the development of highly diverse plantations, possibly by acting as nurse species. Finally, plantations with a higher density of islands (each composed of 25 individuals) showed increased growth rates, which could reflect competitive or facilitative interactions between individuals. This thesis presents key insights into the performance of various propagation methods and provides a scientific foundation to inform future forest restoration efforts in the Ecuadorian Chocó."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["The Chocó region boasts extraordinary biodiversity, making it a site of great importance for conservation. However, high rates of deforestation have considerably reduced its area. The use of large cuttings is presented as a propagation method capable of rapidly producing fruit and ground cover. With this objective, we evaluated the survival capacity of 28 native species. The results show that this method is not effective for all species and that its success depends on the specific characteristics of each one. Even so, this method proved more economical than the use of seedlings, and the application of rooting hormones could improve survival. Additionally, we evaluated the growth rate of 23 native species, providing basic information on their development during the first two years of establishment. We identified that both survival and growth vary according to the species, but we did not find a direct relationship between the two. We also observed that species such as Castilla elastica, Ficus tonduzii, and Cecropia sp. favored the development of more diverse plantations by facilitating resource acquisition. Finally, we found that plantations with a higher density of islands showed higher growth, possibly due to competitive or collaborative interactions between the species present within and around the plantations."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:45188"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140045"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Ecuador; tropical forest restoration; reforestation; giant stakes","applied nucleation."],"dc:title":["Restoring the Chocó: Growth and Survival of Native Chocoan Trees Using Different Propagation Methods"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:04Z"}