Are pine plantations valid tools for restoring Mediterranean forests? An assessment along abiotic and biotic gradients.

The article presents a study which evaluates the plant regeneration and plantation diversity of pines with the use of abiotic and biotic factors in southern Spain. The study analyzed the sapling and seedling density and plant species richness of pine trees. It shows that a diverse and abundant seedling bank was seen at low-to-mid-altitude plantations while monospecific seedling bank was found in high-altitude plantations. It advises to have active management in high-density plantations.