Fencing promotes fast recovery of demographic processes after grazing-driven collapse in Bursera graveolens forests

•The population size structure of Bursera graveolens greatly differed between fenced and unfenced areas in an Ecuadorian tropical dry forest.•A relevant density of saplings and juvenile trees recruited efficiently within the fenced areas, in contrast with the null regeneration outside the fences.•Fencing is a suitable tool for recovering Bursera forests from regeneration collapse.