Documentation of assisted ecological restoration processes: Crop islands and melina plantations in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

This research compiles lessons learned from assisted restoration processes, useful to promote this activity in ecologically similar territories. The objective was to document the historical context and the process of each silvicultural treatment, executed by Restoration and Silviculture program of the Guanacaste Conservation Area in the San Cristobal Sector, with ages between 22 and 26 years. Through literature review, visits and interviews with stakeholders, this research supports the fact that the plantations of Gmelina arborea (as a nurse species) and the regeneration islands are alternatives to accelerate the restoration of secondary forest in terms of removal of pastures, recovery of structure and species of natural tropical rainforests in the area.