The ongoing debate on the boon or bane of monocultural timber plantations demonstrates the need to develop alternative approaches that achieve forest productivity while conserving biodiversity. We assessed the diversity of tree species in native forests and in Eucalyptus plantations, and evaluated the potential use of native species to enhance plantation management. For this purpose, we established one-hectare permanent plots in nine native forests (riverine and park forests) and nine Eucalyptus plantations in the northwestern part of Uruguay. Forest inventories were carried out on 200 m² plots and regeneration was assessed along transects in 9 m² subplots. Riverine forests have the highest Shannon diversity index (2.5) followed by park forests (2.1) and Eucalyptus plantations (1.3). Tree density was high in riverine forests (1913/ha) and plantations (1315/ha), whereas park forests have lower tree density (796/ha). Regeneration density was high in riverine forests (39136/ha) and park forests (7500/ha); however, native species can regenerate in the understory of plantations (727/ha), and this underlines the possibility of developing a mixed species approach to reduce the negative impact of monocultures. Differences in the composition of plant communities were denoted between native forests and plantations, although native forests were similar in composition, even in the presence of exotic species. Native forests harbor specialist species that are absent from plantations, and therefore perform a decisive role in maintaining local biodiversity. Strategies to enhance species diversity and structural diversity within plantations or to establish mixed buffer strips containing native species at the edge of plantations are potential measures to enhance biodiversity and foster the integration of plantations into the local landscape.

Despite more than two decades of efforts made to prevent the loss of the Chiquitano Dry Forest on the Bolivian side, deforestation and forest fragmentation driven by agricultural expansion, uncontrolled settlement and forest fires have continued putting its ecological integrity at high risk. Currently, this unique forest is severely vulnerable and under considerable pressure, which should generate worldwide attention and concern, considering its importance in terms of biodiversity and climate. In this opinion piece, we address the approach of policies and social actions to reverse the situation using the experiences of locals.

Questions: Park forests are shaped by extensive cattle ranching in the transition between natural riverine forests and open grasslands. The underlying mechanisms driving tree regeneration have not been studied, however, they determine biodiversity, sustainability and multifunctionality of these ecosystems. We explored patterns of tree regeneration by analyzing nurse–beneficiary interactions and tree community composition.Location: Park forests within the departments of Rio Negro, Paysandú, Artigas and Tacuarembó, República Oriental del Uruguay, South America.Methods: We established 205 (1 × 1 m²) paired plots in open microhabitat and under the tree canopy to evaluate the patterns of tree regeneration. To assess tree community composition and diversity we carried out forest inventories within one‐hectare plots of ten park forests.Results: Scattered trees in park forests had a positive effect on tree regeneration density, whereas, dense grass coverage had a negative effect. Regeneration density increased and grass cover reduced under the canopy of nurse trees. Regeneration beneficiaries were mainly bird dispersed species with different life strategies. Tree communities varied between forest types and spatially closer forests were more similar.Conclusions: Our study outlines the importance of park forest trees to the promotion of forest regeneration and recovery in grazed forests. Our results found a positive interaction effect between nurse trees and saplings, based on our results we suggested possible facilitation mechanisms including the provision of shade, reduction of grass competition and the attraction of seed dispersers.

In an attempt to make a first step toward monitoring the sustainability of wood as (one of) the main element(s) of the EU biomass supply, a novel approach combining a physical accounting model with a material flow–life cycle assessment approach was used to trace the locations of origin of the wood and the associated sustainability impacts. Applying this approach to EU trade data from 2018, we found that around one-third of the wood fiber input in finished paper products consumed in the EU was imported. The main countries of origin were Brazil, the United States and Uruguay. We used Uruguay as a case study of an important country that provides wood pulp to assess the associated sustainability impacts. The results reveal synergies and trade-offs between employment, value added and environmental impacts. We highlight the need to analyze sustainability impacts in different dimensions of sustainability and consider not only territorial impacts in isolation but also from a global perspective in order to have a more holistic overview. Future extensions of the approach could include the coverage of other commodities, additional impacts along the global supply chain (e.g., post-use) and additional sustainability indicators.