Disturbance Level Determines the Regeneration of Commercial Tree Species in the Eastern Amazon

The effects of reduced-impact logging (RIL) on the regeneration of commercial tree species were investigated, as long-term timber yields depend partly on the availability of seedlings in a managed forest. On four occasions during a 20-month period in the Tapajós National Forest (Eastern Amazon, Brazil), seven commercial tree species were assessed as follows: the long-lived pioneers Bagassa guianensis and Jacaranda copaia; the partially shade-tolerant Hymenaea courbaril, Dipteryx odorata, and Carapa guianensis; and the totally shade-tolerant Symphonia globulifera and Manilkara huberi. In 2439 10 × 10 m plots, all individuals