Degradation processes affect a vast area of arid and semi-arid lands around the world and damage the environment and people’s health. Degradation processes are driven by human productive activities that cause direct and indirect effects on natural resources, such as species extinction at regional scale, reduction and elimination of vegetation cover, soil erosion, etc. In this context, ecological rehabilitation is an important tool to recover key aspects of the degraded ecosystem. Rehabilitation trials rely on the use of native plant species with characteristics that allow them to obtain high survival and growth rates. The aim of this work was to assess the survival and growth of native woody species in degraded areas of northeastern Patagonia and relate them to plant functional traits and environmental variables. We observed high early and late survival rates, and growth rates in Prosopis flexuosa DC. var. depressa F.A. Roig and Schinus johnstonii F.A. Barkley, and low values in Condalia microphylla Cav. and Geoffroea decorticans (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart. Early survival rates were positively associated with specific leaf area (SLA) and precipitation, but negatively associated with wood density, the maximum mean temperature of the warmest month and the minimum mean temperature of the coldest month. Late survival rates were positively associated with SLA and soil organic matter, but negatively associated with plant height and precipitation. The temperature had a positive effect on late survival rates once the plants overcame the critical period of the first summer after they were transplanted to the field. Prosopis flexuosa and S. johnstonii were the most successful species in our study. This could be due to their functional traits that allow these species to acclimatize to the local environment. Further research should focus on C. microphylla and G. decorticans to determine how they relate to productive conditions, acclimation to environmental stress, auto-ecology and potential use in ecological rehabilitation trials.

中文翻译：

---

阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚东北部退化地区的恢复：环境条件和植物功能性状对本地木本物种性能的影响

退化过程影响世界各地的大片干旱和半干旱土地，并损害环境和人们的健康。退化过程是由人类生产活动驱动的，这些活动对自然资源造成直接和间接影响，例如区域范围内的物种灭绝、植被覆盖的减少和消除、水土流失等。 在这种情况下，生态恢复是恢复的重要工具退化生态系统的关键方面。康复试验依赖于使用具有使它们获得高存活率和生长率的特性的本地植物物种。这项工作的目的是评估巴塔哥尼亚东北部退化地区本地木本物种的生存和生长，并将它们与植物功能性状和环境变量联系起来。我们在 Prosopis flexuosa DC 中观察到较高的早期和晚期存活率以及生长率。变种 depressa FA Roig 和 Schinus johnstonii FA Barkley，以及 Condalia microphylla Cav 的低值。和 Geoffroea decorticans (Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.) Burkart。早期存活率与比叶面积（SLA）和降水量呈正相关，但与木材密度、最暖月的最高平均气温和最冷月的最低平均气温呈负相关。晚成活率与 SLA 和土壤有机质呈正相关，但与植物高度和降水呈负相关。一旦植物克服了移植到田间的第一个夏季的关键时期，温度就会对后期存活率产生积极影响。Prosopis flexuosa 和 S. johnstonii 是我们研究中最成功的物种。这可能是由于它们的功能特性使这些物种能够适应当地环境。进一步的研究应侧重于 C. microphylla 和 G. decorticans，以确定它们与生产条件、环境压力的适应、自身生态学和生态恢复试验中的潜在用途之间的关系。