There is increasing focus on reforestation, but the efforts still often include limited subsets of species despite evidence that tree diversity promote biodiversity and ecological resilience. In addition to these benefits, greater inclusion of rare native species in reforestation efforts would also help conserve these species in an uncertain future. Here, we investigate the population ecology and dynamics of the only remaining historical population of the shade-adapted under- and mid-story tree European yew Taxus baccata in Denmark to inform its potential usage in reforestation. The species has been widely extirpated from European landscapes, and while much used in horticulture, is hardly used in reforestation, so there is limited experience with its requirements and performance. We collected data on all individuals in 2015 and compared them with results from a previous census in 1999. Furthermore, we used boosted regression trees (BRT) modelling to investigate the ecological drivers of the distributions of its different life stages. Our results show a stable T. baccata population, with much regeneration in areas of more open-canopy conditions that also support high survival between life-stages. The BRT results show that moss-dominated microhabitats under moderately shaded conditions are important for T. baccata seedling establishment, while higher light availability is important for survival from sapling to adult life-stages. For use in reforestation, we recommend providing moderately shaded microhabitats to allow the seedlings and small saplings to escape competition while also acting as protection from herbivores. Through their long-lived nature, low stature and evergreen foliage, T. baccata would increase the structural complexity of young woodlands, likely enhancing their value for biodiversity, their ecological resilience, as well as their amenity value. Inclusion of T. baccata in reforestation efforts would also aid its spontaneous recolonization of woodland areas, helping it to build larger, more widespread populations with greater resilience to future pressures.

中文翻译：

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低地温带森林中欧洲紫杉红豆杉剩余自然种群的种群生态学和动态–对重新造林的意义

人们越来越重视重新造林，但是尽管有证据表明树木的多样性促进了生物多样性和生态恢复力，但努力仍然常常包括有限的物种子集。除了这些好处外，将更多的稀有本地物种纳入造林工作还将有助于在不确定的将来保护这些物种。在这里，我们调查了适应阴影的下层和中层树欧洲紫杉紫杉的唯一剩余历史种群的种群生态学和动态在丹麦，以告知其在重新造林中的潜在用途。该物种已从欧洲景观中广泛灭绝，尽管已大量用于园艺，但几乎不用于重新造林，因此对其要求和性能的经验有限。我们在2015年收集了所有个体的数据，并将其与1999年的一次人口普查结果进行了比较。此外，我们使用了增强回归树（BRT）模型来研究其不同生命阶段分布的生态驱动力。我们的研究结果表明，稳定的巴氏杆菌种群，在更开放的树冠条件下具有很多再生能力，这也支持生命周期之间的高存活率。BRT结果表明，在中等阴影条件下，以苔藓为主的微生境对于烟草赤潮很重要幼苗的建立，同时更高的光利用率对于从树苗到成年生命阶段的生存至关重要。为了用于造林，我们建议提供中等阴影的微生境，以使幼苗和小树苗逃避竞争，同时还可以免受草食动物的侵害。由于其长期存在的特性，低矮的身材和常绿的叶子，T。baccata会增加年轻林地的结构复杂性，可能会提高其对生物多样性的价值，其生态适应性以及其舒适性。在重新造林活动中包括巴氏杆菌，也将有助于其自发地重新定居林地，帮助其建立更大，更广泛的种群，对未来的压力具有更大的适应力。