Tropical forests provide a variety of goods and services to humanity. Although efforts to protect and
manage these forests have increased in recent decades, forest loss continues. The last decade and a
half has seen considerable research on reforestation with native species in Mesoamerica, including both
biophysical and social aspects. Advances in knowledge have led to increasingly sophisticated reforestation
treatments as well as novel ways of deriving forest goods and services fromhumandominated landscapes.
This Special Issue includes articles produced as the result of a conference held in Panama City, Panama
in January 2010 with the goal to summarize the state of knowledge of native species reforestation and
associated ecosystems services in Mesoamerica. The introduction concludes with a call for continued
research, including a mechanistic understanding of tree interactions with the biophysical environment
in order to advance or knowledge of ecosystem services and their interactions. Results from these and
other studies aimed at socioeconomic aspects of reforestation are critical to land use planning.
© 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.