In the first paper, Gunaratne and colleagues provided a synthesis of their work investigating the ecological barriers to tropical montane forest succession on anthropogenic grasslands
(Gunaratne et al., 2014). Their findings suggest that forest regeneration on grasslands is impeded by limited seed dispersal, herbivory of seedlings that do establish and fire. Planting studies show that tree seedlings do better when grasses are removed and herbivores are excluded. Macaranga indica and Symplocos cochinchinense are two early successional pioneers that are
potential nurse trees; planted on grasslands, they facilitate other tree regeneration beneath their canopy. Other potential techniques that they suggest include the creation of fire breaks,
and scarification and exposure of mineral soil of grassland adjacent to forest patches. In the second paper, Mark Ashton and colleagues describe the use of pine plantations as a technique, both to secure the natural recruitment of native tree regeneration beneath the pine canopy and to facilitate the plantings of native trees (Ashton et al., 2014a). They provide a case for restoration for both conservation and utilitarian values, and make a strong economic case for the economic restoration of native species in the everwet regions of South Asia in comparison to the intensive cultivation of tea.