Abstract Introduction The applied nucleation method is a cost‐effective forest restoration strategy, but its long‐term, multi‐scale effectiveness is inadequately assessed in the tropics. Evaluating it in degraded tropical region is critical for guiding restoration. Objectives We conducted a 20‐year study (2003–2023) of applied nucleation in a degraded tropical riparian corridor in China. We aim to quantify its effectiveness at community and landscape scales and to evaluate planted Ficus spp. as foundational species. Methods Restoration was initiated by planting nuclei of Ficus spp. and nine other native trees. We assessed community‐scale recovery (tree diversity, functional composition, biomass) and landscape‐scale recovery (forest cover expansion, shoreline retention, connectivity) by comparing three forest types: the planted nucleation area (NA), the naturally expanded area (EA) that regenerated from NA, and a reference tropical seasonal rainforest. Results After 20 years, restored forests (NA and EA) reached 19–30% of reference levels in tree diversity and biomass. Ficus spp. contributed 76.8% of tree biomass in NA. Species composition in restored forests was dominated by pioneer species (≥75% light‐demanding), differing from the reference forest and indicating an early successional stage. At the landscape scale, forest cover increased by 36% (+ 64 ha), natural shoreline retention rose from 38% to 90%, and connectivity increased by 119%, scoring “excellent” on China's Ecological Restoration Index. Conclusions Applied nucleation successfully initiated a multi‐scale riparian corridor recovery. However, pioneer dominance reveals a successional bottleneck, where biodiversity recovery lags behind structural and functional recovery.
Dai et al. (Mon,) studied this question.