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Compared to enrichment planting techniques, direct seeding may represent a viable low-cost method to ensure the conservation and recovery of forest ecosystems. However, it is necessary to identify the environmental factors that affect seed germination and seedling establishment in order to improve the success of this technique. It has been suggested that the establishment of Oreomunnea mexicana (Juglandaceae), a threatened tropical montane cloud forest tree species, is associated with microsites of high soil moisture. We assessed seedling emergence in O. mexicana through direct seeding in a secondary forest and characterized the microenvironmental conditions of the sowing microsite. We also assessed the effect of seed hydration on seedling emergence and evaluated the effect of soil moisture content and seed hydration in O. mexicana seed germination and seedling emergence under laboratory conditions. Seedling emergence was lower in the field than in the laboratory (37 vs. 42 %, respectively). At microsite level, seedling emergence correlated positively with soil moisture content but negatively with vegetation cover. After 11 months, 52 % of the emerged seedlings still survived. Under laboratory conditions, seedling emergence did not differ significantly between hydrated and non-hydrated seeds (43.2 ± 0.52 vs. 40.3 ± 0.51 %, respectively), but did between high and low soil moisture contents (80 ± 0.18 vs. 3.5 ± 0.085 %, respectively). With appropriate soil moisture and vegetation cover conditions, O. mexicana seed introduction into secondary forest is a reliable technique. However, the method could be improved by protecting the seedlings from physical damage. Inglés

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