Recovery of animal-dependent ecosystem functions is a key component of ecological restoration on degraded tropical forest lands. One of these functions, regulation of herbivorous insects by birds, shapes tropical communities through trophic cascades that protect trees from insect damage. Understanding how bird-driven trophic cascades vary with environmental context, reforestation strategy, and management would guide restoration practitioners seeking to facilitate beneficial relationships between birds and plants. My dissertation examines the speed of bird community recovery following restoration action, the effects of climate dynamism on bird-driven trophic cascades, the mechanisms by which bird-driven trophic cascades occur, and insectivorous bird ecological function in forest restorations relative to other land cover types.
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