Abstract. Planting windbreaks on degraded tropical lands may accelerate natural successional processes by attracting seed-dispersing animals and increasing the seed rain of forest plants. I examined the effects of planted windbreaks on seed deposition patterns in dairy farms in Monteverde, Costa Rica, by comparing annual seed rain patterns in windbreaks and adjacent pastures. I also examined the effects of windbreak connectivity and remnant trees on seed rain patterns. Traps placed in 19 windbreaks and in seven pastures collected more than 3 million seeds (of 199 species) during the year-long study. Windbreaks received significantly greater densities and species richness of ...