Secondary succession in swamp gallery forests along 65 fallow years after shifting cultivation

•Forests cultivated for up to 10 years recover 7 of the 10 attributes evaluated.•Species diversity recovers 100 % at 19 years, while biomass will recover at 90 years.•Recovery trajectory of richness and composition are modified by water table depth.•Turnover of pioneer spp. by non-pioneers was + influenced by nutrient availability.