Spatial heterogeneity of seed rain, seed pool, and vegetative cover on two Monteverde landslides, Costa Rica
This study was undertaken in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, on two 15-20 yr old landslide sites, and compared the number of seedlings emerging from the soil samples (the seed pool) with the number of seeds per fruits collected in sampling traps over a 2-wk period. The former was much greater than the latter (even after adjustment for the differing time scale), and also varied among families (mainly represented by the Asteraceae and the Melastomataceae). There were also significant differences between landslides, and some microhabitat differences within landslides. Eighteen families were represented in the vegetation sampling, and principal components analysis suggested the importance of the Arecaceae and Euphorbiaceae in defining theplots. The revegetation process seemed to consist first of patch dynamics (when the soil was unstable and undeveloped, and plant invasion largely stochastic) and later followed the resource ratio hypothesis (where plants compete and trade off for resources).
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Format: | biblioteca |
Published: |
1993
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Subjects: | DESLIZAMIENTO DE TIERRAS, BOSQUE TROPICAL, SUCESION ECOLOGICA, COMPETICION VEGETAL, COMPOSICION BOTANICA, SINECOLOGIA, COSTA RICA, |
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Summary: | This study was undertaken in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica, on two 15-20 yr old landslide sites, and compared the number of seedlings emerging from the soil samples (the seed pool) with the number of seeds per fruits collected in sampling traps over a 2-wk period. The former was much greater than the latter (even after adjustment for the differing time scale), and also varied among families (mainly represented by the Asteraceae and the Melastomataceae). There were also significant differences between landslides, and some microhabitat differences within landslides. Eighteen families were represented in the vegetation sampling, and principal components analysis suggested the importance of the Arecaceae and Euphorbiaceae in defining theplots. The revegetation process seemed to consist first of patch dynamics (when the soil was unstable and undeveloped, and plant invasion largely stochastic) and later followed the resource ratio hypothesis (where plants compete and trade off for resources). |
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