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Plant successional pathways on Puerto Rican landslides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Randall W. Myster  and
Lawrence R. Walker
Randall W. Myster
Affiliation:
Institute of Tropical Ecosystem Studies, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 363682, San Juan, PR 00936, USA.
Lawrence R. Walker
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA.
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Abstract

To study regeneration on landslides, we counted the number of woody stems at least 1 m tall in 2 m × 5 m permanent plots on Puerto Rican landslides for 5 y and generated successional pathways for all plots in 16 different landslides using principal components analysis (PCA). PCA separated plots well, with early successional plant species (Cecropia schreberiana, Schefflera morolotoni, Alchornea latifolia, Gonzalagunia spicata) positively associated with axes I and II, and the negative portion of axis II associated with a mix of those species and mid-successional species (Inga vera, Piper glabrescens). Pathways generally showed (1) a positive association with axis I in early succession, (2) a negative association with both I and II later in succession, (3) little evidence of a decrease in the rate of succession, and (4) a lack of convergence of pathways over the 5 y of our study.

Keywords

Luquillo Experimental Forestprincipal components analysisconvergencesuccessional rateCecropiaScheffleraAlchomeaGonzplaguniaIngaPiper
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , March 1997 , pp. 165 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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