Document Type

Article

Version Deposited

Published Version

Open Access Funding Source

Other

Publication Date

5-30-2020

Publication Title

Ecological Processes

DOI

10.1186/s13717-020-00223-y

Abstract

Background

Categorization of topographical features into landform type is a long-standing method for understanding physiographic patterns in the environment. Differences in forest composition between landform types are driven primarily by concurrent differences in soil composition and moisture, but also disturbance regime. Many studies have focused on the interaction between fire disturbance, succession, and landforms, but the effects of hurricane disturbance on compositional differences between landforms are poorly understood. In the study presented here, we assess compositional and structural differences between landform types in the tree community of a young sub-tropical forest that is frequently subjected to hurricanes. Specifically, we ask whether the tree community (1) changed structurally over the study period, (2) experienced compositional change over the study period, (3) is compositionally different between landform types, and (4) exhibits compositional change mediated by landform type.

Results

The tree community experienced significant structural change over the course of our study, but compositional change was only significant for some landforms.

Conclusion

Despite large-scale, intense, and frequent hurricane disturbance to our study system, compositional change in the tree community was localized and only significant for some landform types.

Comments

This is an Open Access article published in Springer Open with a Creative Commons license.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Download

Share

COinS