Vegetation-environment relationships in forest ecosystems of the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic<sup>1</sup>

Sherman, Ruth E.; Martin, Patrick H.; Fahey, Timothy J.

doi:10.3159/1095-5674(2005)132[293:vrifeo]2.0.co;2

Cited by 28 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Slope and aspect (eastness and northness) were calculated from the DEM using ArcGIS 9.3 (ESRI, Inc.). Modeled land cover classes included pine forest, secondary riparian forest, lower montane broadleaf forest, cloud forest, grassland, and agriculture, following the plant associations of Sherman et al (2005), except that here pine and pine-broadleaf associations were combined into a single pine class due to the similar spectral properties of these classes. Training (n = 350) and testing (n = 173) points came from previously established permanent plots (n = 140; Sherman et al, 2005), pine and cloud forest field plots placed as part of this study (n = 75), and photo-interpreted points (n = 308) from a color infrared orthomosaic (hereafter orthomosaic) made from post-hurricane 1:24,000 scale aerial photos (dated April 1999; GPS Aerial Services, Inc.).…”

Section: Land Cover Classificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At about 2100 m elevation, a discrete ecotone occurs consistently across the landscape between cloud forest and monodominant pine forest of the endemic Pinus occidentalis with pronounced differences in forest structure, diversity, and adaptations to disturbance between adjacent communities (Sherman et al, 2005;Martin et al, 2007). Species-specific responses to wind in the Cordillera Central (Sherman et al, 2005) suggest that hurricanes influence the landscape's forest dynamics (Martin et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, hurricanes may select against pines along the ecotone causing upward shifts in cloud forest distribution (Martin et al, 2007). In 1998, Hurricane Georges hit the study site, causing substantial disturbance across the landscape (Sherman et al, 2005), presenting the opportunity to increase our knowledge of hurricane patterns and effects on the forests of the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such patterns have important implications for the extensive pine forests of Hispaniola, where recovery from hurricane disturbance may be slow as Pinus occidentalis cannot resprout, unlike most cloud forest tree species in the Caribbean (Bellingham et al, 1994;Zimmerman et al, 1994). Dominican Republic cloud forests are also compositionally and structurally far more diverse than pine forests (Sherman et al, 2005), providing heterogeneity in pre-hurricane damage susceptibility and post-hurricane recovery potential.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

2004

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Interest in tropical secondary forests has grown as large areas of agriculture have been abandoned in recent decades; yet, there are few long‐term studies of post‐agriculture vegetation recovery in the tropics. In this study, we compared the vegetation structure and floristic composition of old‐growth and 40‐year‐old secondary riparian forests in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Canopy height and stem density of woody plants were similar between forest types, but basal area of trees was 27 percent lower in secondary forests. Introduced tree species comprised 20 percent of the basal area and dominated the understory of secondary forests. Life‐form diversity was higher in old‐growth forests as arborescent ferns, the palm species, and epiphytic bromeliads, orchids, and bryophytes were much more abundant. The number of species of epiphytic orchids and bromeliads, ground ferns, and herbaceous plants was also significantly higher in old‐growth forests. The species density of woody plants and vines, however, was comparable between forest types, and vine abundance was significantly higher in secondary forests. The high importance of introduced tree species and the delayed recovery of several plant life‐forms have important implications for the conservation of plant diversity in secondary forests in the tropics. The robust regeneration of woody structure despite the long land tenure (ca 60 yr) by farmers is probably due to the nutrient‐rich alluvial soils and low‐intensity agriculture. This study revealed the potential for the rapid recovery of woody plant diversity and structure in fertile secondary forests adjacent to mature forest seed sources and the more delayed recovery of nonwoody plant diversity and abundance. RESUMEN El interés por los bosques tropicales secundarios ha crecido debido a que grandes extensiones de áreas agricolas han sido abandonadas en las últimas décadas. Aun asi, en los trópicos hay pocos estudios a largo plazo sobre la recuperación de la vegetatión de zonas agricolas abandonadas. En nuestro estudio, comparamos la estructura de la vegetación y la composición floristica de bosques ribereños maduros y bosques de 40 años de edad en la Cordillera Central de Repúblics Dominicana. La altura del dosel y la densidad de tallos de plantas leñosas fueron similares en los distintos tipos de bosque, pero el área basal de los árboles fue 27 por ciento más baja en los bosques secundarios. Las especies arb6reas introducidas representaron 20 por ciento del área basal y dominaron el sotobosque de los bosques secundarios. La diversidad de formas de vida fue más alta en los bosques maduros, debido a que los helechos arborescentes, las palmas, bromelias, orquideas, y musgos epifitos fueron mucho más abundantes. El numero de especies de orquideas y bromelias epifitas, helechos de tierra y de plantas herbáceas fue significativamente más alta en los bosques maduros. Sin embargo, el números de especies leñosas y de bejucos fue comparable en los dos tipos de bosque, mientras que la abundancia de bejuc...

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Section: Land Cover Classificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

2004

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“…The topography is rugged, with steep and sharply dissected slopes. See Sherman et al (2005) for a detailed site description. The last major storm to hit the Cordillera Central was Hurricane Georges, which made landfall on 22 September 1998 as a category (cat) 3 hurricane.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old-growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic1

Martin¹,

Sherman

Fahey

2004

Biotrop

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Changing fire regimes in tropical montane cloud forests: a global synthesis

Asbjornsen

Wickel

2009

Tropical Fire Ecology

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Evidence for the occurrence of ®re in montane cloud forests on both historical and modern time scales has mounted in recent years, yet understanding of ®re regimes and the in¯uence of ®re on the dynamics of these ecosystems remains poor. This chapter discusses current knowledge of the frequency, severity, causes, and impacts of ®re in montane cloud forests worldwide as re¯ected in paleoecological records, recent ®eld studies, and satellite image analyses. Synthesis of the literature suggests that both human activities and climatic¯uctuations have played important and often interlinked roles in determining historical ®re regimes in montane cloud forests. In particular, increasing human populations and land use pressures surrounding cloud forest ecosystems, combined with more rapid climate warming this century due to anthropogenic forcing, is apparently leading to dramatic intensi®cation of ®re regimes in montane cloud forest regions. These changes may be accompanied by the transformation of cloud forests to more ®re-dependent plant communities (comprising species from adjacent ecosystems with more frequent ®re) that no longer have sucient resilience to recover from ®re and re-establish the original cloud forest vegetation. Management eorts need to focus on preventing ®res ignited by people for land use purposes from spreading into adjacent cloud forest areas, as well as actively involving local people and communities in ®re management and suppression eorts. INTRODUCTIONThe role of ®re as a disturbance factor in montane cloud forests (MCFs) has been largely neglected in the ecological literature due to the historically infrequent occurrence of ®re in these typically foggy, cool, and biodiverse ecosystems. Nevertheless,

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Vegetation-environment relationships in forest ecosystems of the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic¹

Cited by 28 publications

References 25 publications

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old-growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic1

Changing fire regimes in tropical montane cloud forests: a global synthesis

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Vegetation-environment relationships in forest ecosystems of the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic1

Cited by 28 publications

References 25 publications

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old‐growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic

Forty Years of Tropical Forest Recovery from Agriculture: Structure and Floristics of Secondary and Old-growth Riparian Forests in the Dominican Republic1

Changing fire regimes in tropical montane cloud forests: a global synthesis

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Vegetation-environment relationships in forest ecosystems of the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic¹