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Winners and losers in the competition for space in tropical forest canopies
Author(s) -
Kellner James R.,
Asner Gregory P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.12256
Subject(s) - canopy , competition (biology) , forest dynamics , tree canopy , ecology , environmental science , geography , atmospheric sciences , biology , geology
Trees compete for space in the canopy, but where and how individuals or their component parts win or lose is poorly understood. We developed a stochastic model of three‐dimensional dynamics in canopies using a hierarchical Bayesian framework, and analysed 267 533 positive height changes from 1.25 m pixels using data from airborne Li DAR within 43 ha on the windward flank of Mauna Kea. Model selection indicates a strong resident's advantage, with 97.9% of positions in the canopy retained by their occupants over 2 years. The remaining 2.1% were lost to a neighbouring contender. Absolute height was a poor predictor of success, but short stature greatly raised the risk of being overtopped. Growth in the canopy was exponentially distributed with a scaling parameter of 0.518. These findings show how size and spatial proximity influence the outcome of competition for space, and provide a general framework for the analysis of canopy dynamics.