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Opposing mechanisms affect taxonomic convergence between tree assemblages during tropical forest succession
Author(s) -
Norden Natalia,
Boukili Vanessa,
Chao Anne,
Ma K. H.,
Letcher Susan G.,
Chazdon Robin L.
Publication year - 2017
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.12852
Subject(s) - ecological succession , generalist and specialist species , ecology , forest dynamics , biology , old growth forest , abundance (ecology) , biological dispersal , tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , geography , habitat , population , demography , sociology
Whether successional forests converge towards an equilibrium in species composition remains an elusive question, hampered by high idiosyncrasy in successional dynamics. Based on long‐term tree monitoring in second‐growth ( SG ) and old‐growth ( OG ) forests in Costa Rica, we show that patterns of convergence between pairs of forest stands depend upon the relative abundance of species exhibiting distinct responses to the successional gradient. For instance, forest generalists contributed to convergence between SG and OG forests, whereas rare species and old‐growth specialists were a source of divergence. Overall, opposing trends in taxonomic similarity among different subsets of species nullified each other, producing a net outcome of stasis over time. Our results offer an explanation for the limited convergence observed between pairwise communities and suggest that rare species and old‐growth specialists may be prone to dispersal limitation, while the dynamics of generalists and second‐growth specialists are more predictable, enhancing resilience in tropical secondary forests.