Coppice shoot and foliar crown growth after disturbance of a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico

Abstract

The number of coppice shoots, length of the longest shoot, and foliar crown area were measured on woody species in a recently disturbed tropical deciduous forest near Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico. Coppice growth after slashing was measured on 582 individuals representing 80 species. Growth of 454 individuals of 65 species was measured during August for two years following the April–May burns in the slashed plots. Post-burn growth of 207 woody individuals of 33 species was measured in the adjacent pasture that was slashed 11 years earlier and burned three times before the measurements were made. After an initial slash fire, coppice shoot length and foliar crown areas were similar in abundant and rare woody species. Vines had significantly longer shoots and larger crown areas than trees or shrubs. Leguminous shrubs and trees that were multi-trunked before slashing had significantly longer shoots and larger crown areas than non-legumes or single-trunked individuals. After slashing, evergreen trees had significantly larger crown areas than deciduous trees with high- or low-density wood or water-storage trees, but after burning water-storage trees had the longest shoots and largest crown areas. Coppicing between slashing and burning did not reduce growth of those individuals that survived burning compared to individuals of the same species that coppiced only after burning. In the adjacent pasture 11 years after the initial burn, rare species had significantly longer shoots and larger crown areas than abundant species. Growth of trees and shrubs was similar, but leguminous trees and shrubs had significantly longer shoots than non-legumes.