Demography, Structure, and Composition of a Low-Disturbance Forest in Luzon, Philippines

Abstract

Tropical forests continue to face deforestation in countries such as the Philippines. To look at the long-term behavior of forests in response to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, continual monitoring of forest dynamics is needed. To do this, we established a 2-ha permanent tropical forest plot in a low-disturbance area in Maluyon, Philippines. We addressed three main questions: 1) How does the plot change through time? 2) How do different species in the plot change through time? 3) Would the responses differ by tree size? We measured, mapped, and identified all trees >1 cm in diameter in 2011. In 2015, we re-measured surviving trees and measured, mapped, and identified recruits. A total of 177 tree species were found in the plot. The forest exhibited a mean growth rate of 0.054 cm/year, mortality rate of 0.011%/year, and recruitment rate of 0.019%/year. Overall growth and mortality rates were lower in Maluyon than in other plots, possibly due to the forest’s high tree density and low disturbance. Species-specific rates revealed the presence of both the growth-survival and the stature-recruitment trade-offs. Size class analysis showed higher growth rates in large-sized than in small-sized trees. In contrast, small-sized trees exhibited a higher mortality rate compared to large-sized trees, likely due to density dependence. Key findings of the study may be utilized to increase the success rate of restoration efforts in this watershed. Using a mix of fast-growing, generalist species with high survival rates (e.g., Allophyllus cobbe and Anisoptera thurifera) is highly recommended.