Disturbance and neutral competition theory in rain forest dynamics

Abstract

Subsequent to a disturbance in a tropical rain forest, many new stems arrive, either as new seedlings, previously established seedlings, small saplings, newly germinating seeds that were in the seed bank previously, or as newly germinating seeds that arrived after the disturbance. As the new stems grow, they eventually enter a stage of intense competition, at which point competitive thinning occurs. To describe the various patterns this process may take, a theoretical focus is proposed in which the neutrality of competition among different species of rain forest trees is assumed. Using the total biomass and total number of stems as state variables, the dynamic interaction between these two variables in the post hurricane forest is described. Using this model, six distinct patterns of post disturbance succession are recognized and discussed. Data from post hurricane succession in a tropical rain forest in Nicaragua are applied to one aspect of the theory.