%0 Journal Article
%A Chia-Hao Chang-Yang
%A Chia-Ling Lu
%A I-Fang Sun
%A Chang-Fu Hsieh
%T Long-term Seedling Dynamics of Tree Species in a Subtropical Rain Forest, Taiwan
%D 2013
%J Taiwania
%V 58
%N 1
%P 35-43
%U https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract/1224
%X Knowledge of demographical rates at seedling stage is critical for understanding forest composition and dynamics.
We monitored the seedling dynamics of tree species in a subtropical rain forest in Fushan, northern Taiwan (24°45’ N, 121°35’ E)
during an 8-yr period (2003–2010). There were great temporal fluctuations in the seedling density, which might be largely driven by
the pulses of seedling recruitment. Interspecific variation in the seedling abundance, however, was not related to the reproductive
adult abundance. Previous studies showed that frequent typhoon disturbances contributed to the high canopy openness and high
understory light availability at Fushan, which might benefit tree regeneration. But our results do not support this idea. Most of the
newly recruited seedlings died within six months and only grew 1.55 ± 0.20 cm per year, which might be suppressed by the dense
understory vegetation. Our results suggested that the majority of tree species in Fushan were recruitment limited, which might have
important consequences for species coexistence. High temporal variability in recruitment density and low growth rates of seedlings
emphasize the importance of long-term studies to our understandings of forest dynamics.
%M doi:10.6165/tai.2013.58.35