Gap characteristics and natural regeneration in Mt. Makiling rainforest, the Philippines

Issue Date

6-2011

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of gaps and natural regeneration of trees on Mt. Makiling, the Philippines. Canopy gaps in or around two 1-ha permanent plots and on 3-km line transects were investigated. Most of the gaps studied were formed or affected by Typhoon Milenyo, which hit the study site in September 2006. The most frequent mode of gap maker death was snap-off, whereas uprooting was relatively less important. The most frequent gap maker was balobo (Diplodiscus paniculatus) followed by magabuyo (Celtis luzonica) and katmon (Dillenia philippinensis). In contrast, the most frequent gap filler was magabuyo (C. luzonica). At the sapling layer, the most important species was magabuyo (C. luzonica), but there was a high proportion of lianas and palms. Most of the gaps had leaf area index (LAI) values between 3 and 5. A clear trend of a decrease in gap size and an increase in LAI was observed for 2 years from 2007 to 2009. New seedlings emerged very abundantly during the same time period. The rapid changes in the gaps were partially due to the excellent capability of tropical trees to resprout after the crown or stem was damaged by the typhoon. This study on gap dynamics may contribute to a better understanding of the natural regeneration process of trees in tropical rainforests. © The Ecological Society of Korea.

Source or Periodical Title

Journal of Ecology and Field Biology

ISSN

1975-020X

Volume

34

Issue

2

Page

157-165

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

illustrations, tables, graphs

Language

English

Subject

Canopy gap, Natural regeneration, Rainforest, Sapling, Seedling, Typhoon milenyo

Identifier

doi:10.5141/JEFB.2011.018.

Digital Copy

yes

Link to Full Text

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