Mortality patterns and stand turnover rates in a wet tropical forest in Costa Rica

• Published in: The Journal of ecology Vol. 73; no. 3; pp. 915 - 924
• Main Authors: Lieberman, D, Lieberman, M, Peralta, R, Hartshorn, G.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford British Ecological Society 01-11-1985; Blackwell Science; Blackwell Scientific Pub
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Death; Forest ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Half lives; Mortality; Old growth forests; Plant ecology; Stems; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Trees; Tropical forests; Woody vines; Costa Rica; Central America; Tropical zone; America; Forest; Spermatophyta; Vegetation dynamics; Costa Rica
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.2307/2260157

(1) Mortality over a 13-year period was determined for all stems (⩾ 10-cm dbh) on 12.4 ha of primary lowland wet tropical forest at La Selva, Costa Rica. Altogether 23.2% of 5623 trees and lianas present in the initial inventory had died by the time of the subsequent inventory. (2) Mortality rates were independent of size among individuals ⩾ 10-cm dbh, and did not differ between buttressed and non-buttressed stems. (3) Of the dead individuals, 26% died standing, 31% had fallen, 7% were found buried under treefalls, and 37% had decomposed entirely, leaving no trace. (4) Mortality was nearly balanced by recruitment into the 10-cm dbh class; there was a net loss of 1.7% of stems in 13 years. (5) La Selva appears to be among the most dynamic of tropical forests studied to date, with an annual loss of stems of 2.03% and a consequent stand half-life of 34 years.