REGENERATION DYNAMICS IN CANOPY GAPS OF A MONTANE FOREST OF CHILOE-ISLAND, CHILE

We test the hypothesis that in forests characterized by disturbances which generate small-sized gaps, the canopy tends to a compositional equilibrium where the shade-tolerant trees remain the dominants. In a mid-elevation primary rain forest, Chiloe Island, Chile, we evaluated seed and seedling abundance at species level, in gaps of the forest. Then, we applied transition probabilities based on seedling/sapling abundances to test if the expected stationary specific composition of the canopy is correlated with the present canopy of the forest. Our results suggest that the observed canopy and subcanopy of this forest-type tends to be in a compositional equilibrium. Finally, we discuss the probable mechanisms responsible for this pattern.