Table 1.
Leaf area index and canopy heights based on leaf harvest sampling across a successional gradient at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Fig 1.
LAI as a function of canopy height across a successional gradient from abandoned pasture to old growth tropical wet forest at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Data from 18-yr-old secondary forest are shown in red squares, 25-yr-old sites in blue squares, 35 yr-old sites in green squares, black diamonds are 45 random patches in old growth, and pink diamonds are 10 old-growth patches selected for canopy height <16 m. R2 were calculated using towers from all sites that met the height criteria (N = 26 <23 m patch height, 45 > 23 m patch height). Canopy height ranges for the regressions were determined by visual inspection, so no probability values are given.
Fig 2.
Number of canopy strata as a function of canopy height across a gradient of tropical forest succession at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Data from 18-yr-old secondary forest are shown in red squares, 25-yr-old sites in blue squares, 35-yr-old sites in green squares, black diamonds are 45 random patches in old growth, and pink diamonds are 10 old-growth patches selected for canopy height <16 m.
Table 2.
Canopy strata and free air space characteristics in secondary habitats and old growth at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
Table 3.
A. The relative contributions of major plant functional groups to leaf area (% + 1 SEM) across a tropical rainforest successional gradient at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica.
The “Others” category includes herbs, epiphytes, ferns and non-woody vines. Data from old growth are from [35]. B. Mean percentage functional group composition of the first (topmost) LAI unit (+ 1 Standard Error of the Mean).