Abstract
The laurel-forest of the Canary Islands is a montane cloud-forest. In order to gain some knowledge on the processes that maintain tree species diversity, we conducted an analysis of three different laurel-forest plots of the Anaga massif (Tenerife), varying in canopy composition but growing under similar environmental conditions. For each plot we recorded basal area of the canopy trees (h<1.30 m), the density of suckers and seedlings (h>1.30 m), as well as seed-bank composition. The plots have similar regeneration composition, which appears to be independent of differences in canopy composition. Laurus azorica is the most common seedling species, whereas Prunus lusitanica is the most abundant species among suckers and basal shoots. Neither Erica arborea nor Myrica faya, the two main canopy trees in one of the plots, were found in any of the stands as seedlings or suckers, despite their existence as viable seeds in the seed-bank. The regeneration composition and the canopy composition in one of the plots is remarkable different, revealing differents dynamics processes in the three plots. The results suggest the existence of three well-defined ecological groups: pioneer (regeneration primarily by seedlings), non-pioneer (regeneration by seedlings and suckers) and remnant species (regeneration primarily by suckers).These three groups and the effect of small scale disturbances (natural and human-induced), could help to understand the maintenance of tree species richness.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ancochea, E., Fuster, J. M., Ibarrola, E., Cendrero, A., Coello, J., Hernán, F., Cantagrel, J. & Jamond, C. 1990. Volcanic evolution of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) in the light of new K-Ar data. J. Volc. Geoth. Res. 44: 231-249.
Axelrod, D. I. 1975. Evolution and Biogeography of Madrean-Tethyan sclerophyll vegetation. Ann. Missouri Bot. Garden 62: 280-334.
Baker, A. S. & Smith, R. 1969. Colorimetric determination of nitate in soil and plant extracts with brucine. J. Agric. Food Chem. 17: 1284-1287.
Bazzaz, F. A. 1996. Plants in changing enviroments. Linking physiological, population, and community ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Bormann, F. H. & Likens, G. E. 1979. Pattern and Process in a Forested Ecosystem. Springer, New York.
Bremner, J. M. 1960. Determination of nitrogen in soil by the Kjeldahl method. J. Agric. Sci. 55: 11-33.
Brokaw, N. & Scheiner, S. M. 1989. Species composition in gaps and structure of a tropical forest. Ecology 70: 538-541.
Ceballos, L. & Ortuño, F. 1974. Vegetación y flora forestal de las Canarias Occidentales. 2nd. Ed. Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Denslow, J. S. 1987. Tropical rainforest gaps and tree species diversity. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 18: 431-451.
Eriksson, O. 1996. Regional dynamics of plants: a review of evidence for remnant source-sinkand metapopulations. Oikos 77: 248-258.
Fenner, M. 1985. Seed Ecology. Chapman & Hall, London.
Fernández, J. A., Niell F. X. & Lucena, J. 1985. A rapid and sensitive automated determination of phosphate in natural waters. Limnol. Ocean. 30: 227-230.
Fernández-Caldas, E., Tejedor M. & Quantin, P. 1982. Suelos de regiones volcánicas: Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Publicaciones Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna.
Fernández-Palacios, J.M. 1992. Climatic responses of plant species on Tenerife, The Canary Islands. J. Veg. Sci. 3: 595-602.
Fernández-Palacios, J. M., López, R., Luzardo, C. & García, J. 1992. Descripción ecológica y evaluación de la producción primaria neta de cuatro estaciones representativas de los ecosistemas más característicos de Tenerife (Islas Canarias). Studia Oecol. 9: 105-124.
Hamilton, L. S., Juvik, J. O. & Scatena, F. N. 1995. The Puerto Rico tropical cloud forest symposium: Introduction and workshop Synthesis. In: Hamilton, L. S., Juvik, J. O. & Scatena, F. N. (eds), Tropical montane cloud forests. Ecological Studies 110: 1-23. Springer, New York.
Hansen, A. & Sunding, P. 1985. Flora of Macaronesia. Check-list of vascular plants. Sommerfeldtia 1: 1-67.
Harper, J. L. 1977. The Population Biology of Plants. Academic Press, London.
Hedley, M. J., Steward. J.W. B. & Chauhan, B. S. 1982. Changes in inorganic and organic soilphosphorus fractions induced by cultivation practices and by laboratory incubations. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 46: 970-976.
Höllermann, P. 1981. Microenvironmental studies in the laurel forest of the Canary Islands. Mountain Res. Devel. 1: 193-207.
Horn, H. S. 1975. Markovian processes of forest succession. pp. 196-211. In: M. L. Cody & J. M. Diamond (eds), Ecology and Evolution of communities. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Hubbell, S. P. & Foster, R. B. 1986. The spatial context of regeneration in a neotropical forest. pp. 395-412. In: A. J. Gray, A. J., Crawley, M. J. & Edwards, P. J. (eds). Colonization, Succession and Stability. Blackwell, Oxford.
Jackson, M. L. 1976. Análisis químico de suelos. Omega, Barcelona.
Johnson, E. A. 1981. Vegetation organization and dynamics of lichen woodlands communities in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Ecology 62: 200-215.
Kämmer, F. 1974. Klima und Vegetation auf Tenerife, besonders im Hinblick der Nebelniederschlag. Scripta Geobot. 7: 1-78.
Keddy, P. 1992. Assembly and response rules: two goals for predictive community ecology. J. Veg. Sci. 3: 157-164.
Lawesson, J. 1988. Stand-level dieback and regeneration of forests in the Galápagos Islands. Vegetatio 77: 87-93.
Liu Quinghong & Hytteborn, H. 1991. Gap structure, disturbance and regeneration in a primeveal Picea abiesforest. J. Veg. Sci. 2: 391-402.
Marzol, M. V., Rodríguez, J., Arozena, M. E.& Luis, M. 1988. Rapport entre la dynamique de la mer de nuages et la végétation au Nord de Tenerife (Iles Canaries). Publications de l'Associacion Internationale de Climatologie 1: 273-283.
Mueller-Dombois, D. 1987. Forest Dynamics in Hawaii. Trends Ecol. Evol. 2: 216-220.
Núñez-Farfán, J. & Dirzo, R. 1991. Effects of defoliation on the sapling of a gap-colonizing neotropical tree. J. Veg. Sci. 2: 459- 464.
Oliver, C. D. & Larson, B. C. 1990. Forest Stand Dynamics. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Ovington, J. D. 1983. Temperate broad-leaved evergreen forests. Goodall, D.W. (ed.). Ecosystems of theWorld 10, Elsevier, New York.
Packham, J. R., Harding, D. J. L., Hilton, G. M. & Stutlard, R. A. 1992. Functional Ecologyof Woodlands and Forests. Chapman & Hall, Cambridge.
Parsons, J. J. 1981. Human influence in the pine and laurel forests of the Canary Islands. Geog. Rev. 71: 253-271.
Runkle, J. R. 1982. Patterns of disturbance in some old growth mesic forests in eastern North America. Ecology 63: 1533-1546.
Runkle, J. R. 1984. Development of woody vegetation in treefall gaps in a beech-sugar maple forest. Holartic Ecol. 7: 157-164.
Rübel, E. 1930. Pflanzengesellschaften der Erde. Hans Huber, Bern-Berlin.
Santos, A. 1990. Bosques de laurisilva en la región macaronésica. Publ. Council of Europe, Strassbourg.
SPSS Inc. 1990. SPSS/PCC V.6.0. Base Manual.
Stadtmüller, T. 1987. Cloud forest in the humid tropics. The United Nations University, Tokyo.
Vitousek, P. M. & Walker, L. R. 1989. Biological invasions by Myrica fayain Hawaii: Plant demography, Nitrogen fixation, ecosystem effects. Ecol. Monogr. 59: 247-265.
Vitousek, P. M., Walker, L. R., Whiteaker, L. D. Mueller-Dombois, D. & Matson, P. A. 1989. Biological invasion by Myrica fayaalters ecosystem development in Hawaii. Science 238: 802-804.
Whitmore, T. C. 1989. Canopy gaps and the two major groups of forest trees. Ecology 70: 536-538.
Wiens, J. A. 1989. Spatial scaling in ecology. Funct. Ecol. 3: 385-397.
Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. 2nd ed. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fernández-Palacios, J.M., Arévalo, J.R. Regeneration strategies of tree species in the laurel forest of Tenerife (The Canary Islands). Plant Ecology 137, 21–29 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008000330184
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008000330184