Abstract
As one moves from higher latitudes towards the equator, the structure of well-watered climax vegetation becomes progressively more complex (Walter, 1984). Increased structural complexity is manifested in several ways. The number of vertically superimposed crowns seen in profile increases systematically, while additional growth forms, such as lianes, epiphytes and stranglers, join the ensemble at low latitudes (Terborgh, 1985b). Accompanying these other trends is a marked increase in overall community diversity. The striking floristic richness of tropical vegetation has drawn more scientific attention than any other issue (Whitmore, 1984; Hubbell and Foster, 1986; Gentry, 1988). Since plant diversity is related to area, it is consequently the horizontal dimension of tropical forest structure that has been investigated most thoroughly.
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Terborgh, J., Petren, K. (1991). Development of habitat structure through succession in an Amazonian floodplain forest. In: Bell, S.S., McCoy, E.D., Mushinsky, H.R. (eds) Habitat Structure. Population and Community Biology Series, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3076-9_2
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