Abstract Key message Analysis of wood anatomical traits revealed that drought tolerance predominates in early-successional communities, and vessel variability is relevant for species’ ecological success seasonally dry tropical environments. Successional forests harbor a diverse array species subjected to strong seasonal precipitation regime. Considering encompasses functional properties related...

In this study, we conducted rainfall simulation experiments in a cool desert ecosystem to examine the role of biological soil crust disturbance and composition on dissolved and sediment C and N losses. We compared runoff and sediment C and N losses from intact latesuccessional dark cyanolichen crusts (intact) to both trampled dark crusts (trampled) and dark crusts where the top 1 cm of the soil...

1 Regeneration in forest canopy gaps is thought to lead invariably to the rapid recruitment and growth of trees and the redevelopment of the canopy. Our observations, however, suggest that an alternate successional pathway is also likely, whereby gap-phase regeneration is dominated by lianas and stalled in a low-canopy state for many years. We investigated gap-phase regeneration in an old-growt...

Succession is the process that eventually transforms a young forest into an oldgrowth forest. Describing and analysing plant succession has been at the core of ecology since its early days some hundred years ago. With respect to forest succession, our understanding has progressed from descriptive classifications (i.e. identifying which forest types constitute a successional sequence) to general...