Population dynamics of tropical forest trees
Tree population dynamics were monitored in three tropical rain forest sites in Peninsular Malaysia. The studies involved trees ≥ 10 cm dbh, over 36 years in hill dipterocarp forest at Bukit Lagong, and over 38 and 13 years in lowland dipterocarp forests at Sungei Menyala and Pasoh respectively. Trees were periodically measured for dbh, and mortality and recruitment recorded. Sapling populations at Sungei Menyala were also enumerated at periods separated by about 30 years. The major findings were: decline in tree density over the periods of study were offset by incremental growth in surviving trees, showing that the forests are fully stocked and structurally stable; mortality rates and 'half-life' values were 2.03%, 2.07% and 1.39% yr^-1, and 34.2, 33.5 and 49.9 years for Sungei Menyala, Pasoh and Bukit Lagong respectively; mortality was not correlated with size class for the lowland forests, but there was some evidence for higher mortality in the larger size classes for the hill forest, this possibly being related to soil instability on steep slopes; the risk of death was about 7-8 times greater for trees with negative or no growth, with suppression leading to higher mortality in canopy than in understorey species; recruitment rates to the 10 cm dbh class were 1.32%, 1.46% and 0.85% yr^-1 at Sungei Menyala, Pasoh and Bukit Lagong respectively; dbh increments were linear over long periods for most trees, future size of individuals therefore predictable from one set of measurements; fast-growing mature trees are estimated to be as young as 60 years; variation in species composition over time was slight compared with variation between sites; sapling composition and density at Sungei Menyala changed greatly over 30 years but that for adults remained constant over 38 years, showing that future canopy composition is unlikely to change without catastrophic disturbances occurring.