Mangrove forest habitats are highly productive ecosystems that have significant ecological, economic, and aesthetic value. They are being degraded and destroyed world-wide by human-induced, local and global alterations of the coastal environment. Given the broad geographic distribution of mangroves, there have been surprisingly few studies of canopy tree regeneration and the interplay of tree life histories with this process. This study will investigate patterns and mechanisms of canopy tree regeneration in a Caribbean mangrove forest, with an emphasis on the role of disturbance-generated canopy gaps. The study will identify the factors that control forest regeneration and thereby shed light on important basic ecological questions concerning the relative roles of niche partitioning versus lottery processes in structuring plant assemblages. In addition, the information gathered in this study is essential for predicting the consequences of different kinds of habitat alteration. In particular, this study will investigate the interactions of tree species life histories with seed dispersal, soil nutrient levels, disturbance, herbivory, and interspecific interactions. %%% This study represents an important contribution to the understanding of processes and mechanisms associated with the dynamics of tropical mangrove forests. Despite the broad geographic distribution of mangrove vegetation, there has been a paucity of studies on the natural disturbance regime and dynamics of this important type of coastal vegetation. The research protocol described in this proposal contains one of the most comprehensive attempts to measure pattern and experimentally address processes in the regeneration of tropical mangrove forests.
