Gap formation varies little between years and never synchronizes regionally

Evidence

Yearly fluctuations in the rate at which gaps are formed occur but are minor. For example, for 10 different sites in the southern Appalachians and for 15 years per site, the maximum fraction of land area per year in gaps was only 7.4%. Every year, several storms in the general area down enough trees to cause notable economic damage (Environmental Data Service, 1975). The rugged topography results in different areas having different peak years of disturbance, with no sign of regional synchrony in gap formation. — S. T. A. Pickett and P. S. White, eds., The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and…, 229