Pioneers dominate large gaps but occupy only debris-free portions of them

Evidence

Pioneers colonized gaps of all sizes but as a group were more abundant in large gaps, where they established in areas not occupied by other plants or treefall debris. Pioneer prominence in big gaps has been observed elsewhere (Kramer, 1933; Rich­ ards, 1952; Beard, 1945; Schulz, 1960; Baur, 1964; Whitmore, 1975; Hartshorn, 1978; Acevedo and Marquis, 1978; Barton, 1984; Riera, 1984), but reported thresh­ old gap size for pioneers varies greatly (Table 1). — S. T. A. Pickett and P. S. White, eds., The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and…, 458

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Most forest gaps are small but large gaps contribute most total gap area. — S. T. A. Pickett and P. S. White, eds., The Ecology of Natural Disturbance and…, 387