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61 - Modeling the dynamics of tropical montane cloud forest in central Veracruz, Mexico

from Part VI - Effects of climate variability and climate change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2011

By
N. Rüger ,
G. Williams-Linera  and
A. Huth
Edited by
L. A. Bruijnzeel ,
F. N. Scatena  and
L. S. Hamilton
N. Rüger
Affiliation:
UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Germany
G. Williams-Linera
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Mexico
A. Huth
Affiliation:
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Germany
L. A. Bruijnzeel
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
F. N. Scatena
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
L. S. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

ABSTRACT

The area covered by tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) in central Veracruz, eastern Mexico, has decreased rapidly over the last 50 years. Deforestation has been accompanied by fragmentation of the remaining forest. Restoring the TMCF and the important ecological services it provides (e.g. high-quality water, soil protection, biodiversity conservation) requires an understanding of ecosystem dynamics. This study investigates the dynamics of fragments of old-growth TMCF in central Veracruz, with particular reference to regeneration after abandonment of other land uses. A modified version of the process-based forest growth model FORMIND was used. FORMIND is individual-tree-oriented and simulates the spatio-temporal dynamics of an uneven-aged mixed forest stand. Model modifications included: (i) grouping of tree species according to their light demands and maximum height, (ii) defining regeneration, growth, and mortality parameters for each species group, and (iii) developing allometric relations of tree geometry. Model verification was achieved by comparing model outcomes and field data. The model was able to reproduce the structure of old-growth TMCF. Simulations of forest regeneration revealed that aggregated variables (e.g. total stem number and total basal area) reached values similar to those of old-growth forest after approximately 80 years, whereas the proportion of basal area of the different species groups continued to change until ~300 years after the start of succession. These insights can be used to support regional decision-making in forest conservation and restoration planning.

Type
Chapter
Information
Tropical Montane Cloud Forests
Science for Conservation and Management
 , pp. 584 - 594
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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