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Soil-vegetation relationships in a tabonuco forest community in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Mark H. Johnston
Mark H. Johnston
Affiliation:
College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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Abstract

Soil-vegetation relationships were examined in a tabonuco forest community in eastern Puerto Rico using canonical correspondence analysis. Ca and pH were strongly correlated with the first ordination axis (r = 0.84 and 0.76, respectively), while Mg and Na were correlated with the second axis (r = 0.65 and 0.64, respectively); other soil variables were not significantly related to the first two axes. Four previously identified soil series corresponded well with the ordination, and statistically significant differences in soil variables were found among the soil series. Dominant canopy tree species Dacryodes excelsa and Manilkara bidentata were negatively associated with the first ordination axis and positively associated with dry soils having low concentrations of Ca and Mg and low pH. The palm Presloea montana was positively associated with the first axis and with wet soils having high concentrations of Ca and Mg and higher pH values. Another canopy species Sloanea bertenana was associated with the second ordination axis and with lower slope positions having higher concentrations of Mg.

Keywords

canonical correspondence analysisdirect gradient analysisordination, Puerto Ricosoil-vegetation relationshipstabonuco foresttropical soils
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , August 1992 , pp. 253 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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