Abstract

DIAZ-PEREA, Francisco Javier  and  EQUIHUA, Miguel. Simulating the response to disturbance of a cloud forest, a cellular automaton based on tree's regeneration traits. Bot. sci [online]. 2015, vol.93, n.3, pp.485-500. ISSN 2007-4476.  https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.126.

The cloud forest is facing natural and human-induced disturbances that threaten their persistence; so, studying how this ecosystem responds to disturbance is important to explore its ability to withstand stress based on its functional diversity. This study aimed to detect functional patterns that emerge in a cloud forest community, simulating the spatio-temporal dynamics using a cellular automaton. Modeling was based on regeneration types that were defined combining regeneration traits of tree species in a previous research developed at La Cortadura, Veracruz. We structured a cellular automaton, the operation rules were based on key biological processes involved in species regeneration and the density of trees around each cell. We simulated three treatments: no-disturbance, light disturbance and severe disturbance. The communities evolved as follows: on no-disturbed treatment, types with competitive profile increased their abundance, while the abundance of types with pioneer profile decreased. In light-disturbed treatment, the community immediately recovered, while in severe disturbance treatment, the community, and seed and seedlings banks recovered slowly and a disturbance imprint remained throughout the simulation. Colonization patterns of disturbed areas suggest a complementary response to the disturbance of regeneration types.

Keywords : community; neighbourhood; regeneration type; trait.

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