Cecropia growth at El Verde gaps

While doing the survey of gaps at El Verde the number and height of Cecropia saplings found in gaps where recorded. Since this species is mostly restricted to gaps, an estimate of the total population of Cecropia in the regeneration size classes in the forest can be obtained. (There are others along the edges of the Sonadora and Prieta.) The abundance, dispersion, and size class distribution of the Cecropia population is an index of disturbance in tabonuco forest and make an interesting study in its own right. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.