Ken W. Krauss
Katherine C. Ewel
Bobby D. Keeland
E. E. Waguk
James P. Allen
2005
<p><span>Forested wetlands dominated by </span><i>Terminalia carolinensis</i><span> are endemic to Micronesia but common only on the island of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. On Kosrae, these forests occur on Nansepsep, Inkosr, and Sonahnpil soil types, which differ in degree of flooding and soil saturation. We compared forest structure, growth, nutrition, and regeneration on two sites each on Nansepsep and Inkosr soils and one site on the much less common Sonahnpil soil type. </span><i>Terminalia</i><span> tree sizes were similar on all three soil types, but forests differed in total basal area, species of smaller trees, and total plant species diversity. </span><i>Terminalia</i><span> regeneration was found only on the Inkosr soil type, which had the highest water table levels. Other </span><i>Terminalia</i><span> species are relatively light demanding, and </span><i>T. carolinensis</i><span> exhibited similar characteristics. It is therefore likely that </span><i>Terminalia</i><span> requires periodic, but perhaps naturally rare, stand-replacing disturbances (e.g., typhoons) in order to maintain its dominance, except on the wettest sites, where competition from other species is reduced. </span><i>Terminalia</i><span> swamps in the Nansepsep soil type appeared to be at the greatest risk of conversion to other uses, but swamps on all three types may face greater pressure as Kosrae's population increases and the island's infrastructure becomes more developed.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.1007/s11273-005-0964-x
en
Springer
A tropical freshwater wetlands: I. Structure, growth, and regeneration
article