PLANT SUCCESSIONAL PATHWAYS ON PUERTO-RICAN LANDSLIDES

To study regeneration on landslides, we counted the number of woody st ems at least Im tall in 2 m x 5 m permanent plots on Puerto Rican land slides for 5 y and generated successional pathways for all plots in 16 different landslides using principal components analysis (PCA). PCA s eparated plots well, with early successional plant species (Cecropia s chreberiana, Schefflera morototoni, Alchornea latifolia, Gonzalagunia spicata) positively associated with axes I and II, and the negative po rtion of axis II associated with a mix of those species and mid-succes sional species (Inga vera, Piper glabrescens). Pathways generally show ed (1) a positive association with axis I in early succession, (2) a n egative association with both I and II later in succession, (3) little evidence of a decrease in the rate of succession, and (4) a lack of c onvergence of pathways over the 5 y of our study.