We predicted that plants that can establish on volcanic soils with sim
ilar disturbance histories will have similar growth characteristics. W
e tested this prediction by a multivariate analysis of 27 traits of 84
species found six years after an eruption on Mount St. Helens, Washin
gton State, USA, and Mount Usu, Hokkaido, Japan. These traits include
vegetative, life-history, phenological and seed-biology characteristic
s. Cluster analysis revealed five species groups: annual herbs, perenn
ial forbs, graminoids, shrubs and trees. Each group has distinct veget
ative, life-history, and seed-biology traits. Except for shrubs, which
were lacking on Mount Usu, both floras were well represented in each
group. On intensely disturbed sites on both volcanoes, perennial forbs
, whose development is dependent primarily on well-developed below-gro
und organs and wind-dispersal, expanded their cover more rapidly than
did graminoids. These graminoids generally produce gravity-dispersed s
eeds and have close-set rhizomes and/or shoots. These results suggest
that species that can establish during the early stages of succession
on each volcano have similar vegetative, life-history, and seed-biolog
y traits.