SIZE-STRUCTURE-BASED MODELS OF FOREST DYNAMICS TO INTERPRET POPULATION-LEVEL AND COMMUNITY-LEVEL MECHANISMS

Functional size-structure-based models of forest tree population dynam ics present a unifying explanation for population-level patterns and t ree community organization. Density-dependent regulation can be explic itly replaced by the effect of size-structure-dependent suppression on demographic processes in functional size-structure models. This suppr ession effect sufficiently explains various patterns reported for crow ded even-aged populations. Further, it stabilizes natural forest popul ations of overlapping generations at a stationary state with balanced recruitment and mortality. The spatial heterogeneity of light resource s created by tree size structure offers an opportunity for multiple sp ecies to coexist by means of trade-offs between demographic parameters . The energy correlation of tree species diversity at a geographic sca le is also attributable to the architectural feature of forests.