REGENERATION STRATEGIES OF TREE SPECIES IN THE LAUREL FOREST OF TENERIFE (THE CANARY-ISLANDS)

The laurel-forest of the Canary Islands is a montane cloud-forest. In order to gain some knowledge on the processes that maintain tree speci es diversity, we conducted an analysis of three different laurel-fores t plots of the Anaga massif (Tenerife), varying in canopy composition but growing under similar environmental conditions. For each plot we r ecorded basal area of the canopy trees (h > 1.30 m), the density of su ckers and seedlings (h < 1.30 m), as well as seed-bank composition. Th e plots have similar regeneration composition, which appears to be ind ependent of differences in canopy composition. Laurus azorica is the m ost common seedling species, whereas Prunus lusitanica is the most abu ndant species among suckers and basal shoots. Neither Erica arborea no r Myrica faya, the two main canopy trees in one of the plots, were fou nd in any of the stands as seedlings or suckers, despite their existen ce as viable seeds in the seed-bank. The regeneration composition and the canopy composition in one of the plots is remarkable different, re vealing differents dynamics processes in the three plots. The results suggest the existence of three well-defined ecological groups: pioneer (regeneration primarily by seedlings), non-pioneer (regeneration by s eedlings and suckers) and remnant species (regeneration primarily by s uckers). These three groups and the effect of small scale disturbances (natural and human-induced), could help to understand the maintenance of tree species richness.