Abstract
ABSTRACT On 22 September 1998, Hurricane Georges passed over the Dominican Republic causing extensive damage to a 4700 ha mangrove forest that has been the site of a detailed study of vegetation and ecosystem dynamics since 1994. We resurveyed the vegetation in permanent plots at 7 and 18 months after the hurricane to document structural damage of the forest and evaluate early recovery patterns. The intensity of damage was patchy across the landscape. Mortality (>5 cm DBH) ranged from 14 to 100 percent (by density) among the 23 different plots and averaged 47.7 percent across all plots. Reductions in total basal area ranged from 9 to 100 percent, averaging 42.4 percent. Mortality increased by 9 percent between surveys at 7 and 18 months post‐hurricane. Interspecific differences in susceptibility to wind damage appeared to be a primary factor contributing to spatial patterns in mortality. Laguncularia racemosa experienced much less mortality (26%) than either Rhizophora mangle (50%) or Avicennia germinans (64%), and plot‐level mortality was strongly associated with differences in species composition. There were no clear relationships between canopy height and tree damage at this site. Over 80 percent of the of the surviving R. mangle trees exhibited less than 50 percent crown damage, whereas ca 60 percent of the L. racemosa survivors suffered almost complete (75–100%) crown loss. By 18 months after the hurricane, the percentage of L. racemosa trees in the 75 to 100 percent damage class was reduced to 20 percent; in contrast, the health of many R . mangle individuals appeared to be declining, as the percentage of trees in the 50 to 100 percent damage class increased from 16 to 36 percent. Understory light levels, as measured by the gap light index, increased from an average value of 3 percent in the pre‐hurricane forest to 51 percent at 7 months after the hurricane and decreased slightly to 47 percent at 18 months. Few saplings (>1 m tall and <5 cm DBH) survived the hurricane; 72 percent of the tagged individuals in transect‐based plots and 66 percent of saplings in pre‐hurricane canopy gaps were killed. Seedling and sapling populations of all three species appear to be recovering rapidly although their densities still are lower than in the pre‐hurricane forest. It is too early to predict the trajectory of forest recovery, and continued monitoring of the spatial and temporal patterns of forest development is needed to improve our understanding of the role that large‐scale disturbance events play on the dynamics of mangrove forest ecosystems. RESUMES El 22 de septiembre de 1998, el huracán Georges pasó sobre la República Dominicana causando daños extensos a 47 km2 de manglar que ha sido objeto un estudio detallado de vegetacion y dinámica de la communidad desde 1994. Se tomarón muestras de la vegetación en parcelas permanentes 7 y 18 meses después de paso del huracán para documentar los daños estructurales del bosque y evaluar los modelos de recuperacion temprana que siguieron posteriormente. La intensidad del daño fue irregular a través del paisaje. La mortalidad (>5 cm de dap) fue de 14 a 100 por ciento (para la densidad) en las 23 parcelas con un promedio de 47.7 por ciento. La reducción en área basal total fue de 9 a 100 por ciento con un promedio de 42.4 por ciento. La mortalidad aumentó 9 por ciento a los 7 y 18 meses después del huracán. Las diferencias interspecificas en la susceptibilidad a los daños causados por el viento fueron un factor contribuyente importante en los patrones espacios de mortalidad. Laguncularia racemosa sufrió menor mortalidad (26%) que Rhizophora mangle (50%) o Avicennia germinans (64%), la mortalidad en las parcelas estuvo asociada fuertemente con la diferencia en composición de especies. No hubo ningún patron definido entre la altura del dosel y el daño del árbol. Más del 80 por ciento de los árboles sobrevivientes de R. mangle exhibieron daoñres menores de 50 por ciento en sus copas, mientras que ca 60 por ciento de los L. racemosa sobrevivientes sufrió una perdida casi total (75‐100%). Dieciocho meses despues del huracan, el porcentaje de arboles de L. racemosa con daños del 75‐100 por ciento se redujó a 20 por ciento; en contraste, la salud de muchos individuos de R. mangle disminuyó conforme el porcentaje de árboles con daños del 50‐100 por ciento aumentó de 16 a 36 por ciento. Los niveles de penetración de luz en el sotobosque, medidos como el indice de iluminacion en los claros, aumentó de un promedio de 3 por ciento antes del huracán. a 51 por ciento 7 meses después del huracán, y disminuyo ligeramente a 47 por
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Claims 16
Claim · model-written summary
Mortality of trees (>5 cm DBH) averaged 47.7 percent across plots after Hurricane Georges, ranging from 14 to 100 percent among plots.
Verbatim
e0“Hurricane Georges passed over the Dominican Republic”
e1“Mortality (>5 cm DBH) ranged from 14 to 100 percent (by density) among the 23 different plots and averaged 47.7 percent across all plots”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Laguncularia racemosa had much lower mortality (26%) than Rhizophora mangle (50%) or Avicennia germinans (64%).
- Taxon
- Laguncularia racemosa
Laguncularia racemosae1 - Outcome
- mortalitye1
- Direction
- lesse1
- Value
- 26%e1
- Qualifier
- Avicennia germinans (64%)e1
- Comparator
- Rhizophora manglee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Laguncularia racemosa experienced much less mortality (26%) than either Rhizophora mangle (50%) or Avicennia germinans (64%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Plot-level mortality was strongly associated with differences in species composition.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“plot‐level mortality was strongly associated with differences in species composition”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
No clear relationship was found between canopy height and tree damage.
Verbatim
e1“There were no clear relationships between canopy height and tree damage at this site”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Over 80 percent of surviving R. mangle trees had less than 50 percent crown damage.
- Taxon
- R. mangle
Rhizophora manglee1 - Outcome
- crown damagee1
- Value
- Over 80 percente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Over 80 percent of the of the surviving R. mangle trees exhibited less than 50 percent crown damage”
Claim · model-written summary
About 60 percent of surviving L. racemosa trees suffered almost complete crown loss.
- Taxon
- L. racemosaLaguncularia racemosae1
- Outcome
- crown losse1
- Value
- ca 60 percente1
- Qualifier
- almost complete (75–100%)e1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“ca 60 percent of the L. racemosa survivors suffered almost complete (75–100%) crown loss”
Claim · model-written summary
The share of L. racemosa trees in the 75 to 100 percent damage class was reduced to 20 percent by 18 months after the hurricane.
- Taxon
- L. racemosaLaguncularia racemosae1
- Outcome
- percentage of L. racemosa trees in the 75 to 100 percent damage classe1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- 20 percente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the percentage of L. racemosa trees in the 75 to 100 percent damage class was reduced to 20 percent”
Claim · model-written summary
The health of many R. mangle trees appeared to decline, as the share of trees in the 50 to 100 percent damage class increased from 16 to 36 percent.
- Taxon
- R . mangleRhizophora manglee1
- Outcome
- percentage of trees in the 50 to 100 percent damage classe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 16 to 36 percente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the health of many R . mangle individuals appeared to be declining, as the percentage of trees in the 50 to 100 percent damage class increased from 16 to 36 percent”
Claim · model-written summary
Understory light level increased from an average of 3 percent before the hurricane to 51 percent at 7 months after it.
Verbatim
e1“Understory light levels, as measured by the gap light index, increased from an average value of 3 percent”
e2“to 51 percent at 7 months after the hurricane”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Of the tagged saplings in transect-based plots, 72 percent were killed by the hurricane.
Verbatim
e1“Few saplings (>1 m tall and <5 cm DBH) survived the hurricane; 72 percent of the tagged individuals in transect‐based plots and 66 percent of saplings in pre‐hurricane canopy gaps were killed”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Of saplings in pre-hurricane canopy gaps, 66 percent were killed by the hurricane.
Verbatim
e1“Few saplings (>1 m tall and <5 cm DBH) survived the hurricane; 72 percent of the tagged individuals in transect‐based plots and 66 percent of saplings in pre‐hurricane canopy gaps were killed”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Mortality increased by 9 percent between surveys at 7 and 18 months after the hurricane.
Verbatim
e1“Mortality increased by 9 percent between surveys at 7 and 18 months”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Total basal area was reduced by 42.4 percent on average, ranging from 9 to 100 percent among plots.
Verbatim
e1“Reductions in total basal area ranged from 9 to 100 percent, averaging 42.4 percent”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Seedling and sapling populations of all three species appear to be recovering rapidly.
Verbatim
e1“Seedling and sapling populations of all three species appear to be recovering rapidly”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Seedling and sapling densities were still lower than before the hurricane.
Verbatim
e1“although their densities still are lower”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”
Claim · model-written summary
Interspecific differences in susceptibility to wind damage appear to be a primary factor behind spatial patterns in mortality.
Verbatim
e1“Interspecific differences in susceptibility to wind damage appeared to be a primary factor contributing to spatial patterns in mortality”
t0“Mangrove Forest in the Dominican Republic”