Fellowship Year:
2023
Degree:
MESc
Research Country:
Puerto Rico
Research Continent:
North America
Abstract:
Natural and anthropogenic disturbances mediate the relative importance of biotic and abiotic drivers influencing herbaceous plant dynamics in tropical forest systems. Understanding these interrelated controls requires spatially and temporally explicit data that captures the changing microclimate and environmental landscape surrounding focal plants. In this study, I will assess the combined impacts of hurricanes, historical land use, and environmental covariates on Heliconia caribbea distribution in a subtropical montane forest in Puerto Rico, using long-term ecological data collected in the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot from 1990-2017.