Effects of fern thickets on woodland development on landslides in Puerto Rico

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Abstract
Thicket‐forming ferns are common colonizers of disturbed habitats in the tropics, but little is known about their ecology. The effects of thickets formed by the fernDicranopteris pectinataon tree seedlings on five landslides in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in northeastern Puerto Rico were both positive and negative. Soil moisture and total soil N were higher under fern thickets than in adjacent open areas and soil bulk density and soil surface temperatures were lower. Germination of seeds of the treeCecropia schreberianawas higher for seeds sown under fern thickets than for those sown into adjacent open areas. Tree seedlings ofTabebuia hetero‐phyllaexhibited a threefold reduction in photosynthesis under ferns, probably resulting from a twelvefold reduction of photosynthetic photon flux density. Growth ofTabebuiaseedlings was reduced under ferns but the distribution of seedlings of naturally occurring woody plants was not strongly correlated with the presence of fern thickets. Although fern thickets on low‐nutrient landslide soils appear to facilitate germination, they inhibit growth of tree seedlings and may, therefore, delay forest development on landslides in Puerto Rico.