The Influence of Understory Vegetation Cover on Germination and Seedling Establishment in a Tropical Lowland Wet Forest

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Abstract
Under closed canopy, vegetation cover varies as much as 20 percent at ground level at the lowland rain forest study site, Estacion Biologica La Selva, in Costa Rica. To determine the effect variation in understory cover has on seed germination and seedling establishment, we followed the fate of naturally germinating seeds in treatment plots in which the understory vegetation had been removed, and in neighboring control plots. The overstory canopy was left intact in all plots. Average cover values for treatment and control plots were 85.0 and 90.4 percent, respectively. After a 3.5-mo period, we found no differences due to the treatment in germination or survival of new seedlings, suggesting that variation in understory vegetation had little influence on establishment compared to that of the overstory canopy during this time period.