The importance of dead wood for biodiversity is widely recognized but strategies for
conservation exist only in some regions worldwide. Most strategies combine knowledge …

The crucial role of tropical forests in the global carbon balance is underpinned by their
extraordinarily high biomass and productivity, even though the majority of tropical forests …

Low temperature stress is the primary factor determining the latitudinal limits of tropical
plants. As the climate warms, tropical species are migrating poleward, displacing native …

Simple Summary Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) expansion caused substantial
changes in the ecosystem process. Changes in plant–soil chemical characteristics and …

Progress in understanding changes in soil biology in response to latitude, elevation and
disturbance gradients has generally lagged behind studies of above-ground plants and …

Intense hurricanes disturb many tropical forests, but the key mechanisms driving post-
hurricane forest changes are not fully understood. In Puerto Rico, we used a replicated …

To date, it is not clear which are the factors that most influence tropical forest recovery from
hurricanes. Increased canopy openness and increased detritus (debris) deposition are two …

Soil microorganisms represent a significant component of terrestrial biodiversity and play a
critical role in myriad ecological processes. The conversion of native forests to tree …

In the context of climate change, more frequent and severe extreme climate events are
expected, which could lead to increased leaf fall before senescence. The decomposition of …

Abstract Hurricanes Jova and Patricia were the first hurricanes in recent history to make
landfall on the tropical dry forest ecosystem of the Pacific coast of Mexico. We examined the …