Content deleted Content added
m WP:CHECKWIKI error fixes using AWB (10770) |
m Added commas around "therefore" to better the grammatical structure of the second paragraph. |
||
Line 3:
'''Gap dynamics''' refers to the pattern of plant growth that occurs following the creation of a forest gap, a local area of natural disturbance that results in an opening in the canopy of a forest. Gap dynamics are a typical characteristic of both temperate and tropical forests and have a wide variety of causes and effects on forest life.
Gaps are the result of natural disturbances in forests, ranging from a large branch breaking off and dropping from a tree, to a tree dying then falling over, bringing its roots to the surface of the ground, to landslides bringing down large groups of trees. Because of the range of causes, gaps, therefore, have a wide range of sizes, including small and large gaps. Regardless of size, gaps allow an increase in light as well as changes in moisture and wind, leading to differences in microclimate conditions compared to those from below the closed canopy, which are generally cooler and more shaded.
For gap dynamics to occur in naturally disturbed areas, either primary or secondary succession must occur. Ecological secondary succession is much more common and pertains to the process of vegetation replacement after a natural disturbance. Secondary succession results in second-growth or secondary forest, which currently covers more of the tropics than old-growth forest.
| |||