Hurricane disturbance and vegetation dynamics in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic
Abstract
Hurricanes are intense, frequent disturbances in the Caribbean basin, often regarded as important agents in structuring ecological patterns and processes. The topography and vegetation of tropical montane forest landscapes interact with the forces of hurricanes to create complex patterns of disturbance. In this study, remote sensing and field inventory of forests were used to reconstruct wind and rain disturbance from Hurricane Georges in the Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic. Spatial patterns of hurricane disturbance and the relationship of disturbance with the topography, the physical ...