Delineation of secondary succession mechanisms for tropical dry forests using LiDAR

Research suggests that secondary forest structure and composition subsequent to human disturbance could be related to wind or vertebrate dependent seed dispersal mechanisms. This paper examines the capability of a waveform LiDAR system (LVIS: LiDAR Vegetation Imaging System) to detect the location of wind-dispersed or vertebrate-dispersed forest patches in a mosaic of a secondary Tropical Dry Forest in the Santa Rosa National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Canopy-height estimations derived from LVIS data were used to identify and locate two types of dispersal-dependent arrangements of canopy heights: flat-topped (windborne seed dispersed) or dome-shaped (vertebrate-dispersed) fragments. Following identification, a Ripley's K indicator was used to compare the locations for each confirmed canopy type to those reported in existing maps. Results indicated that dome-shaped patches tended to be arranged in clusters at the middle of former pastures (far from older forests), and that flat-topped patches tended to be located adjacent to older forests, forming extensions from the old growth patches and at the downwind side of the slope. Such characteristics agree with the theoretical observation of the spatial configuration of vertebrate- and wind-dispersed fragments reported in the study site. Our findings demonstrate that processes controlling forest regeneration in the TDF can be successfully identified through LiDAR data.

Research highlights
► Ecological successional theory linked to LiDAR.
► LiDAR high validation similar to those observed in rainforests.
► LiDAR can demonstrate the presence of dome and flat shape canopies.
► Canopy structure follows colonial land use practices.