Disturbance succession and species interactions around canopy gaps in old-growth Douglas-fir forests

When discussing issues of biodiversity in old-growth forests, oneof the major contributors to diversity in these forests can be ex-amined: canopy disturbances. The death of one to many trees in aspecific area in the forest results in canopy gaps—the dominantdisturbance force in old-growth forests. Several studies have ad-dressed the current structure and many processes important in old-growth forests, but few have examined the changes over time inany particular area. The great ages attained by trees in the PacificNorthwest make the relatively short-term research studies difficultto interpret; long-term patterns are missed and the significance ofinfrequent events may be given more importance than deserved.