DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4j0zpc8cc
title: Data for: Using spatial patterns of seeds and saplings to assess the prevalence of heterospecific replacements among cloud forest canopy tree species

description: Questions: To gain insights into the role of species-by-species
 replacements in cloud forest community structuring, we asked: (1) What are
 the effects of the spatial distribution of standing individuals on the
 seed rain, soil seed bank, and sapling density and survival in this cloud
 forest? and (2) What is the prevalence of conspecific vs. heterospecific
 replacements in the regeneration of this forest? Location: Santo Tomás
 Teipan, Oaxaca State, southern Mexico. Methods: In a 1-ha cloud forest
 plot we assessed seed rain, seed bank, and sapling density and survival of
 four canopy tree species (Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, Cornus
 disciflora, Quercus laurina, Oreopanax xalapensis). All standing
 individuals of these and other tree species (dbh ≥ 2.5 cm) were mapped. We
 used neighbourhood models to examine the spatial patterns of the three
 life cycle stages relative to the spatial distribution of adults. The
 neighbourhood effect was assessed through the Neighbourhood Index, which
 integrates information on size (dbh) and distance to adults. Data analysis
 was based on maximum likelihood and model selection procedures. Results:
 We found large between-species differences regarding the spatial patterns
 of seeds and saplings. Three species showed evidence for the
 Janzen-Connell effect operating at the seed (C. pentadactylon and Q.
 laurina) or sapling (O. xalapensis) stage. We also found support for a
 critical role of specific microsite factors (i.e., niche differentiation)
 in the regeneration of two species (C. pentadactylon and C. disciflora).
 Conclusions:  Seed and sapling distribution patterns suggest the
 prevalence of heterospecific replacements, and that both Janzen-Connell
 and niche differentiation effects contribute to this pattern. Our results
 largely support the notion that the prevalence of heterospecific
 replacements among canopy species promotes species coexistence in cloud
 forest.
description: Please see article in the Journal of Vegetation Science for a
 detailed description of field and analytical methods.
description: Mejía-Domínguez et al., 2021 Data. The data
 come from the 2007 census of 1-ha cloud forest plot in Teipan, Oaxaca,
 southern Mexico (16°15’ N; 95°58’ W; 2200-2500 m asl). The format is an
 Excel Book. Page
 <b>'data_dbh&gt;2.5'</b> contains coordinates in
 the 1-ha (100 m × 100 m) plot, diameter at breast height (dbh, cm) and
 species identity (see species codes below). Page
 <b>'Seed_rain'</b> contains coordinates of subplot
 in the 1-ha plot and density for four species, for the seed rain
 stage. Page <b>'Seed_bank'</b>
 contains coordinates of subplot in the 1-ha plot and density for four
 species, for the seed bank stage. Page
 '<b>Saplings_2007_2008</b>' contains coordinates of
 subplot in the 1-ha plot and density for two species at the seedling
 stage. Species codes in all pages of the Excel Book:
 CHPE, <i>Chiranthodendron pentadactylon</i>; CODI,
 <i>Cornus disciflora</i>; ORXA, <i>Orepanax
 xalapensis</i>; QULA, <i>Quercus laurina</i>; SRS set of
 remaining tree species. <b>Mejía-Domínguez _et
 _al_2021_DataBase.xlsx</b> Mejía-Domínguez et
 al., 2021 Script. R script for calculating
 neighbourhood index (NI) and estimating neighbourhood models (see Data
 analysis in article for details).
 <b>Mejía-Domínguez_et_al_2021_code.R</b>