RIPARIAN HABITATS AS TROPICAL FOREST REFUGIA

High local densities of tropical forest plant species have been found in riparian forests of Belizean and Venezuelan savannas. Soil and light-intensity heterogeneity within the forests is limited and species coexistence may be mediated more by specialized disturbance regimes than by micro-habitat specialization. Provided that this local diversity is complemented by high regional diversity within these systems, they could provide plausible refugia for tropical forest biotas during arid climatic phases. The results demonstrate that a reduced species density is not an inevitable consequence of forest fragmentation, and have important implications for the future conservation of tropical forests.