THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE GILBERT ON TREES, LITTERFALL, AND WOODY DEBRIS IN A DRY TROPICAL FOREST IN THE NORTHEASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA

Hurricane Gilbert struck the northeastern portion of the Yucaran Peninsula in an area where we have been conducting studies of the vegetation and avifauna in a dry tropical forest since 1984. All trees in our study area were completely defoliated and most suffered heavy structural damage. Although few trees were killed outright, many died over the next 17 months, especially those that had been heavily damaged. Tree recovery was rapid as relative diameter growth for most species for the first year after the hurricane were greater than average diameter growth rates for three of the five prehurricane years. Biomass of litterfall (leaves and wood less than 10 cm in diameter) and nutrients generated by the hurricane exceeded the totals produced during any of the five previous years. The hurricane increased the mass and nutrients in coarse woody debris (wood greater than 10 cm in diameter) by approximately 50 percent. Mortality caused by fire was much greater than morrality caused by the hurricane.