Relationship between species distribution and environmental variables
The three species occur in similar environments in the plot, that is low flat areas and better-lit patches. For M. brasiliensis , there was a positive relationship between small trees and canopy opening in 2017 and 2008, and a negative relationship between large trees and both terrain slope and elevation. However, these relationships were weak. All size classes of M. multiflora were negatively related to terrain slope and elevation. Additionally, small and large trees were positively associated with soil moisture, small and medium trees were positively associated with canopy opening in 2008, and large trees were negatively affected by litterfall height. Elevation was the environmental variable that more strongly influenced the distribution of individuals, especially of medium and large trees. Small and mainly medium trees ofM. racemosa also showed a strong, negative relationship to elevation. Additionally, small trees were strongly and negatively related to terrain slope, and medium trees, weakly and positively related to canopy opening in 2008, which kept influencing the distribution of large trees, but now in a negative fashion (Table 2).