Data collection
Between 2016 and 2017, we marked with individually numbered tags all free stems with diameter at soil height (DSH) ≥ 1.5 mm (minimum size at which taxonomic identification was possible) of the three species studied. We also measured the DSH and mapped (x, y) all individuals in the study plot. We sampled soil moisture, canopy opening at two different moments (2008 and 2017), elevation, terrain slope, flooding height, and litterfall height, which are variables that are likely related to different species requirements in a restinga forest. Details can be found in Appendix S1.