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).