Size classes
To investigate ecological processes throughout species development, we
divided the individuals of each species into three size classes based on
DSH and taking into account the minimum number of individuals in each
class for spatial point pattern analysis (n ≥ 30, Martins et al. ,
2018). Small trees were defined as individuals with DSH ≤ 0.2 cm forM. brasiliensis , and DSH ≤ 0.5 cm for M. multiflora andM. racemosa . Medium-sized trees had 0.2 < DSH ≤ 10.0 cm
for M. brasiliensis , and 0.5 < DSH ≤ 10.0 cm forM. multiflora and M. racemosa . Large trees were those with
DSH > 10.0 cm for the three species. We conducted all the
following analyses separately for the three size classes of each of the
three species studied.