RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Laurel forest recovery during 20 years in an abandoned firebreak in Tenerife, Canary Islands A1 Arévalo, José Ramón A1 Peraza, María Dolores A1 Álvarez, Carlos A1 Bermúdez, Alfredo A1 Delgado, Juan Domingo A1 Gallardo, Antonio A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María K1 Biovolume K1 Canary Islands K1 DCA K1 Densities K1 Disturbance K1 Forest succession K1 Islas Canarias K1 Perturbación K1 Sucesión forestal AB This study assessed the recovery of the structure and species composition of a laurel forestin an abandoned firebreak in the Rural Park of Anaga, Tenerife (Canary Islands). We statisticallycompared values of species richness, density and biovolume between 23 plots in thefirebreak and six control plots in natural forest near the firebreak. We evaluated changes inspecies composition with detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) based on densities andbiovolume. Biovolume is increasing significantly along the successional gradient (from1990 to 2004) but remains less than the values in control plots. Stem densities were significantlylower in control plots than in 2004 plots. Species richness was significantly higherin control plots than in 2004 plots (although there were no differences in values obtainedbetween the first sampling period 6 years after abandonment, and the second sampling20 years after abandonment). Changes in species richness are significant, but all speciespresent in control plots are also found in the firebreak plots. DCA based on biovolume significantlydiscriminated control plots from firebreak plots in 1990 (for axis I). Results suggestrecovery to a laurel forest is occurring, although more time will be required to reachcontrol plot density and biovolume values. The low intensity of disturbance and a wellconservedforest adjacent to the firebreak favour the recovery of species inside the firebreak.We advise eliminating suckers from all small trees (leaving the bigger stems) toaccelerate succession to a vegetation structure similar to that found surrounding thefirebreak. PB Elsevier BV YR 2008 FD 2008 LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18147 UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18147 LA en DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna RD 22-dic-2024