Gillman and Ogden (2005): Microsite heterogeneity in litterfall risk to seedlings.

Gillman, L. N., and J. Ogden. 2005. Microsite heterogeneity in litterfall risk to seedlings. Austral Ecology 30:497–504.

Litterfall is an important cause of damage and mortality to seedlings in many forests. However, this study is the first to demonstrate variable risks of litterfall damage among different microsites. Artificial seedlings were ‘planted’ along transects in each of two New Zealand forests, and the overhead species recorded. The artificial seedlings were monitored monthly for damage over two years. The risk of damage differed significantly among microsites from 2% to 30% per y (P < 0.0005). Seedlings differ in resilience to litterfall (Gillman et al. 2003) and, therefore, microsites with different litterfall risks provide the potential for regeneration niche differentiation.