independent of the traditional gradient in shade tolerance,
with species with contrasting mortality rates in shade occurring
among all stature classes (Welden et al., 1991).
The classification of species into functional groups is a standard
procedure in modeling the growth and yield of diverse tropical
forests (Vanclay, 1995).
Our results support the use of adult size as one of the axes of this classification, possibly in combination with wood density or shade tolerance (Chave, 1999; King et al.,2005a).
Knowledge of the demographic patterns of the less studied, small-statured species reported here should be of particular interest to conservation biologists