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Tree replacement in gaps was studied in old—growth mesic forest stands in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the southern Appalachian Mountains. Predictions of future overstory composition, based on sapling composition in small gaps (average 200 m 2 ), were compared to current canopy composition. Both Markov analyses and simple average sapling composition of gaps support the hypotheses that regeneration in small gaps was sufficient to perpetuate the current canopy species composition of the stands studied. In some cases the saplings most likely to replace a dead canopy tree were of the same species. In other cases, especially low—diversity beech—sugar maple stands, each species seemed to enhance significantly the success of the other species.
James R. Runkle (Sat,) studied this question.