Tropical forest understorey riparian and upland composition, structure, and function in areas with different past land use
Although past land-use effects on composition and structure are described for many forest types, forested riparian areas have been overlooked. Riparian areas may contain unique species and high species richness, as well as contribute basal leaf-litter resources for aquatic fauna. We asked: (a) does past land use alter composition in riparian vs upland areas in wet tropical forest; (b) which vegetation life forms characterize riparian zones; and (c) what is the composition and quantity of leaf li