Martina Petru, Eric Menges

• Gaps are often important microhabitats for recruitment of herbaceous plants. In the Florida scrub, fires create gaps by top-killing resprouting shrubs. These natural gaps are aboveground gaps (without aboveground vegetation) that may also be complete gaps (if belowground roots and rhizomes are absent). Within three types of gaps (natural gaps, experimental aboveground and experimental complete gaps), we studied seedling recruitment and survival of spontaneous species and seven sown herbs for two years. We created aboveground gaps by clipping vegetation and complete gaps by removing shrub roots and rhizomes. These gaps occurred in two Florida scrub habitats: rosemary scrub and scrubby flatwoods. We also explored factors that can affect recruitment patterns in gaps, such as soil moisture, root water retention and light availability. In addition, we tested effects of supplemental watering on sown seeds in the field since drought in 2000 and 2001 suppressed natural seedling recruitment. The watering treatment increased recruitment in allGaps are often important microhabitats for recruitment of herbaceous plants. In the Florida scrub, fires create gaps by top-killing resprouting shrubs. These natural gaps are aboveground gaps (without aboveground vegetation) that may also be complete gaps (if belowground roots and rhizomes are absent). Within three types of gaps (natural gaps, experimental aboveground and experimental complete gaps), we studied seedling recruitment and survival of spontaneous species and seven sown herbs for two years. We created aboveground gaps by clipping vegetation and complete gaps by removing shrub roots and rhizomes. These gaps occurred in two Florida scrub habitats: rosemary scrub and scrubby flatwoods. We also explored factors that can affect recruitment patterns in gaps, such as soil moisture, root water retention and light availability. In addition, we tested effects of supplemental watering on sown seeds in the field since drought in 2000 and 2001 suppressed natural seedling recruitment. The watering treatment increased recruitment in all types of gaps. Over half of all gaps were colonized, but there were few seedlings. Recruitment was highest in watered, complete gaps in scrubby flatwoods, where the soil moisture levels were higher and light levels lower than in the other gap types. Seedlings of a single spontaneously recruited species (Lechea deckertii) were more abundant than sown species. Locally common gap specialists were more abundant than generalists. Because many of these gap specialists are endangered plant species, understanding how disturbances create microsites for their regeneration is critical for conservation and management of the Florida scrub ecosystem. In small-scale conservation projects, artificially created gaps may substitute for post-fire gaps when prescribed burning is impossible.…