Theory 45/Forest succession/Termination phase
Climax Is Canopy Closure
The claim
Succession ends when the ratio of canopy closure to gap formation stabilises, so the endpoint is a dynamic balance rather than a fixed community.
01Mechanism
Gap dynamics replace the climax concept with a steady-state mosaic.
02Prediction
Composition should fluctuate around a stable distribution.
03Refutation
A single stable composition would remove gap dynamics.