After gaps have been located, specific global coordinates will be recorded with the Magellan GPS. Gap position will be overlaid on a vegetation map of the island. Gap characteristics, including size, location, cause, and colonizing species will be determined. To assess gap seed banks, soil samples will be collected from each gap, returned to VCU, placed in a glasshouse, and emergent seedlings identified. Similarly, potential seed banks will be determined for soil samples collected from beneath intact thickets. Spatial variations in soil N, organic matter, bulk density and pH will also be determined for the gaps and adjacent thickets.