Effects of hurricanes on wildlife: implications and strategies for management

Abstract

Hurricanes, also known as cyclones or typhoons, occur throughout the world and are common in at least six regions encompassing parts of the tropics, subtropics and temperate zone (Nalivkin, 1983). Although the frequency of hurricane occurrence may vary within a region, such storms may occur with sufficient frequency and destructive force (Figures 9.1 and 9.2) to be important factors in determining the structure and species composition of biotic communities (e.g. Wadsworth and Englerth, 1959; Odum, 1970; Doyle, 1981; Weaver, 1986; Crow, 1980). The importance of hurricanes in influencing ecosystems is consistent with the prevailing view that natural systems are largely organized by disturbance (Pickett and White, 1985; Denslow, 1987).