We study the processes that drive community dynamics in plant communities at various temporal and spatial scales, with a particular emphasis on forests. We explore these questions using a range of quantitative approaches. Emphasis is placed on understanding the effects of human activities (e.g., land use, harvesting practices and global climate change) on forest dynamics. Our main projects focus on fires in agrarian and forested landscapes in Peruvian Amazon, tropical forests in Puerto Rico, fragmented forests in the Brazilian Amazon, and temperate forests in Chile.