Introduction

Forest dynamics starts with the regeneration of tree species and individuals, which itself is governed by abiotic environments and biotic interactions. In this study we explored the spatial distribution of three tree species at the seedling stage at the Paracou experimental site: Dicorynia guianensis, Symphonia globulifera and Tachigali melinonii. Our results highlight a strong aggregated pattern distribution for all three species. Seedling density is highly structured by distance to the Nearest Adult Neighbour (NAN) concurrent with species’ dispersion strategy and Janzen-Connell hypothesis. We used Digital Canopy Model (DCM) to estimate light availability, distance to the nearest water the courses and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) to characterise soil moisture. D. guianensis’ seedlings were mostly found in light areas and S. globulifera on hydromorphic soil. Contrary to the literature, T. melinonii’s seedlings were found in shadier areas. This could be due to competition with D. guianensis excluding T. melinonii’s seedling from light areas, and plasticity toward light allowing its seedlings to grow in drained shade areas.