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Ng M, McCormick A, Utz RM, Heberling JM. Herbarium specimens reveal century-long trait shifts in poison ivy due to anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16225. [PMID: 37551738 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Previous experimental studies have shown that poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans; Anacardicaceae) responds to elevated CO2 with increased leaf production, water-use efficiency, and toxicity (allergenic urushiol). However, long-term field data suggest no increase in poison ivy abundance over time. Using herbarium specimens, we examined whether poison ivy and other species shifted leaf traits under natural conditions with increasing atmospheric CO2 (pCO2 ) over the past century. METHODS We measured stomatal density, leaf area, leaf N, leaf C:N, leaf carbon isotope discrimination (Δleaf ), and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) from 327 specimens collected from 1838 to 2020 across Pennsylvania. We compared poison ivy's responses to two evolutionarily related tree species, Toxicodendron vernix and Rhus typhina (Anacardiacae) and one ecological analog, Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Vitaceae), a common co-occurring liana. RESULTS Stomatal density significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in poison ivy and the ecologically similar liana P. quinquefolia over the past century, but did not change in the related trees T. vernix and R. typhina. None of these species showed significant trends in changes in leaf N or C:N. Surprisingly, in poison ivy, but not the other species, Δleaf increased with increased pCO2 , corresponding to significant declines in iWUE over time. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the results of short-term experimental studies, iWUE decreased in poison ivy over the last century. Trait responses to pCO2 varied by species. Herbarium specimens suggest that realized long-term plant physiological responses to increased CO2 may not be reflected in short-term experimental growth studies, highlighting the value of collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Ng
- Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Alyssa McCormick
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, Gibsonia, PA 15044, USA
| | - Ryan M Utz
- Falk School of Sustainability, Chatham University, Gibsonia, PA 15044, USA
| | - J Mason Heberling
- Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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2
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Signori-Müller C, Galbraith D, Tavares JV, Reis SM, Diniz FC, Gilpin M, Marimon BS, van der Heijden GMF, Borges C, Cintra BBL, Mião S, Morandi PS, Nina A, Salas Yupayccana CA, Marca Zevallos MJ, Cosio EG, Junior BHM, Mendoza AM, Phillips O, Salinas N, Vasquez R, Mencuccini M, Oliveira RS. Tropical forest lianas have greater non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in the stem xylem than trees. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023:tpad096. [PMID: 37584458 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpad096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Lianas (woody vines) are important components of tropical forests and are known to compete with host trees for resources, decrease tree growth and increase tree mortality. Given the observed increases in liana abundance in some forests and their impacts on forest function, an integrated understanding of carbon dynamics of lianas and liana-infested host trees is critical for improved prediction of tropical forest responses to climate change. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) are the main substrate for plant metabolism (e.g., growth, respiration), and have been implicated in enabling tree survival under environmental stress, but little is known of how they vary among life-forms or of how liana infestation impacts host tree NSC. We quantified stem total NSC (NSC) concentrations and its fractions (starch and soluble sugars) in trees without liana infestation, trees with more than 50% of the canopy covered by lianas, and the lianas infesting those trees. We hypothesized that i) liana infestation depletes NSC storage in host trees by reducing carbon assimilation due to competition for resources; ii) trees and lianas, which greatly differ in functional traits related to water transport and carbon uptake, would also have large differences in NSC storage, and that As water availability has a significant role in NSC dynamics of Amazonian tree species, we tested these hypotheses within a moist site in western Amazonia and a drier forest site in southern Amazonia. We did not find any difference in NSC, starch or soluble sugar concentrations between infested and non-infested trees, in either site. This result suggests that negative liana impact on trees may be mediated through mechanisms other than depletion of host tree NSC concentrations. We found lianas have higher stem NSC and starch than trees in both sites. The consistent differences in starch concentrations, a long term NSC reserve, between life forms across sites reflect differences in carbon gain and use of lianas and trees. Soluble sugar concentrations were higher in lianas than in trees in the moist site but indistinguishable between life forms in the dry site. The lack of difference in soluble sugars between trees and lianas in the dry site emphasize the importance of this NSC fraction for plant metabolism of plants occurring in water limited environments. Abstract in Portuguese and Spanish are available in the supplementary material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Signori-Müller
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, Programa de Pós Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Julia Valentim Tavares
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Simone Matias Reis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação da Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal (BIONORTE), UFAM-UNEMAT, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Beatriz Schwantes Marimon
- Programa de Pós-Graduação da Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal (BIONORTE), UFAM-UNEMAT, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Borges
- Programa de Pós-Graduação da Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal (BIONORTE), UFAM-UNEMAT, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
| | - Bruno Barçante Ladvocat Cintra
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Sarah Mião
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, Programa de Pós Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Paulo S Morandi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação da Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal (BIONORTE), UFAM-UNEMAT, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
| | - Alex Nina
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Manuel J Marca Zevallos
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Eric G Cosio
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
| | - Ben Hur Marimon Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação da Rede de Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal (BIONORTE), UFAM-UNEMAT, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil
| | - Abel Monteagudo Mendoza
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
- Jardín Botánico de Missouri, Cusco, Peru
| | | | - Norma Salinas
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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3
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Heymann EW, Thiel S, Paciência F, Rimachi Taricuarima MN, Zárate Gómez R, Shahuano Tello N, Heer K, Sennhenn-Reulen H, Mundry R. Non-random host tree infestation by the Neotropical liana Marcgravia longifolia. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14535. [PMID: 36540804 PMCID: PMC9760024 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The question whether or not tropical lianas infest host trees randomly or they exert host selection has implications for the structure and dynamics of tropical rainforests, particularly if colonization by lianas impacts host fitness. In this study, we present evidence that the Neotropical liana Marcgravia longifolia (Marcgraviaceae) infests host trees non-randomly. We identified host trees to species or genus level for 87 of the 100 M. longifolia individuals found in the study area of the Estación Biológica Quebrada Blanco (EBQB) in north-eastern Peruvian Amazonia. Data on host availability were taken from two 1-ha plots sampled at EBQB as part of a large-scale tree inventory in western Amazonia. Of the total of 88 tree genera with two or more individuals present in the inventory, 18 were represented amongst hosts. Host genera with a probability of colonization higher than expected by chance were Eschweilera (Lecythidaceae), Pouteria (Sapotaceae), Brosimum (Moraceae), and Hymenaea (Fabaceae). These findings suggest that M. longifolia exerts some level of host selectivity, but the mechanisms for this are completely unknown. Given the large number of animal species (41 bird species, three primate species) that are dispersing the seeds of M. longifolia and that have diverse ecological strategies, directed seed dispersal is unlikely to account for the observed patterns of host infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eckhard W. Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum –Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarina Thiel
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany
| | - Filipa Paciência
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum –Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Katrin Heer
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany
- Forest Genetics, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Holger Sennhenn-Reulen
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, Deutsches Primatenzentrum—Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Roger Mundry
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, Deutsches Primatenzentrum—Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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4
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Loubota Panzou GJ, Loumeto J, Chantrain A, Gourlet‐Fleury S, Doucet J, Forni E, Beeckman H, Ilondea BA, Fayolle A. Intensity, determinants, and impacts of liana load on tropical trees in central Africa. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Jopaul Loubota Panzou
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Université de Liège Gembloux Belgium
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité, de Gestion des Ecosystèmes et de l'Environnement (LBGE), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques Université Marien NGOUABI Brazzaville Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean‐Joel Loumeto
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité, de Gestion des Ecosystèmes et de l'Environnement (LBGE), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques Université Marien NGOUABI Brazzaville Republic of the Congo
| | - Arthur Chantrain
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Université de Liège Gembloux Belgium
| | - Sylvie Gourlet‐Fleury
- CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés Montpellier France
- CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés, Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Jean‐Louis Doucet
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Université de Liège Gembloux Belgium
| | - Eric Forni
- CIRAD, Forêts et Sociétés Montpellier France
- CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés Brazzaville Republic of the Congo
| | - Hans Beeckman
- Service of Wood Biology Royal Museum for Central Africa Tervuren Belgium
| | - Bhely Angoboy Ilondea
- Service of Wood Biology Royal Museum for Central Africa Tervuren Belgium
- Institut National pour l'Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Laboratory of Wood Technology (UGent‐Woodlab), Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Adeline Fayolle
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Forest is Life, Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Université de Liège Gembloux Belgium
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5
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Medina-Vega JA, van der Heijden GMF, Schnitzer SA. Lianas decelerate tropical forest thinning during succession. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1432-1441. [PMID: 35415947 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The well-established pattern of forest thinning during succession predicts an increase in mean tree biomass with decreasing tree density. The forest thinning pattern is commonly assumed to be driven solely by tree-tree competition. The presence of non-tree competitors could alter thinning trajectories, thus altering the rate of forest succession and carbon uptake. We used a large-scale liana removal experiment over 7 years in a 60- to 70-year-old Panamanian forest to test the hypothesis that lianas reduce the rate of forest thinning during succession. We found that lianas slowed forest thinning by reducing tree growth, not by altering tree recruitment or mortality. Without lianas, trees grew and presumably competed more, ultimately reducing tree density while increasing mean tree biomass. Our findings challenge the assumption that forest thinning is driven solely by tree-tree interactions; instead, they demonstrate that competition from other growth forms, such as lianas, slow forest thinning and ultimately delay forest succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Medina-Vega
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá
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6
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Schnitzer SA, DeFilippis DM, Visser M, Estrada-Villegas S, Rivera-Camaña R, Bernal B, Peréz S, Valdéz A, Valdéz S, Aguilar A, Dalling JW, Broadbent EN, Almeyda Zambrano AM, Hubbell SP, Garcia-Leon M. Local canopy disturbance as an explanation for long-term increases in liana abundance. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2635-2647. [PMID: 34536250 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Canopy disturbance explains liana abundance and distribution within tropical forests and thus may also explain the widespread pattern of increasing liana abundance; however, this hypothesis remains untested. We used a 10-year study (2007-2017) of 117,100 rooted lianas in an old-growth Panamanian forest to test whether local canopy disturbance explains increasing liana abundance. We found that liana density increased 29.2% and basal area 12.5%. The vast majority of these increases were associated with clonal stem proliferation following canopy disturbance, particularly in liana-dense, low-canopy gaps, which had far greater liana increases than did undisturbed forest. Lianas may be ecological niche constructors, arresting tree regeneration in gaps and thus creating a high-light environment that favours sustained liana proliferation. Our findings demonstrate that liana abundance is increasing rapidly and their ability to proliferate via copious clonal stem production in canopy gaps explains much of their increase in this and possibly other tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá
| | - David M DeFilippis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Marco Visser
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sergio Estrada-Villegas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá.,Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Boris Bernal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Salomé Peréz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Abelino Valdéz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Seberino Valdéz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Antonio Aguilar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - James W Dalling
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá.,Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Eben N Broadbent
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Stephen P Hubbell
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panamá.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maria Garcia-Leon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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7
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Detection of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Liana Infestation Using Satellite-Derived Imagery. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13142774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Lianas (woody vines) play a key role in tropical forest dynamics because of their strong influence on tree growth, mortality and regeneration. Assessing liana infestation over large areas is critical to understand the factors that drive their spatial distribution and to monitor change over time. However, it currently remains unclear whether satellite-based imagery can be used to detect liana infestation across closed-canopy forests and therefore if satellite-observed changes in liana infestation can be detected over time and in response to climatic conditions. Here, we aim to determine the efficacy of satellite-based remote sensing for the detection of spatial and temporal patterns of liana infestation across a primary and selectively logged aseasonal forest in Sabah, Borneo. We used predicted liana infestation derived from airborne hyperspectral data to train a neural network classification for prediction across four Sentinel-2 satellite-based images from 2016 to 2019. Our results showed that liana infestation was positively related to an increase in Greenness Index (GI), a simple metric relating to the amount of photosynthetically active green leaves. Furthermore, this relationship was observed in different forest types and during (2016), as well as after (2017–2019), an El Niño-induced drought. Using a neural network classification, we assessed liana infestation over time and showed an increase in the percentage of severely (>75%) liana infested pixels from 12.9% ± 0.63 (95% CI) in 2016 to 17.3% ± 2 in 2019. This implies that reports of increasing liana abundance may be more wide-spread than currently assumed. This is the first study to show that liana infestation can be accurately detected across closed-canopy tropical forests using satellite-based imagery. Furthermore, the detection of liana infestation during both dry and wet years and across forest types suggests this method should be broadly applicable across tropical forests. This work therefore advances our ability to explore the drivers responsible for patterns of liana infestation at multiple spatial and temporal scales and to quantify liana-induced impacts on carbon dynamics in tropical forests globally.
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8
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Dickinson CC, Jelesko JG, Barney JN. Habitat Suitability and Establishment Limitations of a Problematic Liana. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10020263. [PMID: 33573102 PMCID: PMC7911500 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The US native liana, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), responsible for contact dermatitis in humans, is a competitive weed with great potential for expansion in disturbed habitats. To facilitate a better understanding of this threat, we sought to evaluate habitat suitability, population demography, and biotic interactions of poison ivy, using a series of complementary field studies in the two habitats where it most commonly occurs-forest interiors and edges. Of the 2500 seeds planted across both habitats, poison ivy initially colonized forest interiors (32% emergence) at a higher rate than edge habitats (16.5% emergence). However, forest interior seedlings were less likely to survive (interior n = 3; edge n = 15), which might be attributed to herbivore pressure when the seedlings were smaller in the less competitive forest interior. Once established, the poison ivy seedlings appeared to be more tolerant of herbivory, except that of large grazers such as deer. The early life stage of seedling emergence, survival, and establishment are critical in poison ivy success, with biotic pressure, especially from plant competition and deer, limiting recruitment. A suitable habitat of this expanding native liana would increase with increasing forest fragmentation, but might be buffered by the expanding deer population.
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9
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Stouffer PC, Jirinec V, Rutt CL, Bierregaard RO, Hernández-Palma A, Johnson EI, Midway SR, Powell LL, Wolfe JD, Lovejoy TE. Long-term change in the avifauna of undisturbed Amazonian rainforest: ground-foraging birds disappear and the baseline shifts. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:186-195. [PMID: 33103837 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
How are rainforest birds faring in the Anthropocene? We use bird captures spanning > 35 years from 55 sites within a vast area of intact Amazonian rainforest to reveal reduced abundance of terrestrial and near-ground insectivores in the absence of deforestation, edge effects or other direct anthropogenic landscape change. Because undisturbed forest includes far fewer terrestrial and near-ground insectivores than it did historically, today's fragments and second growth are more impoverished than shown by comparisons with modern 'control' sites. Any goals for bird community recovery in Amazonian second growth should recognise that a modern bird community will inevitably differ from a baseline from > 35 years ago. Abundance patterns driven by landscape change may be the most conspicuous manifestation of human activity, but biodiversity declines in undisturbed forest represent hidden losses, possibly driven by climate change, that may be pervasive in intact Amazonian forests and other systems considered to be undisturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip C Stouffer
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil
| | - Vitek Jirinec
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil
| | - Cameron L Rutt
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA
| | - Richard O Bierregaard
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil
| | - Angélica Hernández-Palma
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Avenida Paseo Bolívar 16-20, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia
| | - Erik I Johnson
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,National Audubon Society, 5615 Corporate Blvd. #600b, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA
| | - Stephen R Midway
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Luke L Powell
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jared D Wolfe
- School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Thomas E Lovejoy
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, 69011, Brazil.,Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030-4444, USA
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10
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Schnitzer SA, Estrada-Villegas S, Wright SJ. The response of lianas to 20 yr of nutrient addition in a Panamanian forest. Ecology 2020; 101:e03190. [PMID: 32893876 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, liana density and basal area have been increasing in many tropical forests, which has profound consequences for forest diversity and functioning. One hypothesis to explain increasing lianas is elevated nutrient deposition in tropical forests resulting from fossil fuels, agricultural fertilizer, and biomass burning. We tested this hypothesis by surveying all lianas ≥1 cm in diameter (n = 3,967) in 32 plots in a fully factorial nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) addition experiment in a mature tropical forest in central Panama. We conducted the nutrient-addition experiment from 1998 until present and we first censused lianas in 2013 and then again in 2018. After 20 yr of nutrient addition (1998-2018), liana density, basal area, and rarefied species richness did not differ significantly among any of the nutrient-addition and control treatments. Moreover, nutrient addition in the most recent 5 yr of the experiment did not affect liana relative growth, recruitment, or mortality rates. From 2013 until 2018, liana density, basal area, and species richness increased annually by 1.6%, 1.4%, and 2.4%, respectively. Nutrient addition did not influence these increases. Our findings indicate that nutrient deposition does not explain increasing lianas in this tropical forest. Instead, increases in tree mortality and disturbance, atmospheric carbon dioxide, drought frequency and severity, and hunting pressure may be more likely explanations for the increase in lianas in tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Sergio Estrada-Villegas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - S Joseph Wright
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Republic of Panama
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11
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Bongers F, Ewango CEN, van der Sande MT, Poorter L. Liana species decline in Congo basin contrasts with global patterns. Ecology 2020; 101:e03004. [PMID: 32100291 PMCID: PMC7317384 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Lianas, woody climbing plants, are increasing in many tropical forests, with cascading effects such as decreased forest productivity, carbon sequestration, and resilience. Possible causes are increasing forest fragmentation, CO2 fertilization, and drought. Determining the primary changing species and their underlying vital rates help explain the liana trends. We monitored over 17,000 liana stems for 13 yr in 20 ha of old‐growth forest in the Congo Basin, and here we report changes and vital rates for the community and for the 87 most abundant species. The total liana abundance declined from 15,007 lianas in 1994 to 11,090 in 2001 to 9,978 in 2007. Over half (52%) of the evaluated species have significantly declining populations, showing that the community response is not the result of changes in a few dominant species only. Species density change (i.e., the change in number of individuals per hectare) decreased with mortality rate, tended to increase with recruitment rate, but was independent of growth rate. Species change was independent of functional characteristics important for plant responses to fragmentation, CO2, and drought, such as lifetime light requirements, climbing and dispersal mechanism, and leaf size. These results indicate that in Congo lianas do not show the reputed global liana increase, but rather a decline, and that elements of the reputed drivers underlying global liana change do not apply to this DR Congo forest. We suggest warfare in the Congo Basin to have decimated the elephant population, leading to less disturbance, forest closure, and declining liana numbers. Our results imply that, in this tropical forest, local causes (i.e., disturbance) override more global causes of liana change resulting in liana decline, which sharply contrasts with the liana increase observed elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frans Bongers
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, NL-6700 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Corneille E N Ewango
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, NL-6700 AA, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management, University of Kisangani, B.P.O. 2012, Kisangani, DR Congo.,Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 67, Wageningen, NL-6700 AP, The Netherlands
| | - Masha T van der Sande
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, NL-6700 AA, The Netherlands.,Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA.,Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, NL-6700 AA, The Netherlands
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12
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Estrada‐Villegas S, Hall JS, Breugel M, Schnitzer SA. Lianas reduce biomass accumulation in early successional tropical forests. Ecology 2020; 101:e02989. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Estrada‐Villegas
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa, Ancon Panama City Panama
| | - Jefferson S. Hall
- ForestGEO Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa, Ancon Panama City Panama
| | - Michiel Breugel
- ForestGEO Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa, Ancon Panama City Panama
- Yale‐NUS College 16 College Avenue West 138527 Singapore Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore 14 Science Drive 4 117542 Singapore Singapore
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa, Ancon Panama City Panama
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13
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Invasive lianas are drivers of and passengers to altered soil nutrient availability in urban forests. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02134-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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14
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Sheldon KS. Climate Change in the Tropics: Ecological and Evolutionary Responses at Low Latitudes. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-025005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting every ecosystem on Earth. Though climate change is global in scope, literature reviews on the biotic impacts of climate change have focused on temperate and polar regions. Tropical species have distinct life histories and physiologies, and ecological communities are assembled differently across latitude. Thus, tropical species and communities may exhibit different responses to climate change compared with those in temperate and polar regions. What are the fingerprints of climate change in the tropics? This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on impacts of climate change in tropical regions and discusses research priorities to better understand the ways in which species and ecological communities are responding to climate change in the most biodiverse places on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly S. Sheldon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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15
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di Porcia e Brugnera M, Meunier F, Longo M, Krishna Moorthy SM, De Deurwaerder H, Schnitzer SA, Bonal D, Faybishenko B, Verbeeck H. Modeling the impact of liana infestation on the demography and carbon cycle of tropical forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3767-3780. [PMID: 31310429 PMCID: PMC6856694 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
There is mounting empirical evidence that lianas affect the carbon cycle of tropical forests. However, no single vegetation model takes into account this growth form, although such efforts could greatly improve the predictions of carbon dynamics in tropical forests. In this study, we incorporated a novel mechanistic representation of lianas in a dynamic global vegetation model (the Ecosystem Demography Model). We developed a liana-specific plant functional type and mechanisms representing liana-tree interactions (such as light competition, liana-specific allometries, and attachment to host trees) and parameterized them according to a comprehensive literature meta-analysis. We tested the model for an old-growth forest (Paracou, French Guiana) and a secondary forest (Gigante Peninsula, Panama). The resulting model simulations captured many features of the two forests characterized by different levels of liana infestation as revealed by a systematic comparison of the model outputs with empirical data, including local census data from forest inventories, eddy flux tower data, and terrestrial laser scanner-derived forest vertical structure. The inclusion of lianas in the simulations reduced the secondary forest net productivity by up to 0.46 tC ha-1 year-1 , which corresponds to a limited relative reduction of 2.6% in comparison with a reference simulation without lianas. However, this resulted in significantly reduced accumulated above-ground biomass after 70 years of regrowth by up to 20 tC /ha (19% of the reference simulation). Ultimately, the simulated negative impact of lianas on the total biomass was almost completely cancelled out when the forest reached an old-growth successional stage. Our findings suggest that lianas negatively influence the forest potential carbon sink strength, especially for young, disturbed, liana-rich sites. In light of the critical role that lianas play in the profound changes currently experienced by tropical forests, this new model provides a robust numerical tool to forecast the impact of lianas on tropical forest carbon sinks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Félicien Meunier
- CAVElab – Computational and Applied Vegetation EcologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Ecological Forecasting LabDepartment of Earth and EnvironmentBoston UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Marcos Longo
- Embrapa Agricultural InformaticsCampinasSPBrazil
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | | | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteBalboaAnconPanama
- Department of Biological SciencesMarquette UniversityMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Damien Bonal
- UMR SilvaUniversité de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, INRANancyFrance
| | - Boris Faybishenko
- Earth and Environmental Science AreaLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- CAVElab – Computational and Applied Vegetation EcologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
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16
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Buckton G, Cheesman AW, Munksgaard NC, Wurster CM, Liddell MJ, Cernusak LA. Functional traits of lianas in an Australian lowland rainforest align with post‐disturbance rather than dry season advantage. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Buckton
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
| | - Alexander W. Cheesman
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
| | - Niels C. Munksgaard
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Ellengowan Drive Darwin Queensland Australia
| | - Chris M. Wurster
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
| | - Michael J. Liddell
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
| | - Lucas A. Cernusak
- College of Science and Engineering and Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science James Cook University Cairns Queensland, PO Box 6811 Australia
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17
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Smith‐Martin CM, Bastos CL, Lopez OR, Powers JS, Schnitzer SA. Effects of dry‐season irrigation on leaf physiology and biomass allocation in tropical lianas and trees. Ecology 2019; 100:e02827. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris M. Smith‐Martin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Carolina L. Bastos
- Department of Botany Plant Anatomy Laboratory São Paulo University (USP) São Paulo Brazil
| | - Omar R. Lopez
- Center for Biodiversity and Drug Discovery Institute for Advanced Research and Technology City of Knowledge Clayton Panama
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panama
| | - Jennifer S. Powers
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panama
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panama
- Department of Biology Marquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
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18
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Cox CJ, Edwards W, Campbell MJ, Laurance WF, Laurance SGW. Liana cover in the canopies of rainforest trees is not predicted by local ground‐based measures. AUSTRAL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Casey J. Cox
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University P.O. Box 6811 Cairns Queensland Australia
| | - Will Edwards
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University P.O. Box 6811 Cairns Queensland Australia
| | - Mason J. Campbell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University P.O. Box 6811 Cairns Queensland Australia
| | - William F. Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University P.O. Box 6811 Cairns Queensland Australia
| | - Susan G. W. Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University P.O. Box 6811 Cairns Queensland Australia
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19
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Luskin MS, Ickes K, Yao TL, Davies SJ. Wildlife differentially affect tree and liana regeneration in a tropical forest: An 18‐year study of experimental terrestrial defaunation versus artificially abundant herbivores. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Scott Luskin
- Forest Global Earth Observatory – Center for Tropical Forest ScienceSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute Washington DC
- Asian School of the EnvironmentNanyang Technological University Singapore
| | - Kalan Ickes
- Department of Biological SciencesClemson University Clemson South Carolina
| | - Tze Leong Yao
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Kepong Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia
| | - Stuart J. Davies
- Forest Global Earth Observatory – Center for Tropical Forest ScienceSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute Washington DC
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20
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Odell EH, Stork NE, Kitching RL. Lianas as a food resource for herbivorous insects: a comparison with trees. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1416-1429. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erica H. Odell
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and ScienceGriffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Nigel E. Stork
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and ScienceGriffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Roger L. Kitching
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and ScienceGriffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
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21
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Laurentino TG, Baur J, Usui T, Eichhorn MP. Liana abundance and relationships to sapling and tree hosts in an East African primary forest. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian Baur
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal EcologyUppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Takuji Usui
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British Columbia Vancouver Canada
| | - Markus P. Eichhorn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University College Cork Distillery Fields North Mall, Cork Ireland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College Cork Lee Road, Cork Ireland
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22
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Pasion BO, Roeder M, Liu J, Yasuda M, Corlett RT, Slik JWF, Tomlinson KW. Trees represent community composition of other plant life-forms, but not their diversity, abundance or responses to fragmentation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11374. [PMID: 30054514 PMCID: PMC6063943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29635-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the patterns of plant diversity in tropical forests and their responses to fragmentation are mostly based on tree surveys. But are these patterns and responses representative of other plant life-forms? We sampled trees, lianas, herbs, and ferns in a fragmented tropical forest landscape in South-west China. We compared community types generated by clustering presence-absence data for the non-tree life-forms with those generated for trees. We tested how well measures of tree diversity, density and composition, predicted cognate indices in other life-forms. We compared fragmentation responses, with respect to the three measures, of all four life-forms. Presence-absence data from all life-forms generated three community clusters, with only small differences between classifications, suggesting that tree data identified community types representative of all vascular plant life-forms. Tree species diversity and density indices poorly predicted cognate indices of lianas and ferns, but represented herbs well. However, the slopes of these relationships differed substantially between community types. All life-forms responded to fragmentation variables but their responses did not consistently match with responses of trees. Plot-level tree data can identify vegetation community types, but is poorly representative of the richness and density of other life-forms, and poorly represents forest fragmentation responses for the entire plant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonifacio O Pasion
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mareike Roeder
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mika Yasuda
- Birdlife International Tokyo, 4F TM Suidobashi Bldg., 2-14-6 Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0061, Japan
| | - Richard T Corlett
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China
| | - J W Ferry Slik
- Faculty of Science, Environmental and Life Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Kyle W Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China.
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23
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Abundance of liana species in an Amazonian forest of Brazil reflects neither adventitious root nor foliar sprout production. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467418000238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Liana abundance and size have increased in neotropical forests. High vegetative reproductive capacity (clonality) may be the cause of high abundance in some liana species. Correlations between vegetative propagation capacity and (1) relative abundance of liana species, (2) rooting and foliar sprouting potentials of congeneric species, and (3) phylogenetic position were determined. Species selection was based on the relative abundance of lianas in ten 0.5-ha parcels in continuous forest within the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), Brazil. Five individuals per species were replicated with seven cuttings per individual. Cuttings placed in moistened sand and coconut fibre were observed for 5 mo in a humid greenhouse. Survival percentage, rooting percentage, potential regeneration index and longest root length were determined per species. The two most abundant species (9.3% and 4.1% relative abundance) had low vegetative regeneration capacity, contrary to expectations. However, a significant, positive relationship between vegetative propagation and relative abundance of liana species whose relative abundances were <4% was found. Congeneric species showed no difference in vegetative propagation between rare and abundant species, except congeners of Machaerium. Vegetative reproductive capacity occurred in all major evolutionary lineages, but was highest in Fabaceae and Bignoniaceae, families of high abundance both locally and broadly across Neotropical forests.
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Campbell MJ, Edwards W, Magrach A, Alamgir M, Porolak G, Mohandass D, Laurance WF. Edge disturbance drives liana abundance increase and alteration of liana-host tree interactions in tropical forest fragments. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:4237-4251. [PMID: 29721294 PMCID: PMC5916267 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Closed‐canopy forests are being rapidly fragmented across much of the tropical world. Determining the impacts of fragmentation on ecological processes enables better forest management and improves species‐conservation outcomes. Lianas are an integral part of tropical forests but can have detrimental and potentially complex interactions with their host trees. These effects can include reduced tree growth and fecundity, elevated tree mortality, alterations in tree‐species composition, degradation of forest succession, and a substantial decline in forest carbon storage. We examined the individual impacts of fragmentation and edge effects (0–100‐m transect from edge to forest interior) on the liana community and liana–host tree interactions in rainforests of the Atherton Tableland in north Queensland, Australia. We compared the liana and tree community, the traits of liana‐infested trees, and determinants of the rates of tree infestation within five forest fragments (23–58 ha in area) and five nearby intact‐forest sites. Fragmented forests experienced considerable disturbance‐induced degradation at their edges, resulting in a significant increase in liana abundance. This effect penetrated to significantly greater depths in forest fragments than in intact forests. The composition of the liana community in terms of climbing guilds was significantly different between fragmented and intact forests, likely because forest edges had more small‐sized trees favoring particular liana guilds which preferentially use these for climbing trellises. Sites that had higher liana abundances also exhibited higher infestation rates of trees, as did sites with the largest lianas. However, large lianas were associated with low‐disturbance forest sites. Our study shows that edge disturbance of forest fragments significantly altered the abundance and community composition of lianas and their ecological relationships with trees, with liana impacts on trees being elevated in fragments relative to intact forests. Consequently, effective control of lianas in forest fragments requires management practices which directly focus on minimizing forest edge disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason J. Campbell
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQueenslandAustralia
| | - Will Edwards
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQueenslandAustralia
| | - Ainhoa Magrach
- Basque Centre for Climate Change‐BC3LeioaSpain
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC)SevillaSpain
| | - Mohammed Alamgir
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQueenslandAustralia
| | - Gabriel Porolak
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQueenslandAustralia
| | - D. Mohandass
- Root and Soil Biology LabDepartment of BotanyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - William F. Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS)College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityCairnsQueenslandAustralia
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25
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De Guzman ME, Santiago LS, Schnitzer SA, Álvarez-Cansino L. Trade-offs between water transport capacity and drought resistance in neotropical canopy liana and tree species. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:1404-1414. [PMID: 27672189 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In tropical forest canopies, it is critical for upper shoots to efficiently provide water to leaves for physiological function while safely preventing loss of hydraulic conductivity due to cavitation during periods of soil water deficit or high evaporative demand. We compared hydraulic physiology of upper canopy trees and lianas in a seasonally dry tropical forest to test whether trade-offs between safety and efficiency of water transport shape differences in hydraulic function between these two major tropical woody growth forms. We found that lianas showed greater maximum stem-specific hydraulic conductivity than trees, but lost hydraulic conductivity at less negative water potentials than trees, resulting in a negative correlation and trade-off between safety and efficiency of water transport. Lianas also exhibited greater diurnal changes in leaf water potential than trees. The magnitude of diurnal water potential change was negatively correlated with sapwood capacitance, indicating that lianas are highly reliant on conducting capability to maintain leaf water status, whereas trees relied more on stored water in stems to maintain leaf water status. Leaf nitrogen concentration was related to maximum leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity only for lianas suggesting that greater water transport capacity is more tied to leaf processes in lianas compared to trees. Our results are consistent with a trade-off between safety and efficiency of water transport and may have implications for increasing liana abundance in neotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E De Guzman
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Louis S Santiago
- Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-0392, Balboa, Panamá
| | - Stefan A Schnitzer
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-0392, Balboa, Panamá
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Leonor Álvarez-Cansino
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-0392, Balboa, Panamá
- Department of Plant Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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Zahawi RA, Oviedo-Brenes F, Peterson CJ. A degradation debt? Large-scale shifts in community composition and loss of biomass in a tropical forest fragment after 40 years of isolation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183133. [PMID: 28832611 PMCID: PMC5568379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the biggest threats to tropical biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. We examined forest dynamics in a mid-elevation 365-ha fragment in southern Costa Rica. The fragment was isolated in the mid-1970s and belongs to the Las Cruces Biological Station. A 2.25-ha permanent plot was established in the center of the old-growth forest (>400 m to nearest edge boundary) and all plants >5 cm DBH were censused, mapped, and identified to species in two surveys taken ~5–6 years apart (>3,000 stems/survey). Although the reserve maintains high species richness (>200 spp.), with many rare species represented by only one individual, we document a strong shift in composition with a two-fold increase in the number of soft-wooded pioneer individuals. The dominant late-successional understory tree species, Chrysochlamys glauca (Clusiaceae), and most species in the Lauraceae, declined dramatically. Turnover was high: 22.9% of stems in the first survey were lost, and 27.8% of stems in the second survey represented new recruits. Mean tree diameter decreased significantly and there was a 10% decrease in overall biomass. Such alteration has been documented previously but only in smaller fragments or within ~100 m of an edge boundary. Further penetration into this fragment was perhaps driven by a progressive invasion of disturbance-adapted species into the fragment’s core over time; the loss of once-dominant late successional species could be a contributing factor. The pattern found is of particular concern given that such fragments represent a substantial portion of today’s remaining tropical habitat; further studies in similar-sized fragments that have been isolated for similar prolonged periods are called for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakan A. Zahawi
- Las Cruces Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, San Vito de Coto Brus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- * E-mail:
| | - Federico Oviedo-Brenes
- Las Cruces Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies, San Vito de Coto Brus, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
| | - Chris J. Peterson
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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Mohandass D, Campbell MJ, Hughes AC, Mammides C, Davidar P. The effect of altitude, patch size and disturbance on species richness and density of lianas in montane forest patches. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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28
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Liana density declined and basal area increased over 12 y in a subtropical montane forest in Argentina. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467417000153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Changes in density and basal area of lianas ≥2 cm diameter were monitored in two 1-ha permanent plots in a subtropical montane mature forest of north-western Argentina. Liana stems were identified and measured at 130 cm from the main rooting point in two censuses conducted in 2003 and 2015. Between censuses, the density of liana stems decreased 13.3%, while basal area increased 11.5%. Density and basal area decreased mainly among lianas of 2–3 cm diameter, but increased in lianas ≥4 cm diameter. Quechualia fulta (Asteraceae), Serjania meridionalis (Sapindaceae) and Chamissoa altissima (Amaranthaceae) suffered large reductions in stem density and basal area. Dissimilar responses of density and basal area of lianas might be a consequence of the suppression of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. livestock browsing) and the decrease of treefall gap frequency in the studied forest in recent decades. Light-demanding liana species decreased and shade-tolerant species increased possibly in response to the decline in the light availability associated with forest recovery from past disturbance. Lianas increased in basal area to a lesser extent compared with reports from several tropical and subtropical forests where lianas are increasing dramatically.
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Laurance WF, Camargo JLC, Fearnside PM, Lovejoy TE, Williamson GB, Mesquita RCG, Meyer CFJ, Bobrowiec PED, Laurance SGW. An Amazonian rainforest and its fragments as a laboratory of global change. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:223-247. [PMID: 28560765 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We synthesize findings from one of the world's largest and longest-running experimental investigations, the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP). Spanning an area of ∼1000 km2 in central Amazonia, the BDFFP was initially designed to evaluate the effects of fragment area on rainforest biodiversity and ecological processes. However, over its 38-year history to date the project has far transcended its original mission, and now focuses more broadly on landscape dynamics, forest regeneration, regional- and global-change phenomena, and their potential interactions and implications for Amazonian forest conservation. The project has yielded a wealth of insights into the ecological and environmental changes in fragmented forests. For instance, many rainforest species are naturally rare and hence are either missing entirely from many fragments or so sparsely represented as to have little chance of long-term survival. Additionally, edge effects are a prominent driver of fragment dynamics, strongly affecting forest microclimate, tree mortality, carbon storage and a diversity of fauna. Even within our controlled study area, the landscape has been highly dynamic: for example, the matrix of vegetation surrounding fragments has changed markedly over time, succeeding from large cattle pastures or forest clearcuts to secondary regrowth forest. This, in turn, has influenced the dynamics of plant and animal communities and their trajectories of change over time. In general, fauna and flora have responded differently to fragmentation: the most locally extinction-prone animal species are those that have both large area requirements and low tolerance of the modified habitats surrounding fragments, whereas the most vulnerable plants are those that respond poorly to edge effects or chronic forest disturbances, and that rely on vulnerable animals for seed dispersal or pollination. Relative to intact forests, most fragments are hyperdynamic, with unstable or fluctuating populations of species in response to a variety of external vicissitudes. Rare weather events such as droughts, windstorms and floods have had strong impacts on fragments and left lasting legacies of change. Both forest fragments and the intact forests in our study area appear to be influenced by larger-scale environmental drivers operating at regional or global scales. These drivers are apparently increasing forest productivity and have led to concerted, widespread increases in forest dynamics and plant growth, shifts in tree-community composition, and increases in liana (woody vine) abundance. Such large-scale drivers are likely to interact synergistically with habitat fragmentation, exacerbating its effects for some species and ecological phenomena. Hence, the impacts of fragmentation on Amazonian biodiversity and ecosystem processes appear to be a consequence not only of local site features but also of broader changes occurring at landscape, regional and even global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Australia.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - José L C Camargo
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Philip M Fearnside
- Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Thomas E Lovejoy
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil.,Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, U.S.A
| | - G Bruce Williamson
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil.,Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, U.S.A
| | - Rita C G Mesquita
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil.,Department of Environmental Dynamics, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Christoph F J Meyer
- Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil.,Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, University of Lisbon, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal.,School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, U.K
| | - Paulo E D Bobrowiec
- Biodiversity Coordination, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA), Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
| | - Susan G W Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Australia.,Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Manaus, 69067-375, Brazil
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Smith JR, Queenborough SA, Alvia P, Romero-Saltos H, Valencia R. No strong evidence for increasing liana abundance in the Myristicaceae of a Neotropical aseasonal rain forest. Ecology 2017; 98:456-466. [PMID: 27859035 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The "liana dominance hypothesis" posits that lianas are increasing in abundance in tropical forests, thereby potentially reducing tree biomass due to competitive interactions between trees and lianas. This scenario has implications not only for forest ecosystem function and species composition, but also climate change given the mass of carbon stored in tropical trees. In 2003 and 2013, all Myristicaceae trees in the 50-ha Yasuní Forest Dynamics Plot, Ecuador, were surveyed for liana presence and load in their crowns. We tested the hypothesis that the proportion of trees with lianas increased between 2003 and 2013 in line with the liana dominance hypothesis. Contrary to expectations, the total proportion of trees with lianas decreased from 35% to 32%, and when only trees ≥10 cm diameter at breast height were considered liana incidence increased 44-48%. Liana load was dynamic with a large proportion of trees losing or gaining lianas over the 10-yr period; large trees with intermediate liana loads increased in proportion at the expense of those with low and high loads. Lianas also impacted performance: trees with 26-75% crown cover by lianas in 2003 had reduced growth rates of 80% compared to of liana-free trees, and trees with >75% crown cover had 33% the growth rate and a log odds of mortality eight times that of liana-free trees. We suggest that the lack of strong support found for the liana dominance hypothesis is likely due to the aseasonal climate of Yasuní, which limits the competitive advantage lianas maintain over trees during dry seasons due to their efficient capture and use of water. We propose further research of long-term liana dynamics from aseasonal forests is required to determine the generality of the increasing liana dominance hypothesis in Neotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Smith
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Simon A Queenborough
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Avenue, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA
| | - Pablo Alvia
- Laboratory of Plant Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Apartado 17-01-2184, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Renato Valencia
- Laboratory of Plant Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Apartado 17-01-2184, Av. 12 de Octubre 1076, Quito, Ecuador
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Magnago LFS, Magrach A, Barlow J, Schaefer CEGR, Laurance WF, Martins SV, Edwards DP. Do fragment size and edge effects predict carbon stocks in trees and lianas in tropical forests? Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago
- Departamento de Biologia Setor de Ecologia e Conservação Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) Lavras37200‐000 Minas Gerais Brazil
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Tropical and Marine Biology James Cook University Cairns Queensland4878 Australia
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal de Viçosa Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Ainhoa Magrach
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Tropical and Marine Biology James Cook University Cairns Queensland4878 Australia
- Integrative Ecology Department Doñana Biological Station (EBD‐CSIC) Avd. Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Isla de la Cartuja Sevilla Spain
| | - Jos Barlow
- Departamento de Biologia Setor de Ecologia e Conservação Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) Lavras37200‐000 Minas Gerais Brazil
- Lancaster Environment Centre Lancaster University LancasterLA1 4YQ UK
- MCTI/Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Belém66040‐170 Pará Brazil
| | | | - William F. Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Tropical and Marine Biology James Cook University Cairns Queensland4878 Australia
| | | | - David P. Edwards
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Tropical and Marine Biology James Cook University Cairns Queensland4878 Australia
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield SheffieldS10 2TN UK
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32
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Miao Z, Koerner SE, Medjibe VP, Poulsen JR. Wanted: new allometric equations for large lianasandAfrican lianas. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zewei Miao
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Sally E. Koerner
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Vincent P. Medjibe
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie IV BP. 20379 Libreville Gabon
| | - John R. Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment; Duke University; P.O Box 90328 Durham NC 27708 USA
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux; Batterie IV BP. 20379 Libreville Gabon
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Lindenmayer DB, Laurance WF. The ecology, distribution, conservation and management of large old trees. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1434-1458. [PMID: 27383287 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Large old trees are some of the most iconic biota on earth and are integral parts of many terrestrial ecosystems including those in tropical, temperate and boreal forests, deserts, savannas, agro-ecological areas, and urban environments. In this review, we provide new insights into the ecology, function, evolution and management of large old trees through broad cross-disciplinary perspectives from literatures in plant physiology, growth and development, evolution, habitat value for fauna and flora, and conservation management. Our review reveals that the diameter, height and longevity of large old trees varies greatly on an inter-specific basis, thereby creating serious challenges in defining large old trees and demanding an ecosystem- and species-specific definition that will only rarely be readily transferable to other species or ecosystems. Such variation is also manifested by marked inter-specific differences in the key attributes of large old trees (beyond diameter and height) such as the extent of buttressing, canopy architecture, the extent of bark micro-environments and the prevalence of cavities. We found that large old trees play an extraordinary range of critical ecological roles including in hydrological regimes, nutrient cycles and numerous ecosystem processes. Large old trees strongly influence the spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of individuals of the same species and populations of numerous other plant and animal species. We suggest many key characteristics of large old trees such as extreme height, prolonged lifespans, and the presence of cavities - which confer competitive and evolutionary advantages in undisturbed environments - can render such trees highly susceptible to a range of human influences. Large old trees are vulnerable to threats ranging from droughts, fire, pests and pathogens, to logging, land clearing, landscape fragmentation and climate change. Tackling such diverse threats is challenging because they often interact and manifest in different ways in different ecosystems, demanding targeted species- or ecosystem-specific responses. We argue that novel management actions will often be required to protect existing large old trees and ensure the recruitment of new cohorts of such trees. For example, fine-scale tree-level conservation such as buffering individual stems will be required in many environments such as in agricultural areas and urban environments. Landscape-level approaches like protecting places where large old trees are most likely to occur will be needed. However, this brings challenges associated with likely changes in tree distributions associated with climate change, because long-lived trees may presently exist in places unsuitable for the development of new cohorts of the same species. Appropriate future environmental domains for a species could exist in new locations where it has never previously occurred. The future distribution and persistence of large old trees may require controversial responses including assisted migration via seed or seedling establishment in new locales. However, the effectiveness of such approaches may be limited where key ecological features of large old trees (such as cavity presence) depend on other species such as termites, fungi and bacteria. Unless other species with similar ecological roles are present to fulfil these functions, these taxa might need to be moved concurrently with the target tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) & College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, 4878, Australia
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34
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Short and Long-Term Soil Moisture Effects of Liana Removal in a Seasonally Moist Tropical Forest. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141891. [PMID: 26545205 PMCID: PMC4636185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lianas (woody vines) are particularly abundant in tropical forests, and their abundance is increasing in the neotropics. Lianas can compete intensely with trees for above- and belowground resources, including water. As tropical forests experience longer and more intense dry seasons, competition for water is likely to intensify. However, we lack an understanding of how liana abundance affects soil moisture and hence competition with trees for water in tropical forests. To address this critical knowledge gap, we conducted a large-scale liana removal experiment in a seasonal tropical moist forest in central Panama. We monitored shallow and deep soil moisture over the course of three years to assess the effects of lianas in eight 0.64 ha removal plots and eight control plots. Liana removal caused short-term effects in surface soils. Surface soils (10 cm depth) in removal plots dried more slowly during dry periods and accumulated water more slowly after rainfall events. These effects disappeared within four months of the removal treatment. In deeper soils (40 cm depth), liana removal resulted in a multi-year trend towards 5–25% higher soil moisture during the dry seasons with the largest significant effects occurring in the dry season of the third year following treatment. Liana removal did not affect surface soil temperature. Multiple and mutually occurring mechanisms may be responsible for the effects of liana removal on soil moisture, including competition with trees, and altered microclimate, and soil structure. These results indicate that lianas influence hydrologic processes, which may affect tree community dynamics and forest carbon cycling.
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The demography of a dominant Amazon liana species exhibits little environmental sensitivity. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467415000553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Despite its high plant diversity, the Amazon forest is dominated by a limited number of highly abundant, oligarchic tree and liana species. The high diversity can be related to specific habitat requirements in many of the less common species, but fewer studies have investigated the characteristics of the dominant species. To test how environmental variation may contribute to the success of dominant species we investigated whether the vital rates of the abundant liana Machaerium cuspidatum is sensitive to canopy height, topographic steepness, vegetation density, soil components and floristic composition across an Ecuadorian Amazon forest. The population was inventoried in 1998 and in 2009. Plants were divided into seedling-sized individuals, non-climbers and climbers. Out of 448 seedling-sized plants 421 died, 539 of 732 non-climbers died, and 107 of 198 climbers died. There was weak positive effect of dense understorey on the relative growth rate of climbers. The mortality of seedling-sized plants was higher in areas with intermediate slope, but for larger plants mortality was not related to environmental variation. The limited sensitivity of the vital rates to environmental gradients in the area suggests that ecological generalism contributes to the success of this dominant Amazonian liana.
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Wright SJ, Sun IF, Pickering M, Fletcher CD, Chen YY. Long-term changes in liana loads and tree dynamics in a Malaysian forest. Ecology 2015; 96:2748-57. [DOI: 10.1890/14-1985.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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37
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Tomimatsu H, Yamagishi H, Suzuki SN, Sato C, Konno Y. Long-term dynamics of small fragmented forests inferred from patterns along a gradient of fragment sizes. Ecol Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-015-1306-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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38
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Root and leaf traits reflect distinct resource acquisition strategies in tropical lianas and trees. Oecologia 2015; 180:1037-47. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3410-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Gastauer M, Leyh W, Meira-Neto JAA. Tree Diversity and Dynamics of the Forest of Seu Nico, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Biodivers Data J 2015:e5425. [PMID: 26312053 PMCID: PMC4549651 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.3.e5425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand future changes in community composition due to global changes, the knowledge about forest community dynamics is of crucial importance. To improve our understanding about processes and patterns involved in maintaining species rich Neotropical ecosystems, we provide here a dataset from the one hectare Forest of Seu Nico (FSN) Dynamics Plot from Southeastern Brazil. NEW INFORMATION We report diameter at breast height, basal area and height measurements of 2868 trees and treelets identified from two census spanning over a nine-year period. Furthermore, soil properties and understory light availability of all 100 10 x 10m subplots from the one hectare FSN Dynamics Plot during the second census are given.
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Marvin DC, Winter K, Burnham RJ, Schnitzer SA. No evidence that elevated CO2 gives tropical lianas an advantage over tropical trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:2055-2069. [PMID: 25471795 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that lianas are increasing in size and abundance relative to trees in neotropical forests. As a result, forest dynamics and carbon balance may be altered through liana-induced suppression of tree growth and increases in tree mortality. Increasing atmospheric CO2 is hypothesized to be responsible for the increase in neotropical lianas, yet no study has directly compared the relative response of tropical lianas and trees to elevated CO2 . We explicitly tested whether tropical lianas had a larger response to elevated CO2 than co-occurring tropical trees and whether seasonal drought alters the response of either growth form. In two experiments conducted in central Panama, one spanning both wet and dry seasons and one restricted to the dry season, we grew liana (n = 12) and tree (n = 10) species in open-top growth chambers maintained at ambient or twice-ambient CO2 levels. Seedlings of eight individuals (four lianas, four trees) were grown in the ground in each chamber for at least 3 months during each season. We found that both liana and tree seedlings had a significant and positive response to elevated CO2 (in biomass, leaf area, leaf mass per area, and photosynthesis), but that the relative response to elevated CO2 for all variables was not significantly greater for lianas than trees regardless of the season. The lack of differences in the relative response between growth forms does not support the hypothesis that elevated CO2 is responsible for increasing liana size and abundance across the neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Marvin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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41
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Kaspari M, Clay NA, Lucas J, Yanoviak SP, Kay A. Thermal adaptation generates a diversity of thermal limits in a rainforest ant community. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:1092-1102. [PMID: 25242246 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The Thermal Adaptation Hypothesis posits that the warmer, aseasonal tropics generates populations with higher and narrower thermal limits. It has largely been tested among populations across latitudes. However, considerable thermal heterogeneity exists within ecosystems: across 31 trees in a Panama rainforest, surfaces exposed to sun were 8 °C warmer and varied more in temperature than surfaces in the litter below. Tiny ectotherms are confined to surfaces and are variously submerged in these superheated boundary layer environments. We quantified the surface CTmin and CTmax s (surface temperatures at which individuals grew torpid and lost motor control, respectively) of 88 ant species from this forest; they ranged in average mass from 0.01 to 57 mg. Larger ants had broader thermal tolerances. Then, for 26 of these species we again tested body CTmax s using a thermal dry bath to eliminate boundary layer effects: body size correlations observed previously disappeared. In both experiments, consistent with Thermal Adaptation, CTmax s of canopy ants averaged 3.5-5 °C higher than populations that nested in the shade of the understory. We impaled thermocouples in taxidermy mounts to further quantify the factors shaping operative temperatures for four ant species representing the top third (1-30 mg) of the size distribution. Extrapolations suggest the smallest 2/3rds of species reach thermal equilibrium in <10s. Moreover, the large ants that walk above the convective superheated surface air also showed more net heating by solar radiation, with operative temperatures up to 4 °C higher than surrounding air. The thermal environments of this Panama rainforest generate a range of CTmax subsuming 74% of those previously recorded for ant populations worldwide. The Thermal Adaptation Hypothesis can be a powerful tool in predicting diversity of thermal limits within communities. Boundary layer temperatures are likely key to predicting the future of Earth's tiny terrestrial ectotherm populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kaspari
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
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42
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Liana Effects on Carbon Storage and Uptake in Mature and Secondary Tropical Forests. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND BIODIVERSITY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-14592-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Laurance WF, Andrade AS, Magrach A, Camargo JLC, Campbell M, Fearnside PM, Edwards W, Valsko JJ, Lovejoy TE, Laurance SG. Apparent environmental synergism drives the dynamics of Amazonian forest fragments. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0330.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Effects of patch size on liana diversity and distributions in the tropical montane evergreen forests of the Nilgiri Mountains, southern India. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467414000455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:We investigate the effect of patch size on liana diversity and distribution in 19 patches of montane evergreen forest in the Nilgiri hills, Western Ghats, southern India. Additionally, we examined how liana species richness and community assemblage in both edge (within 10 m of the forest edge) and interior regions of forest patches respond to patch size, in order to infer the impact of forest expansion or reduction on the liana communities. A total of 1276 woody liana individuals of 15 species were identified, belonging to 10 genera and nine families. Total species richness of lianas was significantly positively related to forest-patch area, both when analysed for the entire patch, in addition to both core and edge regions when examined separately. Species richness of larger lianas also showed a significant positive relationship with increasing forest patch area. Community assemblage varied with respect to forest edge, with shade-dependent species only occurring in interior patch regions, shade-averse species in edge regions, and shade-tolerant species occurring throughout. Disturbance also played a role in determining the response of liana diversity to patch size, with heavily disturbed patches showing no relationship between patch size and diversity, whereas positive relationships exist in low to moderately disturbed patches. The most significant result is the change in liana community composition between small and larger fragments. Many species present in smaller patches are also present in edge zones of larger fragments. This suggests that lianas are important structural components of montane forest ecosystems, and their compositional patterns are possibly driven by succession. Moreover, this study reveals the importance of edge effect and patch size in influencing liana species richness and compositional patterns.
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