1
|
Delavaux CS, Angst JK, Espinosa H, Brown M, Petticord DF, Schroeder JW, Broders K, Herre EA, Bever JD, Crowther TW. Fungal community dissimilarity predicts plant-soil feedback strength in a lowland tropical forest. Ecology 2024; 105:e4200. [PMID: 37897325 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbes impact plant community structure and diversity through plant-soil feedbacks. However, linking the relative abundance of plant pathogens and mutualists to differential plant recruitment remains challenging. Here, we tested for microbial mediation of pairwise feedback using a reciprocal transplant experiment in a lowland tropical forest in Panama paired with amplicon sequencing of soil and roots. We found evidence that plant species identity alters the microbial community, and these changes in microbial composition alter subsequent growth and survival of conspecific plants. We also found that greater community dissimilarity between species in their arbuscular mycorrhizal and nonpathogenic fungi predicted increased positive feedback. Finally, we identified specific microbial taxa across our target functional groups that differentially accumulated under conspecific settings. Collectively, these findings clarify how soil pathogens and mutualists mediate net feedback effects on plant recruitment, with implications for management and restoration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille S Delavaux
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Kansas Biological Survey, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Janika K Angst
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hilario Espinosa
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama City, Panama
- Universidad de Panama, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnología, Departamento de Botánica, Panama City, Panama
- Coiba Scientific Station (Coiba AIP), Panama City, Panama
| | - Makenna Brown
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel F Petticord
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Kirk Broders
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, Illinois, USA
| | - Edward A Herre
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - James D Bever
- Kansas Biological Survey, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Thomas W Crowther
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gomes AS, Callaway RM, Rabelo BS, Petry GL, Barbosa EM, Borghetti F. Competition for water and rapid exclusion of an island endemic by a pantropical species in a tropical climate. Oecologia 2023; 201:901-914. [PMID: 36973609 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05352-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Water availability has major effects on community structure and dynamics globally, yet our understanding of competition for water in the tropics is limited. On the tropical Trindade Island, we explored competition for water in the context of the rapid exclusion of an endemic sedge, Cyperus atlanticus (Cyperaceae), by a pantropical, N-fixing shrub, Guilandina bonduc (Fabaceae). Guilandina patches were generally surrounded by rings of bare soil, and dead Cyperus halos commonly surrounded these bare zones. With geo-referenced measurements, we showed that Guilandina patches and bare soil zones rapidly expanded and replaced adjacent Cyperus populations. We found that soil water potentials were much lower in bare soils than soils under Guilandina or Cyperus, and that leaf water potentials of Cyperus plants were lower when co-occurring with Guilandina than when alone. When Guilandina was removed experimentally, Cyperus populations expanded and largely covered the bare soil zones. Our results indicate that when Guilandina establishes, its root systems expand beyond its canopies and these roots pull water from soils beneath Cyperus and kill it, creating bare zone halos, and then Guilandina expands and repeats the process. This scenario indicates rapid competitive exclusion and displacement of an endemic by a common pantropical species, at least in part through competition for water.
Collapse
|
3
|
Finlayson C, Roopsind A, Griscom BW, Edwards DP, Freckleton RP. Removing climbers more than doubles tree growth and biomass in degraded tropical forests. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8758. [PMID: 35356565 PMCID: PMC8948070 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huge areas of tropical forests are degraded, reducing their biodiversity, carbon, and timber value. The recovery of these degraded forests can be significantly inhibited by climbing plants such as lianas. Removal of super-abundant climbers thus represents a restoration action with huge potential for application across the tropics. While experimental studies largely report positive impacts of climber removal on tree growth and biomass accumulation, the efficacy of climber removal varies widely, with high uncertainty as to where and how to apply the technique. Using meta-analytic techniques, we synthesize results from 26 studies to quantify the efficacy of climber removal for promoting tree growth and biomass accumulation. We find that climber removal increases tree growth by 156% and biomass accumulation by 209% compared to untreated forest, and that efficacy remains for at least 19 years. Extrapolating from these results, climber removal could sequester an additional 32 Gigatons of CO2 over 10 years, at low cost, across regrowth, and production forests. Our analysis also revealed that climber removal studies are concentrated in the Neotropics (N = 22), relative to Africa (N = 2) and Asia (N = 2), preventing our study from assessing the influence of region on removal efficacy. While we found some evidence that enhancement of tree growth and AGB accumulation varies across disturbance context and removal method, but not across climate, the number and geographical distribution of studies limits the strength of these conclusions. Climber removal could contribute significantly to reducing global carbon emissions and enhancing the timber and biomass stocks of degraded forests, ultimately protecting them from conversion. However, we urgently need to assess the efficacy of removal outside the Neotropics, and consider the potential negative consequences of climber removal under drought conditions and for biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Finlayson
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologySchool of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Anand Roopsind
- Center for Natural Climate SolutionsConservation InternationalArlingtonVirginiaUSA
| | - Bronson W. Griscom
- Center for Natural Climate SolutionsConservation InternationalArlingtonVirginiaUSA
| | - David P. Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologySchool of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Robert P. Freckleton
- Ecology and Evolutionary BiologySchool of BiosciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Meunier F, Verbeeck H, Cowdery B, Schnitzer SA, Smith‐Martin CM, Powers JS, Xu X, Slot M, De Deurwaerder HPT, Detto M, Bonal D, Longo M, Santiago LS, Dietze M. Unraveling the relative role of light and water competition between lianas and trees in tropical forests: A vegetation model analysis. THE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2021; 109:519-540. [PMID: 33536686 PMCID: PMC7839527 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite their low contribution to forest carbon stocks, lianas (woody vines) play an important role in the carbon dynamics of tropical forests. As structural parasites, they hinder tree survival, growth and fecundity; hence, they negatively impact net ecosystem productivity and long-term carbon sequestration.Competition (for water and light) drives various forest processes and depends on the local abundance of resources over time. However, evaluating the relative role of resource availability on the interactions between lianas and trees from empirical observations is particularly challenging. Previous approaches have used labour-intensive and ecosystem-scale manipulation experiments, which are infeasible in most situations.We propose to circumvent this challenge by evaluating the uncertainty of water and light capture processes of a process-based vegetation model (ED2) including the liana growth form. We further developed the liana plant functional type in ED2 to mechanistically simulate water uptake and transport from roots to leaves, and start the model from prescribed initial conditions. We then used the PEcAn bioinformatics platform to constrain liana parameters and run uncertainty analyses.Baseline runs successfully reproduced ecosystem gas exchange fluxes (gross primary productivity and latent heat) and forest structural features (leaf area index, aboveground biomass) in two sites (Barro Colorado Island, Panama and Paracou, French Guiana) characterized by different rainfall regimes and levels of liana abundance.Model uncertainty analyses revealed that water limitation was the factor driving the competition between trees and lianas at the drier site (BCI), and during the relatively short dry season of the wetter site (Paracou). In young patches, light competition dominated in Paracou but alternated with water competition between the wet and the dry season on BCI according to the model simulations.The modelling workflow also identified key liana traits (photosynthetic quantum efficiency, stomatal regulation parameters, allometric relationships) and processes (water use, respiration, climbing) driving the model uncertainty. They should be considered as priorities for future data acquisition and model development to improve predictions of the carbon dynamics of liana-infested forests. Synthesis. Competition for water plays a larger role in the interaction between lianas and trees than previously hypothesized, as demonstrated by simulations from a process-based vegetation model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félicien Meunier
- Computational and Applied Vegetation EcologyDepartment of EnvironmentGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Department of Earth and EnvironmentBoston UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- Computational and Applied Vegetation EcologyDepartment of EnvironmentGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Betsy Cowdery
- Department of Earth and EnvironmentBoston UniversityBostonMAUSA
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartadoPanama
- Department of Biological SciencesMarquette UniversityMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | - Chris M. Smith‐Martin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Evolutionary BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Jennifer S. Powers
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartadoPanama
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Xiangtao Xu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNYUSA
| | - Martijn Slot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartadoPanama
| | - Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder
- Computational and Applied Vegetation EcologyDepartment of EnvironmentGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Matteo Detto
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartadoPanama
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNJUSA
| | - Damien Bonal
- Université de LorraineAgroParisTechINRAEUMR SilvaNancyFrance
| | - Marcos Longo
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Louis S. Santiago
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteApartadoPanama
- Department of Botany and Plant SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCAUSA
| | - Michael Dietze
- Department of Earth and EnvironmentBoston UniversityBostonMAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Can Functional Traits Explain Plant Coexistence? A Case Study with Tropical Lianas and Trees. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12100397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Organisms are adapted to their environment through a suite of anatomical, morphological, and physiological traits. These functional traits are commonly thought to determine an organism’s tolerance to environmental conditions. However, the differences in functional traits among co-occurring species, and whether trait differences mediate competition and coexistence is still poorly understood. Here we review studies comparing functional traits in two co-occurring tropical woody plant guilds, lianas and trees, to understand whether competing plant guilds differ in functional traits and how these differences may help to explain tropical woody plant coexistence. We examined 36 separate studies that compared a total of 140 different functional traits of co-occurring lianas and trees. We conducted a meta-analysis for ten of these functional traits, those that were present in at least five studies. We found that the mean trait value between lianas and trees differed significantly in four of the ten functional traits. Lianas differed from trees mainly in functional traits related to a faster resource acquisition life history strategy. However, the lack of difference in the remaining six functional traits indicates that lianas are not restricted to the fast end of the plant life–history continuum. Differences in functional traits between lianas and trees suggest these plant guilds may coexist in tropical forests by specializing in different life–history strategies, but there is still a significant overlap in the life–history strategies between these two competing guilds.
Collapse
|
6
|
Venegas‐González A, Mello FNA, Schnitzer SA, César RG, Tomazello-Filho M. The negative effect of lianas on tree growth varies with tree species and season. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Venegas‐González
- Hémera Centro de Observación de la Tierra Facultad de Ciencias Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Mayor Santiago Chile
- Department of Forest Sciences University of São Paulo Piracicaba Brasil
| | | | | | - Ricardo G. César
- Department of Forest Sciences University of São Paulo Piracicaba Brasil
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Norghauer JM. Insects and light interact to mediate vine colonization of fast growing
Microberlinia bisulcata
tree seedlings in gaps of an African rain forest. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
8
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schnitzer SA, Heijden GMF. Lianas have a seasonal growth advantage over co‐occurring trees. Ecology 2019; 100:e02655. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
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
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Schnitzer SA. Testing ecological theory with lianas. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 220:366-380. [PMID: 30247750 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Contents Summary 366 I. Introduction 366 II. Testing ecological theory: effects of the environment on lianas 369 III. A unified explanation for liana distribution and the maintenance of liana diversity 370 IV. Testing ecological theory: effects of lianas on the environment 373 V. Theoretical effects of lianas on forest diversity 375 VI. Lianas and trophic interactions in forests 375 VII. Unresolved challenges in liana ecology 376 VIII. Conclusions 377 Acknowledgements 377 References 377 SUMMARY: Lianas constitute a diverse polyphyletic plant group that is advancing our understanding of ecological theory. Specifically, lianas are providing new insights into the mechanisms that control plant distribution and diversity maintenance. For example, there is now evidence that a single, scalable mechanism may explain local, regional, and pan-tropical distribution of lianas, as well as the maintenance of liana species diversity. The ability to outcompete trees under dry, stressful conditions in seasonal forests provides lianas a growth advantage that, over time, results in relatively high abundance in seasonal forests and low abundance in aseasonal forests. Lianas may also gain a similar growth advantage following disturbance, thus explaining why liana density and diversity peak following disturbance at the local, forest scale. The study of ecology, however, is more than the effect of the environment on organisms; it also includes the effects of organisms on the environment. Considerable empirical evidence now indicates that lianas substantially alter their environment by consuming resources, suppressing tree performance, and influencing emergent properties of forests, such as ecosystem functioning, plant and animal diversity, and community composition. These recent studies using lianas are transcending classical tropical ecology research and are now providing novel insights into fundamental ecological theory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, PO Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal, 0843-03092, Balboa, República de Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
De Deurwaerder H, Hervé-Fernández P, Stahl C, Burban B, Petronelli P, Hoffman B, Bonal D, Boeckx P, Verbeeck H. Liana and tree below-ground water competition-evidence for water resource partitioning during the dry season. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 38:1071-1083. [PMID: 29509954 PMCID: PMC6025208 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
To date, reasons for the increase in liana abundance and biomass in the Neotropics are still unclear. One proposed hypothesis suggests that lianas, in comparison with trees, are more adaptable to drought conditions. Moreover, previous studies have assumed that lianas have a deeper root system, which provides access to deeper soil layers, thereby making them less susceptible to drought stress. The dual stable water isotope approach (δ18O and δ2H) enables below-ground vegetation competition for water to be studied. Based on the occurrence of a natural gradient in soil water isotopic signatures, with enriched signatures in shallow soil relative to deep soil, the origin of vegetation water sources can be derived. Our study was performed on canopy trees and lianas reaching canopy level in tropical forests of French Guiana. Our results show liana xylem water isotopic signatures to be enriched in heavy isotopes in comparison with those from trees, indicating differences in water source depths and a more superficial root activity for lianas during the dry season. This enables them to efficiently capture dry season precipitation. Our study does not support the liana deep root water extraction hypothesis. Additionally, we provide new insights into water competition between tropical canopy lianas and trees. Results suggest that this competition is mitigated during the dry season due to water resource partitioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannes De Deurwaerder
- CAVElab—Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, Belgium
- Corresponding author ()
| | - Pedro Hervé-Fernández
- Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Management, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, Gent, Belgium
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory—ISOFYS, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Gent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, Belgium
| | - Clément Stahl
- INRA, UMR EcoFoG, CNRS, Cirad, AgroParisTech, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Benoit Burban
- INRA, UMR EcoFoG, CNRS, Cirad, AgroParisTech, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Pascal Petronelli
- Cirad UMR Ecofog (AgrosParisTech, CNRS, INRA, Univ Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Bruce Hoffman
- The Amazon Conservation Team - Suriname Program, Doekhieweg Oost 24, Paramaribo, Suriname
| | - Damien Bonal
- Université de Lorraine, AgroParisTech, INRA, UMR Silva, Nancy, France
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory—ISOFYS, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Gent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, Belgium
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- CAVElab—Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Estrada‐Villegas S, Schnitzer SA. A comprehensive synthesis of liana removal experiments in tropical forests. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Estrada‐Villegas
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University PO Box 1881 Milwaukee WI 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa República de Panamá
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University PO Box 1881 Milwaukee WI 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa República de Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sfair JC, Weiser VDL, Martins FR, Vidal MM, Guimarães PR. Species traits and abundance influence the organization of liana-tree antagonistic interaction. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia C. Sfair
- Department of Botany; Institute of Biology; University of Campinas - UNICAMP; P.O. Box 6109 Campinas SP 13083-970 Brazil
- Department of Botany; Federal University of Pernambuco; Recife PE Brazil
| | - Veridiana de L. Weiser
- Department of Botany; Institute of Biology; University of Campinas - UNICAMP; P.O. Box 6109 Campinas SP 13083-970 Brazil
| | - Fernando R. Martins
- Department of Botany; Institute of Biology; University of Campinas - UNICAMP; P.O. Box 6109 Campinas SP 13083-970 Brazil
| | - Mariana M. Vidal
- Department of Ecology; Institute of Bioscience; University of São Paulo; USP; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Department of Ecology; Institute of Bioscience; University of São Paulo; USP; São Paulo SP Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Jones IL, Peres CA, Benchimol M, Bunnefeld L, Dent DH. Woody lianas increase in dominance and maintain compositional integrity across an Amazonian dam-induced fragmented landscape. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185527. [PMID: 29040272 PMCID: PMC5644977 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forest fragmentation creates insular biological communities that undergo species loss and changes in community composition over time, due to area- and edge-effects. Woody lianas thrive in degraded and secondary forests, due to their competitive advantage over trees in these habitats. Lianas compete both directly and indirectly with trees, increasing tree mortality and turnover. Despite our growing understanding of liana-tree dynamics, we lack detailed knowledge of the assemblage-level responses of lianas themselves to fragmentation, particularly in evergreen tropical forests. We examine the responses of both sapling and mature liana communities to landscape-scale forest insularization induced by a mega hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon. Detailed field inventories were conducted on islands created during reservoir filling, and in nearby mainland continuous forest. We assess the relative importance of variables associated with habitat fragmentation such as area, isolation, surrounding forest cover, fire and wind disturbance, on liana community attributes including abundance, basal area, diversity, and composition. We also explore patterns of liana dominance relative to tree saplings and adults ≥10 cm diameter at breast height. We find that 1) liana community composition remains remarkably similar across mainland continuous forest and islands, regardless of extreme area- and edge- effects and the loss of vertebrate dispersers in the latter; and 2) lianas are increasing in dominance relative to trees in the sapling layer in the most degraded islands, with both the amount of forest cover surrounding islands and fire disturbance history predicting liana dominance. Our data suggest that liana communities persist intact in isolated forests, regardless of extreme area- and edge-effects; while in contrast, tree communities simultaneously show evidence of increased turnover and supressed recruitment. These processes may lead to lianas becoming a dominant component of this dam-induced fragmented landscape in the future, due to their competitive advantage over trees in degraded forest habitats. Additional loss of tree biomass and diversity brought about through competition with lianas, and the concurrent loss of carbon storage, should be accounted for in impact assessments of future dam development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel L. Jones
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lynsey Bunnefeld
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Daisy H. Dent
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, Balboa, Panama
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Affiliation(s)
- Tara E. Stewart
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology University of Illinois Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University Milwaukee WI 53201 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa República de Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lai HR, Hall JS, Turner BL, van Breugel M. Liana effects on biomass dynamics strengthen during secondary forest succession. Ecology 2017; 98:1062-1070. [PMID: 28072458 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Secondary forests are important carbon sinks, but their biomass dynamics vary markedly within and across landscapes. The biotic and abiotic drivers of this variation are still not well understood. We tested the effects of soil resource availability and competition by lianas on the biomass dynamics of young secondary tropical forests in Panama and assessed the extent to which liana effects were mediated by soil resource availability. Over a five-year period, growth, mortality, and recruitment of woody plants of ≥1 cm diameter were monitored in 84 plots in 3-30-year-old secondary forests across the Agua Salud site in central Panama. Biomass dynamics and the effects of lianas and soil resources were examined using (generalized) linear mixed-effect models and a model averaging approach. There was strong spatial and temporal variation in liana biomass within and across the plots. The relative biomass of lianas had a strong negative effect on overall tree growth, growth of understory trees decreased with soil fertility and dry season soil water content, and the effect of lianas on tree mortality varied with soil fertility. Tree recruitment was not associated with any of the predictor variables. Our model indicates that tree biomass growth across our landscape was reduced with 22% due to competition with lianas, and that the effect of lianas increased during succession, from 19% after five years to 32% after 30 years. The projected liana-induced growth reduction after 60 years was 47%, which was consistent with data from a nearby site. Our study shows that the observed liana proliferation across tropical forests may reduce the sequestration and storage of carbon in young secondary forests, with important implications for the carbon balance of tropical forest landscapes and consequently for global climate change. Our study highlights the need to incorporate lianas and soil variables in research on the biomass dynamics of secondary forest across tropical landscapes, and the need for well-replicated longitudinal studies to cover landscape-level variability in the relevant abiotic and biotic components.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Ran Lai
- 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
| | - Jefferson S Hall
- ForestGEO, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama City, Panama
| | - Benjamin L Turner
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama City, Panama
| | - Michiel van Breugel
- 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.,ForestGEO, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, Panama City, Panama
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rodríguez‐Ronderos ME, Bohrer G, Sanchez‐Azofeifa A, Powers JS, Schnitzer SA. Contribution of lianas to plant area index and canopy structure in a Panamanian forest. Ecology 2016; 97:3271-3277. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Elizabeth Rodríguez‐Ronderos
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin 53203 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee Milwaukee Wisconsin 53211 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panamá
| | - Gil Bohrer
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
| | - Arturo Sanchez‐Azofeifa
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio 43210 USA
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Alberta Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS) University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E3 Canada
| | - Jennifer S. Powers
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panamá
- Departments of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and Plant Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
| | - Stefan A. Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin 53203 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado 2072 Balboa Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Marshall AR, Coates MA, Archer J, Kivambe E, Mnendendo H, Mtoka S, Mwakisoma R, de Figueiredo RJRL, Njilima FM. Liana cutting for restoring tropical forests: a rare palaeotropical trial. Afr J Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Marshall
- CIRCLE; Environment Department; University of York; YO10 5NG York U.K
- Flamingo Land Ltd.; Kirby Misperton YO10 6UX North Yorkshire U.K
- Udzungwa Forest Project; PO Box 99 Mang'ula Morogoro Tanzania
| | - Michael A. Coates
- CIRCLE; Environment Department; University of York; YO10 5NG York U.K
| | - Jennifer Archer
- CIRCLE; Environment Department; University of York; YO10 5NG York U.K
- School of Geography; University of Leeds; Leeds North Yorkshire LS2 9JT U.K
| | - Exaud Kivambe
- Udzungwa Forest Project; PO Box 99 Mang'ula Morogoro Tanzania
| | | | - Samuel Mtoka
- Udzungwa Forest Project; PO Box 99 Mang'ula Morogoro Tanzania
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute; Kingupira Wildlife Research Centre; PO Box 16 Utete Rufiji Tanzania
| | - Ruben Mwakisoma
- Udzungwa Forest Project; PO Box 99 Mang'ula Morogoro Tanzania
- Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre; PO Box 99 Mang'ula Morogoro Tanzania
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Bissett SN, Zinnert JC, Young DR. Woody expansion facilitates liana expansion and affects physical structure in temperate coastal communities. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer N. Bissett
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia 23284 USA
| | - Julie C. Zinnert
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia 23284 USA
| | - Donald R. Young
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia 23284 USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Martínez‐Izquierdo L, García MM, Powers JS, Schnitzer SA. Lianas suppress seedling growth and survival of 14 tree species in a Panamanian tropical forest. Ecology 2016; 97:215-24. [DOI: 10.1890/14-2261.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martínez‐Izquierdo
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
| | - María M. García
- Department of Biological Sciences Marquette University P.O. Box 1881 Milwaukee Wisconsin 53201 USA
| | - Jennifer S. Powers
- Departments of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and Plant Biology University of Minnesota 1987 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Apartado Postal 0843‐03092 Balboa República de Panamá
| | - 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 República de Panamá
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
|