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Dantas A, Dantas TAV, Ribeiro‐Neto JD. Pioneer palm tree as an ecosystem engineer: Effects on ant community structure. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Dantas
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Universidade Federal da Paraíba Areia, Paraíba Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Centro de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Natal, RN Brazil
| | - Thais A. Vitoriano Dantas
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Universidade Federal da Paraíba Areia, Paraíba Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Centro de Biociências Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Natal, RN Brazil
| | - José Domingos Ribeiro‐Neto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biodiversidade, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Universidade Federal da Paraíba Areia, Paraíba Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Vegetal, Departamento de Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais, Centro de Ciências Agrarias Universidade Federal da Paraíba Areia, Paraíba Brazil
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Fehr V, Buitenwerf R, Svenning J. Non‐native palms (Arecaceae) as generators of novel ecosystems: A global assessment. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Fehr
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Robert Buitenwerf
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Jens‐Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE) Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus C Denmark
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Hernández-Ruedas MA, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Morante-Filho JC, Meave JA, Martínez-Ramos M. Fragmentation and matrix contrast favor understory plants through negative cascading effects on a strong competitor palm. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1546-1553. [PMID: 29727519 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the patterns and processes driving biodiversity maintenance in fragmented tropical forests is urgently needed for conservation planning, especially in species-rich forest reserves. Of particular concern are the effects that habitat modifications at the landscape scale may have on forest regeneration and ecosystem functioning: a topic that has received limited attention. Here, we assessed the effects of landscape structure (i.e., forest cover, open area matrices, forest fragmentation, and mean inter-patch isolation distance) on understory plant assemblages in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Previous studies suggest that the demographic burst of the strong competitor palm Astrocaryum mexicanum in the core area of this reserve limits plant recruitment and imperils biodiversity conservation within this protected area. Yet, the local and landscape predictors of this palm, and its impact on tree recruitment at a regional scale are unknown. Thus, we used structural equation modeling to assess the direct and cascading effects of landscape structure on stem and species density in the understory of 20 forest sites distributed across this biodiversity hotspot. Indirect paths included the effect of landscape structure on tree basal area (a proxy of local disturbance), and the effects of these variables on A. mexicanum. Density of A. mexicanum mainly increased with decreasing both fragmentation and open areas in the matrix (matrix contrast, hereafter), and such an increase in palm density negatively affected stem and species density in the understory. The negative direct effect of matrix contrast on stem density was overridden by the indirect positive effects (i.e., through negative cascading effects on A. mexicanum), resulting in a weak effect of matrix contrast on stem density. These findings suggest that dispersal limitation and negative edge effects in more fragmented landscapes dominated by open areas prevent the proliferation of this palm species, enhancing the diversity and abundance of understory trees. This "positive" news adds to an increasing line of evidence suggesting that fragmentation may have some positive effects on biodiversity, in this case by preventing the proliferation of species that can jeopardize biodiversity conservation within tropical reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel A Hernández-Ruedas
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, Morelia, 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Víctor Arroyo-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, Morelia, 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - José Carlos Morante-Filho
- Applied Conservation Ecology Lab, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus-Itabuna, km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, 45662-000, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Jorge A Meave
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 3000, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Miguel Martínez-Ramos
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, Ex-Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, Morelia, 58190, Michoacán, Mexico
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Pu YC, Ma TL, Hou YM, Sun M. An entomopathogenic bacterium strain, Bacillus thuringiensis, as a biological control agent against the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:1494-1502. [PMID: 27862867 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is an invasive wood-boring insect that damages palms and sugarcane. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an entomopathogenic bacterium which has been modified into various strains and widely used in pest management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of RPW to the HA strain of Bt. RESULTS Five concentrations of Bt bioassays were used on RPW eggs, second instars and fourth instars. Average egg hatching rates exceeded 85% using Bt suspensions or distilled water. Hatch times were extended significantly using higher Bt concentrations. For second instar larvae, the LC50 was 4.92 × 109 CFU mL-1 15 d after feeding; the LT50 values decreased with each higher concentration. The corrected mortality of second instars increased significantly with increased concentrations after 15 d, ranging from 16.97% to 94.32%. Significant differences occurred in the boring activity of fourth instars when dipped in Bt suspensions or crawling on treated sugarcane. Bacterial infection in dead larvae was confirmed using molecular techniques. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that Bt can be used in RPW control as a potential biological control agent and can effectively reduce palm trees damage. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chen Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Tian-Ling Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - You-Ming Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Department of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Ming Sun
- Department of Life Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Young H, Miller-ter Kuile A, McCauley D, Dirzo R. Cascading community and ecosystem consequences of introduced coconut palms ( Cocos nucifera) in tropical islands. CAN J ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2016-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biological invasions are a pervasive and dominant form of anthropogenic disturbance. However, we seldom have the opportunity to evaluate the long-term, indirect, and often slow-moving cascading effects of invasions at the community and ecosystem scale. Here we synthesize the collective knowledge from 10 years of study on the influence of the deep historical introduction of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera L.) across a series of islets at Palmyra Atoll. Through a suite of pathways, we find this palm drives near-complete ecosystem state change when it becomes dominant. Abiotic conditions are transformed, with major soil nutrients 2.7–11.5 times lower and water stress 15% elevated in palm-dominated forests compared with native forest. Faunal communities are likewise dramatically altered, not only in composition but also in behavior, body size, and body condition. Biotic interactions, including herbivory rates, palatability, and seed predation, are likewise changed. Cumulatively, these changes transform food webs, leading to dramatically shortened and simplified food chains in invaded ecosystems. Many of these changes appear to create slow-acting feedback loops that favor the palm at the expense of native species. Given the widespread nature of this historical introduction, many island and coastal regions of tropical oceans may be similarly transformed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H.S. Young
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - A. Miller-ter Kuile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - D.J. McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - R. Dirzo
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Abstract
Global patterns in ecology need to be identified and interpreted if macroecological processes are to be fully understood. Facilitating effects on seedlings such as that of nurse plants and competitive effects such as allelopathy have been well recognized but the importance of plants acting as killers through physical damage by the litterfall they produce has received relatively little attention. Here I examine latitudinal patterns of physical disturbance to seedlings (microdisturbance) due to litterfall and discuss the macroecological implications in light of current research. Analyses of results from published studies show that both the risk of litterfall disturbance, as measured using artificial model seedlings, and the proportion of seedling mortalities due to litterfall decrease significantly with increasing latitude. Patterns of microdisturbance appear to be driven by the dynamic interaction between macro-litterfall, safe sites with protective overhead vegetation, topography, and animal activity. However, we are informed on this subject by few studies. There is evidence, again from a limited number of studies, for considerable spatial heterogeneity in microdisturbance intensity and for seedling resilience to litterfall damage to differ substantially among species. Therefore, differential survival among microsites may produce regeneration niche diversity. However, more focused studies are required across a range of forest types and latitudes before these results can be generalized. Therefore, there is fertile ground for researchers to use comparable multifactorial methods to investigate the implications of microdisturbance at macro-ecological scales.
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Comer JR, Zomlefer WB, Barrett CF, Stevenson DW, Heyduk K, Leebens-Mack JH. Nuclear phylogenomics of the palm subfamily Arecoideae (Arecaceae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 97:32-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Souza FM, Gandolfi S, Rodrigues RR. Deciduousness Influences the Understory Community in a Semideciduous Tropical Forest. Biotropica 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Flaviana M. Souza
- Department of Forest Ecology; Forestry Institute; Rua do Horto, 931 São Paulo CEP 02377-000 SP Brazil
| | - Sergius Gandolfi
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of São Paulo - ESALQ; Caixa postal 9 Piracicaba CEP 13418-900 SP Brazil
| | - Ricardo R. Rodrigues
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of São Paulo - ESALQ; Caixa postal 9 Piracicaba CEP 13418-900 SP Brazil
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Differential plant damage due to litterfall in palm-dominated forest stands in a Central Pacific atoll. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646741400008x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:High densities of palms are common in many tropical forests. In some cases, the dominance of palms has been associated with a depauperate understorey and high rates of native seedling mortality. A variety of different potential mechanisms has been suggested to explain the sustained palm dominance in the understorey and canopy of these forests. Working in a Cocos nucifera-dominated wet tropical forest at Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific, we examine how litterfall from this pantropical, and economically important palm, impacts seedling survival. We compare rates of litterfall, and rates of litterfall-associated damage, between forest stands dominated by C. nucifera (coconut palm) and forest stands with low abundance of C. nucifera. To assess litterfall damage we survey damage to both artificial seedlings (n = 711), outplanted real seedlings of two species (with and without protection via caging; n = 204), and standing rates of litterfall damage. We find that rates of large-litterfall damage were an average of five times higher in sites with high densities of C. nucifera. Associated with these increases we observe that levels of physical damage to artificial model seedlings caused by litterfall over a 4-mo period increased from 4.9% in sites with low abundance of C. nucifera to 16.1% in sites with high abundance of C. nucifera. Extrapolated to annual rates, litterfall damage of this magnitude exceeds the average levels observed in other published studies. Living native seedlings also showed more than 300% higher levels of mortality in forest stands with high densities of C. nucifera, a difference that was greatly reduced when protected by caging from litterfall. In contrast, uncaged C. nucifera seedlings actually had slightly higher survivorship in habitats dominated by conspecifics. We suggest that litterfall damage may be an important mechanism by which this tropical palm reaches and maintains near monodominance in many coastal and insular habitats.
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Eiserhardt WL, Svenning JC, Kissling WD, Balslev H. Geographical ecology of the palms (Arecaceae): determinants of diversity and distributions across spatial scales. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 108:1391-416. [PMID: 21712297 PMCID: PMC3219491 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2010] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The palm family occurs in all tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Palms are of high ecological and economical importance, and display complex spatial patterns of species distributions and diversity. SCOPE This review summarizes empirical evidence for factors that determine palm species distributions, community composition and species richness such as the abiotic environment (climate, soil chemistry, hydrology and topography), the biotic environment (vegetation structure and species interactions) and dispersal. The importance of contemporary vs. historical impacts of these factors and the scale at which they function is discussed. Finally a hierarchical scale framework is developed to guide predictor selection for future studies. CONCLUSIONS Determinants of palm distributions, composition and richness vary with spatial scale. For species distributions, climate appears to be important at landscape and broader scales, soil, topography and vegetation at landscape and local scales, hydrology at local scales, and dispersal at all scales. For community composition, soil appears important at regional and finer scales, hydrology, topography and vegetation at landscape and local scales, and dispersal again at all scales. For species richness, climate and dispersal appear to be important at continental to global scales, soil at landscape and broader scales, and topography at landscape and finer scales. Some scale-predictor combinations have not been studied or deserve further attention, e.g. climate on regional to finer scales, and hydrology and topography on landscape and broader scales. The importance of biotic interactions - apart from general vegetation structure effects - for the geographic ecology of palms is generally underexplored. Future studies should target scale-predictor combinations and geographic domains not studied yet. To avoid biased inference, one should ideally include at least all predictors previously found important at the spatial scale of investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Henrik Balslev
- Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Group, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Baker WJ, Norup MV, Clarkson JJ, Couvreur TLP, Dowe JL, Lewis CE, Pintaud JC, Savolainen V, Wilmot T, Chase MW. Phylogenetic relationships among arecoid palms (Arecaceae: Arecoideae). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2011; 108:1417-32. [PMID: 21325340 PMCID: PMC3219489 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcr020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 12/08/2010] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Arecoideae is the largest and most diverse of the five subfamilies of palms (Arecaceae/Palmae), containing >50 % of the species in the family. Despite its importance, phylogenetic relationships among Arecoideae are poorly understood. Here the most densely sampled phylogenetic analysis of Arecoideae available to date is presented. The results are used to test the current classification of the subfamily and to identify priority areas for future research. METHODS DNA sequence data for the low-copy nuclear genes PRK and RPB2 were collected from 190 palm species, covering 103 (96 %) genera of Arecoideae. The data were analysed using the parsimony ratchet, maximum likelihood, and both likelihood and parsimony bootstrapping. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Despite the recovery of paralogues and pseudogenes in a small number of taxa, PRK and RPB2 were both highly informative, producing well-resolved phylogenetic trees with many nodes well supported by bootstrap analyses. Simultaneous analyses of the combined data sets provided additional resolution and support. Two areas of incongruence between PRK and RPB2 were strongly supported by the bootstrap relating to the placement of tribes Chamaedoreeae, Iriarteeae and Reinhardtieae; the causes of this incongruence remain uncertain. The current classification within Arecoideae was strongly supported by the present data. Of the 14 tribes and 14 sub-tribes in the classification, only five sub-tribes from tribe Areceae (Basseliniinae, Linospadicinae, Oncospermatinae, Rhopalostylidinae and Verschaffeltiinae) failed to receive support. Three major higher level clades were strongly supported: (1) the RRC clade (Roystoneeae, Reinhardtieae and Cocoseae), (2) the POS clade (Podococceae, Oranieae and Sclerospermeae) and (3) the core arecoid clade (Areceae, Euterpeae, Geonomateae, Leopoldinieae, Manicarieae and Pelagodoxeae). However, new data sources are required to elucidate ambiguities that remain in phylogenetic relationships among and within the major groups of Arecoideae, as well as within the Areceae, the largest tribe in the palm family.
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Nogueira A, Costa FR, Castilho CV. Liana Abundance Patterns: The Role of Ecological Filters during Development. Biotropica 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2010.00722.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Aguiar AV, Tabarelli M. Edge Effects and Seedling Bank Depletion: The Role Played by the Early Successional Palm Attalea oleifera (Arecaceae) in the Atlantic Forest. Biotropica 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00555.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Baker WJ, Savolainen V, Asmussen-Lange CB, Chase MW, Dransfield J, Forest F, Harley MM, Uhl NW, Wilkinson M. Complete Generic-Level Phylogenetic Analyses of Palms (Arecaceae) with Comparisons of Supertree and Supermatrix Approaches. Syst Biol 2009; 58:240-56. [PMID: 20525581 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syp021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent Savolainen
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
- Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Conny B. Asmussen-Lange
- Department of Ecology, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 21, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mark W. Chase
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | | | - Félix Forest
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK
| | | | - Natalie W. Uhl
- Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, 412 Mann Library Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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Alvarez-Clare S, Kitajima K. Susceptibility of Tree Seedlings to Biotic and Abiotic Hazards in the Understory of a Moist Tropical Forest in Panama. Biotropica 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2008.00442.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Bruna EM, Ribeiro MBN. The compensatory responses of an understory herb to experimental damage are habitat-dependent. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2005; 92:2101-2106. [PMID: 21646126 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.92.12.2101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Canopy gap formation strongly influences the diversity and dynamics of both tropical and temperate forests. It is often viewed as inherently beneficial for understory plants, primarily because growth and flowering are enhanced when light is no longer a limiting resource. It can also be detrimental, however, because plants can be damaged by falling crowns or branches. To elucidate the responses of the Amazonian understory herb Heliconia acuminata to damage sustained during gap formation, we transplanted both experimentally damaged and control plants to canopy gaps and the forest understory. We then measured their patterns of growth and biomass allocation 10 mo later. Despite losing approximately 50% of their leaf area, all damaged plants survived the duration of our experiment. Furthermore, damaged plants transplanted to gaps had relative growth rates that far exceeded those of undamaged plants in both gaps and the forest understory. There were also significant interactions between damage and destination habitat type on root to shoot ratios and leaf-area ratios. Our results suggest the ability of herbaceous plants to recover from damage, as well as patterns of post-damage biomass allocation, may be habitat-dependent in ways that have previously remained unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio M Bruna
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, P.O. Box 110430, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-0430 USA and Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-5530 USA
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Wang YH, Augspurger C. Comparison of seedling recruitment under arborescent palms in two Neotropical forests. Oecologia 2005; 147:533-45. [PMID: 16252118 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2005] [Accepted: 09/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Certain overlying strata in forests may disproportionately reduce seedling density and species richness. For eight arborescent palm species, we quantified the relative restriction of seedling recruitment under individual palms versus non-palm sites and extended to the landscape scale by quantifying the total area covered by arborescent palms at Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama and La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We also examined whether differences among palm species in restricting seedling recruitment were associated with differences in crown architecture, litter depth, and light availability. Woody seedlings had lower mean density/m2 and mean number of species/m2 under individual palms than at non-palm sites for all four palm species at BCI, but for none at La Selva. Estimated species richness for woody seedlings, derived via rarefaction, was lower under palm than non-palm microsites at both BCI and La Selva, but not for non-woody seedlings. Differences in seedling density corresponded to some key architectural characters that differed among the palm species. Light availability was lower under palm than non-palm microsites at both BCI and La Selva, but only estimated species richness of woody seedlings at BCI was strongly correlated with % canopy openness. The coverage of arborescent palms was much lower at BCI than La Selva. Therefore, at BCI, the relative restriction of woody seedling recruitment under individual palms does not accumulate greatly at the landscape scale. At La Selva, for woody seedlings, only estimated species richness was relatively limited under palms, and non-woody seedlings had relatively lower mean density/m2 and mean number of species/m2 under only one palm species. Therefore, the relative restriction of seedling recruitment by arborescent palms at La Selva is limited at both individual and landscape scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yung-Ho Wang
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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