A decade of canopy-tree seedling survival and growth in two Bornean rain forests: persistence and recovery from suppression

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J. Delissio ◽  
Richard B. Primack ◽  
Pamela Hall ◽  
H. S. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Gap Formation ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Dipterocarp Forests ◽  
Census Interval

The population dynamics of 8500 shade-tolerant tree seedlings of 13 tree species were followed for 10 years at rain forests in Lambir Hills National Park and Bako National Park, Malaysian Borneo. Since these dipterocarp forests have lower rates of canopy gap formation than do rain forests elsewhere, tree seedling biology was predicted to differ. Approximately 50% of seedlings present in 1986 were still alive in 1996. Seven out of thirteen had seedling populations composed predominantly of individuals that were at least 10 years old. These seedlings can undergo alternating periods of relatively rapid and slow growth. Many seedlings that grew rapidly in the first census interval survived through a period of suppression in the second census interval, and conversely many seedlings with a history of suppression had exceptionally high growth in the final census interval. Seedlings of South-East Asian forest tree species are long-lived and appear to be adapted to long periods of suppression in the understorey.

scholarly journals Fire suppression and seed dispersal play critical roles in the establishment of tropical forest tree species in southeastern Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Fujita
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Forest Tree Species ◽  
Seed Deposition ◽  
Syzygium Guineense

AbstractThis study examined the mechanisms of facilitation and importance of seed dispersal during establishment of forest tree species in an Afrotropical woodland. Seedling survival of Syzygium guineense ssp. afromontanum was monitored for 2.5 years at four different microsites in savannah woodland in Malawi (southeastern Africa) under Ficus natalensis (a potential nurse plant), Brachystegia floribunda (a woodland tree), Uapaca kirkiana (a woodland tree), and at a treeless site. The number of naturally established forest tree seedlings in the woodland was also counted. Additionally, S. guineense ssp. afromontanum seed deposition was monitored at the four microsites. Insect damage (9% of the total cause of mortality) and trampling by ungulates (1%) had limited impact on seedling survival in this area. Fire (43%) was found to be the most important cause of seedling mortality and fire induced mortality was especially high under U. kirkiana (74%) and at treeless site (51%). The rate was comparatively low under F. natalensis (4%) and B. floribunda (23%), where fire is thought to be inhibited due to the lack of light-demanding C4 grasses. Consequently, seedling survival under F. natalensis and B. floribunda was higher compared with the other two microsites. The seedling survival rate was similar under F. natalensis (57%) and B. floribunda (59%). However, only a few S. guineense ssp. afromontanum seedlings naturally established under B. floribunda (25/285) whereas many seedlings established under F. natalensis (146/285). These findings indicate that the facilitative mechanism of fire suppression is not the only factor affecting establishment. The seed deposition investigation revealed that most of the seeds (85%) were deposited under F. natalensis. As such, these findings suggest that in addition to fire suppression, dispersal limitations also play a role in forest-savannah dynamics in this region, especially at the community level.

Traits associated with nutrient impoverishment and shade-tolerance in tree juveniles of three Bornean rain forests with contrasting nutrient availability

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota Aoyagi ◽  
Kanehiro Kitayama
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Shade Tolerance ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Site Factor ◽  
Dipterocarp Forests ◽  
Nutrient Impoverishment

Abstract:In this study, we tested the hypothesis that functional traits associated with nutrient impoverishment contribute to enhancing shade-tolerance (survival at low light) for the juveniles of canopy tree species in Bornean rain forests. To test the hypothesis, survival and functional traits (biomass allocation, leaf dynamics and foliar nutrient concentration) were investigated as a function of light conditions for saplings of 13 species in three forests with different levels of nutrient availability. As predicted by the hypothesis, the species in the severely nutrient-poor site (a tropical heath forest on nutrient-poor soils) showed greater shade-tolerance (>91% survival for 8 mo at 5% global site factor) than in the other two sites (mixed dipterocarp forests) (54–87% survival). Across the species, greater shade-tolerance was associated with a higher biomass allocation to roots, a slower leaf production and a higher foliar C concentration, which are considered as C-conservation traits under nutrient impoverishment. These results suggest that the juveniles of the canopy species occurring on nutrient-poor soils can enhance shade-tolerance by the same mechanisms as the adaptation to nutrient impoverishments. Tree species in nutrient-poor environments may be selected for surviving also in shaded conditions.

scholarly journals Nutrient deposition enhances post-fire survival in non-N-fixing savanna tree seedlings

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varun Varma ◽  
Mahesh Sankaran
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Nutrient Deposition

AbstractNutrient deposition can modify plant growth rates and potentially alter the susceptibility of plants to disturbance events, while also influencing properties of disturbance regimes. In mixed tree-grass ecosystems, such as savannas and tropical dry forests, tree seedling growth rates strongly influence the ability of seedlings to survive fire (i.e. post-fire seedling survival), and hence, vegetation structure and tree community composition. However the effects of nutrient deposition on the susceptibility of recruiting trees to fire are poorly quantified. In a field experiment, seedlings of multiple N-fixing and non-N-fixing tropical dry forest tree species were exposed to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilisation, and fire. We quantified nutrient-mediated changes in a) mean seedling growth rates; b) growth rates of the fastest growing individuals and c) post-fire seedling survival. N-fixers had substantially higher baseline post-fire seedling survival, that was unaffected by nutrient addition. Fertilisation, especially with N, increased post-fire survival probabilities in non-N-fixers by increasing the growth rates of the fastest growing individuals. These results suggest that fertilisation can lead to an increase in the relative abundance of non-N-fixers in the resprout community, and thereby, alter the community composition of tropical savanna and dry forest tree communities in the long-term.

The savanna tree Acacia polyacantha facilitates the establishment of riparian forests in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Sharam ◽  
A. R. E. Sinclair ◽  
Roy Turkington ◽  
Aerin L. Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
National Park ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Forest Trees ◽  
Grass Cover ◽  
Serengeti National Park ◽  
Acacia Polyacantha

Abstract:Forests are being converted to grasslands and croplands across Africa and natural regeneration of forests is typically poor. In Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, the savanna tree species Acacia polyacantha established in riparian grasslands and forest trees subsequently established within these stands. We examined the conditions for establishment of: (1) A. polyacantha and (2) riparian (non-Acacia) forests. Fire was excluded from three grassland areas for 5 y allowing A. polyacantha to establish during 1999 when dry-season rainfall was high. The seedlings of forest tree species did not establish in grasslands, but were found in large A. polyacantha stands (> 0.3 ha) with reduced grass cover (< 10%), higher cover of herbs (> 80%) and thorny shrubs (> 90%). Seeding survival was high in large stands (0.87 y−1), but declined in artificial canopy gaps due to the ingrowth of grasses (0.21 y−1) and subsequent fires (0.07 y−1). Shrub removal also reduced seedling survival (0.46 y−1) due to browsing by antelope. We propose that: (1) A. polyacantha establishes in pulses perhaps as infrequently as twice per century, and (2) riparian forests in Serengeti have established via facilitation under larger stands where shade excludes grass, and therefore fires and thorny shrubs exclude browsers.

scholarly journals Insect herbivores increase mortality and reduce tree seedling growth of some species in temperate forest canopy gaps

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan P. Lemoine ◽  
Deron E. Burkepile ◽  
John D. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Forest Diversity

Insect herbivores help maintain forest diversity through selective predation on seedlings of vulnerable tree species. Although the role of natural enemies has been well-studied in tropical systems, relatively few studies have experimentally manipulated insect abundance in temperate forests and tracked impacts over multiple years. We conducted a three-year experiment (2012–2014) deterring insect herbivores from seedlings in new treefall gaps in deciduous hardwood forests in Maryland. During this study, we tracked recruitment of all tree seedlings, as well as survivorship and growth of 889 individual seedlings from five tree species:Acer rubrum,Fagus grandifolia,Fraxinusspp.,Liriodendron tulipifera, andLiquidambar styraciflua. Insect herbivores had little effect on recruitment of any tree species, although there was a weak indication that recruitment ofA. rubrumwas higher in the presence of herbivores. Insect herbivores reduced survivorship ofL. tulipifera, but had no significant effects onA. rubrum,Fraxinusspp.,F. grandifolia, orL. styraciflua. Additionally, insects reduced growth rates of early pioneer speciesA. rubrum,L. tulipifera, andL. styraciflua, but had little effect on more shade-tolerant speciesF. grandifoliaandFraxinusspp. Overall, by negatively impacting growth and survivorship of early pioneer species, forest insects may play an important but relatively cryptic role in forest gap dynamics, with potentially interesting impacts on the overall maintenance of diversity.

scholarly journals Stochastic Economic Analysis of Investment Projects in Forest Restoration Involving Containerized Tree Seedlings in Brazil

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1381
Author(s):  
Danilo Simões ◽  
Jean Fernando Silva Gil ◽  
Richardson Barbosa Gomes da Silva ◽  
Rafaele Almeida Munis ◽  
Magali Ribeiro da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Survival Rate ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Investment Project ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
Polyethylene Bags

Background: Experts in ecological restoration have discussed the cost reduction to make forest restoration financially feasible. This is very important in developing countries, such as Brazil, and for smallholder farmers; however, economic studies do not usually consider the uncertainties in their analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze, under conditions of uncertainty, how tropical tree seedlings produced in polyethylene bags, polyethylene tubes, and biodegradable containers (Ellepot®) interfere with the costs of implementation and post-planting maintenance investment projects in a deforested tropical seasonal forest area in southern Brazil. Methods: We evaluated total costs, production costs, and equivalent annual uniform costs, and the probability distributions and estimated ranges of stochastic values were adjusted through Monte Carlo method simulation. Furthermore, the seedling survival rate was recorded over 12 months post-planting. Results: The costs with tree seedling acquisition and direct labor were the components that most impacted total costs in the three investment projects. The forest restoration investment project with tree seedlings produced in polyethylene bags was economically unfeasible in relation to other projects. Conclusions: The best economic alternative was observed in the investment project with tree seedlings produced in Ellepot®, which showed a survival rate >80% after one year and the lowest total cost, production cost, and equivalent uniform annual cost.

Frugivory and the fate of dispersed and non-dispersed seeds of six African tree species

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin A. Chapman ◽  
Lauren J. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Kibale National Park ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTThe relationship between seedling recruitment (under and away from parent trees) and the behaviour of seed dispersers and predators, was explored in a three-year study in Kibale National Park, Uganda. On the basis of 1261 hours of observation, the foraging activity of the diurnal frugivores which fed on fruit from six tree species was quantified. The fate of dispersed and non-dispersed seeds and seedlings was examined experimentally. The findings suggest that a trade-off exists between factors that promote seedling growth in areas with high seedling density and factors that promote dispersal by frugivores. For example, dispersal ofMimusops bagshaweiincreases both seed and seedling survival; seeds placed away from adult conspecifics had a 8% lower probability of disappearing than seeds placed under adults and seedlings away from adults had a 30% greater probability of surviving than seedlings grown under adults. In contrast, forUvariopsis congensis, dispersed seeds had a 56% greater probability of disappearing than seeds directly under a parent tree, while the survival of dispersed and non-dispersed seedlings was similar. Non-dispersed seed and seedling disappearance were correlated with the percentage of the fruit crop removed from focal trees, suggesting that the ability to survive under an adult maybe related to other aspects of the tree's life history.

Survival and ecophysiology of tree seedlings during El Niño drought in a tropical moist forest in Panama

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht ◽  
S. Joseph Wright ◽  
Diane De Steven
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Water Potentials ◽  
Moist Forest

In tropical forests, severe droughts caused by El Niño events may strongly influence the water relations of tree seedlings and thereby increase their mortality. Data on known-aged seedlings of three common shade-tolerant canopy tree species (Trichilia tuberculata, Tetragastris panamensis and Quararibea asterolepis) in a Panamanian moist forest are presented. Seedling survival during a severe El Niño dry season (1997-98) was compared with prior long-term survival data, and levels of drought stress were assessed by measuring plant water potentials and gas exchange characteristics. Contrary to prediction, dry-season seedling survival was not dramatically reduced in any species compared with that expected in ‘normal’ years. In Trichilia and Quararibea, pre-dawn water potentials averaged −2 MPa and midday water potentials about −3 MPa. Stomatal conductances were very low, averaging 26 mmol m-2 s-1 for Tetragastris and 11–13 mmol m-2 s-1 for Trichilia and Quararibea. Photosynthetic rates also were very low but consistently positive, averaging 0.8–1.1 μmol m-2 s-1. The findings suggest that, once established, seedlings of common tree species in this semi-deciduous forest may be tolerant of drought events.

scholarly journals Designer Niches Promote Seedling Survival in Forest Restoration: A 7-Year Study of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Seedlings in Waterton Lakes National Park

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Cripps ◽  
Genoa Alger ◽  
Robert Sissons
Keyword(s):  
Forest Restoration ◽  
National Park ◽  
Mountain Pine Beetle ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Pinus Albicaulis ◽  
Whitebark Pine ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Blister Rust ◽  
Waterton Lakes National Park

Designer niches in which environmental variables are controlled are useful in forest restoration to enhance survival of planted tree seedlings. Here, we evaluate particular manipulated habitats, on site variables, and pre-seedling conditions hypothesized to improve the survival rate of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seedlings out-planted in Waterton Lakes National Park. The tree species is in peril due to blister rust and mountain pine beetle infestations in its range; and is a restoration priority in Waterton Lakes because populations in the park are highly infected with blister rust (up to 90%). At Summit Lake, 21 plots were set up and half of each was terra-torched; 1000 seedlings were planted in clusters of three, under four conditions: on burned areas in burned beargrass mats, in burned areas where beargrass mats were not present, in unburned areas where beargrass was present, and in unburned areas without beargrass. This study reports data for the seventh year after planting, and overall, survival was 53% for individual seedlings and at least one seedling survived in 60.8% of clusters. Planting in burned areas increased cluster survival (by 34.3%, p ˂ 0.0001) and planting near microsites increased cluster survival (by 19.3%, p ˂ 0.0001); the type of microsite did not make a difference. Planting in beargrass mats decreased survival, but not significantly (8.9%, p = 0.11) and this was true for burns, not unburned areas. Inoculation with native ectomycorrhizal fungi did not enhance survival most likely because controls on lightly terra-torched and unburned areas had access to local native fungi. This is the first study to report statistics on the planting of seedlings in clusters; the results need to be compared with studies where seedlings are planted individually.

Spatial variation in tree regeneration in the forest-tundra ecotone, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1326-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Weisberg ◽  
William L. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
National Park ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Rocky Mountain National Park ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Forest Tundra ◽  
The Past ◽  
Environmental Controls

Ecotone vegetation may be especially sensitive to climate change. In particular, the invasion of subalpine meadows by tree seedlings has been well documented. However, there has been no systematic analysis of tree regeneration across the environmental heterogeneity of the alpine forest–tundra ecotone (FTE). Also, the position of the FTE may be relictual from more favorable climates of the past and therefore unresponsive to changing climate. To assess the environmental controls on FTE tree regeneration, to determine whether the ecotone might be relictual, and to determine whether tree invasion of nonforested FTE areas is occurring, we measured tree regeneration in various environments within the FTE of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Generally, seedling establishment appears to be controlled by patterns of soil moisture. Little seedling establishment was observed in krummholz openings, except for high seedling densities in willow wetlands. Tree seedling invasion of tundra is rare. Therefore, the upper limits of the FTE in Rocky Mountain National Park may be relictual from more favorable climates of the past. Abundant seedling establishment in patch forest openings suggests that patch forest may be poised to change to closed forest.

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