Seed rain in a tropical agricultural landscape

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Martínez-Garza ◽  
Alejandro Flores-Palacios ◽  
Marines De La Peña-Domene ◽  
Henry F. Howe
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Total Seed

Abstract:Seed dispersal into fragmented tropical landscapes limits the rate and character of ecological succession between forest remnants. In a novel experiment in recovery of dispersal between forest remnants, 120 1-m2 seed traps were placed in fenced plots in active pasture 90–250 m from forest, and in nearby primary and secondary forests. Total seed rain from December 2006 to January 2008 included 69 135 seeds of 57 woody species. High richness of seed rain of early-successional trees occurred in all habitats, but seed rain of late-successional woody plants was much lower into pastures and secondary forest than into old-growth forest. Non-metric ordination analysis further demonstrated high movement of late-successional species within and between forest and secondary forest, but little movement of species of either forest type to pastures. Most species were dispersed by animals, but most seeds were dispersed by wind. A pattern of seed rain biased strongly towards wind-dispersed species creates a template for regeneration quite unlike that in nearby forest.

Long-term performance and herbivory of tree seedlings planted into primary and secondary forests of Central Amazonia

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julieta Benítez-Malvido ◽  
Miguel Martínez-Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Central Amazonia ◽  
One Year ◽  
Term Performance ◽  
Over Time

Abstract:Plant survival and growth in tropical rain forest are affected by different biotic and abiotic forces. As time elapses and plants grow the relative importance of such forces as regeneration inhibitors and/or facilitators may change according to habitat and species. To detect within- and among-species divergences in performance over time in different habitats we followed, for nearly a decade, the survival, growth and herbivory of seedlings of the native tree species: Chrysophyllum pomiferum, Micropholis venulosa and Pouteria caimito. In Central Amazonia, young seedlings were planted into old-growth and secondary forests dominated by Vismia spp. One year after planting, C. pomiferum ranked first (i.e. fast growth, fewer dead and less herbivory) for both habitats, followed by M. venulosa and P. caimito. Initial trends changed over time. In the long term, M. venulosa ranked first for both habitats, followed by C. pomiferum and P. caimito ranked consistently lowest. Within-species divergences in growth and herbivory were greater in secondary forest. Initial seedling responses cannot always be used to predict species persistence in the long term. Contrary to previous estimations, old-growth-forest species can persist under Vismia spp. stands, at least when planted.

scholarly journals Determinism and stochasticity in seed dispersal-successional feedbacks

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nohemi Huanca Nuñez ◽  
Robin L. Chazdon ◽  
Sabrina E. Russo
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Site Variation ◽  
Tropical Secondary Forest ◽  
Successional Age

AbstractRegeneration of tropical secondary forests depends critically on seed input, and yet successional dynamics of seed dispersal remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of stochastic vs. deterministic processes in structuring seed rain in successional forests using four years of seed rain data collected at two time periods in four tropical secondary forest fragments representing a chronosequence and in mature forest. Determinism in successional trajectories is defined as predictable, directional, and orderly changes in community structure through time, resulting in convergence toward a climax community. We found that with increasing successional age, the community assembly of the seed rain in secondary forests became more deterministic, and community structure converged to that in the mature forest, both in terms of taxonomic and functional composition. Taxonomic similarity of the seed rain in successional forest to that of the mature forest increased with successional age, as did species co-occurrence and the percentage of shared species between the seed rain of successional and mature forests. The proportions of large, shade-tolerant species in the seed rain increased with successional age, although the proportion of animal-dispersed species increased only modestly. Analyses of the spatial variation in community structure in the seed rain among sites within each secondary forest showed evidence that assembly processes transitioned from being deterministic and convergent early on, to purely stochastic, and then to deterministic and divergent later in succession. Moreover, with increasing successional age, the composition of the seed rain became more similar to that of the mature woody stems in the forest, which could be an important deterministic driver of successional change, that, along with among site variation in landscape context and environment, could also generate idiosyncratic successional patterns among secondary forest fragments Our results suggest that the dominant processes influencing seed dispersal and assembly of the seed rain change during succession and point to successional feedbacks influencing the seed rain that are likely to shape regeneration trajectories.

Exotic Plant Species in Old-Growth Forest in Indiana

Weed Science ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Weber ◽  
K. D. Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Exotic Species ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Minor Component ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Exotic Plant ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Exotic Plant Species ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Old-growth forest in Indiana consists of a few remnant stands in a fragmented agricultural landscape. Old-growth stands can differ substantially from more recently disturbed stands in species composition and may be less susceptible to invasion by exotic plant species. Herbaceous species were sampled in quadrats placed in a repeating pattern along two perpendicular transects in six Old-growth stands in Indiana in spring and summer of 2005. Transects extended from forest edges to the center of each stand. Woody exotic species were sampled in 10-m-wide belts centered on each transect during the summer sampling run. Herbaceous exotic species were a minor component of the understory community in all stands and accounted for less than 1% of total herbaceous cover in all six stands. Exotic woody species generally followed a similar pattern. Four sites contained no more than two woody exotic species, and these were encountered at relatively low frequencies and densities. However, European privet and multiflora rose were present in 27 and 48% of quadrats in one stand, respectively. Thus, although both herbaceous and woody exotic species were relatively rare, heavy infestations of woody exotic species are possible. This suggests that, for some Old-growth sites, exotic species can overcome both local and landscape factors that limit their abundance.

The Recovery of Biomass, Nutrient Stocks, and Deep-Soil Functions in Secondary Forests

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Nepstad ◽  
Paulo R. S. Moutinho
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Root Systems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Development ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Conceptual Shift

Secondary forests cover approximately one third of the 0.5 million km2 of the Brazilian Amazon that have been cleared for agriculture (Houghton et al. 2000, Fearnside and Guimarães 1996). These forests counteract many of the deleterious impacts of forest conversion to agriculture and cattle pasture. They absorb carbon from the atmosphere, they reestablish hydrological functions performed by mature forests, and they reduce the flammability of agricultural landscapes. Secondary forests transfer nutrients from the soil to living biomass, thereby reducing the potential losses of nutrients from the land through leaching and erosion. They also allow the expansion of native plant and animal populations from mature forest remnants back into agricultural landscapes. The study of forest recovery has focused on aboveground processes, primarily biomass accumulation. The few studies that have examined the recovery of belowground functions in Amazon secondary forests have been restricted to the upper meter or less of soil (e.g. Buschbacher et al. 1988). A review of our knowledge of secondary forest recovery is needed that incorporates accumulating evidence that approximately half of the region’s forests rely upon root systems extending to depths of several meters to maintain evapotranspiration during prolonged seasonal drought (Nepstad et al. 1994, Jipp et al. 1998, Nepstad et al. 1999a, Hodnett et al. 1997; see also Richter and Markewitz 1995). This discovery demands a conceptual shift in our approach to forest recovery on abandoned land. Are secondary forests capable of regrowing deep root systems, thereby recovering hydrologic functions and fire resistance of the mature forest? At what rate does this recovery take place? How does this ability to tap a large soil volume change our thinking about the role that nutrient shortages play in restricting secondary forest recovery? In this chapter, we begin to address these questions with the goal of furthering a mechanistic understanding of forest recovery on abandoned Amazonian lands. Our analysis focuses on three measures of secondary forest development: biomass accumulation, nutrient accumulation, and hydrological recovery. We choose biomass accumulation, because it is the best integrative measure of secondary forest development, it is the basis for estimates of carbon sequestration by secondary forests, and it is the most frequently measured secondary forest parameter.

scholarly journals Distribution of sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) in forest remnants and adjacent matrix habitats in Brazilian Amazonia

2003 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. De Luca ◽  
H. L. Vasconselos ◽  
T. V. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Brazilian Amazonia ◽  
Forest Remnants ◽  
Matrix Habitats ◽  
Lower Population ◽  
Primary Forests

We studied the distribution of sandflies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) - insect vectors of several diseases, including leishmaniasis - at the interface between primary forest and cattle pasture and between primary forest and secondary forest (< 15 yr old) in Southern Brazilian Amazonia. Sandflies were collected by using a combination of light traps and traps having vertebrates as baits. Strong differences in abundance and species richness were found between primary forests and pastures. Very few sandfly species were found in the pastures, and those that were found generally occurred at lower densities when compared to the adjacent forest. At least one species (Lutzomyia lainsoni), however, can become extremely abundant in pastures, possibly depending on the presence of cattle and water bodies. Differences between primary forests and secondary forests were not so strong, although the latter usually had fewer species and lower population abundances. No species were exclusively found in pastures or secondary forests; the species present in these two habitats were a subset of those found in primary forests. The distance to the edge did not affect the abundance, richness and composition of sandfly species in primary forests. The abundance and richness of sandflies, however, was greater in forest edges facing pastures than those facing secondary forests. This pattern could not be explained by an influx of species and individuals from the adjacent pasture, suggesting the existence of in situ differences between the different types of forest edges studied.

scholarly journals Integrating Density into Dispersal and Establishment Limitation Equations in Tropical Forests

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinés de la Peña-Domene ◽  
Cristina Martínez-Garza
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Dispersal Limitation ◽  
Plant Recruitment ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
High Dispersal

Plant recruitment in tropical forests reflects the chance that seeds arrive at a site resulting in seedling establishment. To inform tropical forest restoration, we ask how seed and seedling densities differentially affect dispersal and establishment limitation in successional habitats in a tropical agricultural landscape. Methods: In Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, we calculated indices of dispersal and establishment limitation using data on seed rain and seedling establishment in old-growth forest, secondary forest, and fenced pasture. We present an index that considers variations in dispersal- and establishment-limitation including density-weighted calculations. Results: There were greater dispersal and establishment limitations in pasture than in forests. Substantial differences in both dispersal and establishment limitation occurred among the 33 species for which seed and seedling data were available. Only 5% of all species had mid to low limitation in both dispersal and establishment. In contrast, 60% of all species showed high dispersal and establishment limitation. Plant recruitment in pastures is impeded by low seed arrival, given that 77% of the recorded species showed extremely high dispersal limitation (>90%). Conclusions: The low capacity of most species to arrive, seeds to germinate and seedlings to establish in pastures slow down succession back to forest.

scholarly journals Secondary Forest Succession in the Mata Atlantica, Brazil: Floristic and Phytosociological Trends

ISRN Ecology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Siminski ◽  
Alfredo Celso Fantini ◽  
Raymond Paul Guries ◽  
Ademir Roberto Ruschel ◽  
Maurício Sedrez dos Reis
Keyword(s):  
Forest Succession ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Shade Tolerant Species ◽  
Small Set

This study aimed at understanding the dynamics of ecological processes and the use of secondary forests in Santa Catarina state (Brazil). The data base for these studies was formed through forest inventories carried out in the three forest types of the state. The results of this study demonstrate that the patterns of diversity are very similar among the three forest types; however, the species compositions among the types are quite different. A total of 343 woody species belonging to 73 families were found in the 24,000 m2 sampling area, revealing the potential role of secondary forest in the conservation of biodiversity at the landscape scale. As expected, a small set of pioneer species dominates young secondary forests with shade-tolerant species becoming structurally important after 30 years. The patterns of forest structure and species diversity observed in study largely conform to the postagricultural secondary succession observed for many tropical forests.

scholarly journals Old-growth forest loss and secondary forest recovery across Amazonian countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Smith ◽  
John Healey ◽  
Erika Berenguer ◽  
Paul Young ◽  
Ben Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest

There is growing recognition of the potential of large-scale restoration in the Amazon as a “nature-based solution” to climate change. However, our knowledge of forest loss and recovery beyond Brazil is limited, and carbon emissions and accumulation have not been estimated for the whole biome. Combining a 33-year land cover dataset with estimates of above-ground biomass and carbon sequestration rates, we evaluate forest loss and recovery across nine Amazonian countries and at a local scale. We also estimate the role of secondary forests in offsetting old-growth deforestation emissions and explore the temporal trends in forest loss and recovery. We find secondary forests across the biome to have offset just 9.7% of carbon emissions from old-growth deforestation, despite occupying 27.6% of deforested land. However, these numbers varied between countries ranging from 9.0% in Brazil to 23.8% in Guyana for carbon offsetting, and 24.8% in Brazil to 56.9% in Ecuador for forest area recovery. We reveal a strong, negative spatial relationship between old-growth forest loss and recovery by secondary forests, showing that regions with the greatest potential for large-scale restoration are also those that currently have the lowest recovery (e.g. Brazil dominates deforestation and emissions but has the lowest recovery). Our findings identify three important challenges for policy makers: (1) incentivising large-scale restoration in highly deforested regions, (2) protecting secondary forests without disadvantaging landowners who depend on farm-fallow systems, and (3) preventing further deforestation. Combatting all of these successfully is essential to ensuring that the Amazon biome achieves its potential in mitigating anthropogenic climate change.

Diversité floristique spontanée des plantations de café et de cacao dans la forêt classée de Monogaga, Côte d'Ivoire | Spontaneous floristic diversity of cocoa and coffee plantations in the classified forest of Monogaga, Côte d'Ivoire (reviewed paper)

2006 ◽  
Vol 157 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constant Yves Adou Yao ◽  
Edouard Kouakou N'Guessan
Keyword(s):  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Coffee Plantations ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
High Tree Density

The inventory and the analysis of the woody species preserved in the different categories of cocoa and coffee plantations showed that they are relatively diversified (presence of endemic, rare and threatened species). They also preserved high tree density and high basal areas. The young plantations are especially diversified. Their number of species,density and basal areas and diversity index are similar to those of the neighbouring old growth and secondary forests. Older plantations display a sharp decline of diversity over time. Agricultural practices in the region represent a threat in the medium term to the preservation of biodiversity.

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