Mimosa ceratonia (climbing mimosa).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval ◽  
Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Great Range ◽  
Fast Growing

Abstract M. ceratonia is a fast-growing perennial multi-stemmed vine that is considered a weed in Puerto Rico (Vélez and Overbeek, 1950). The species is able to grow in a great range of habitats including fencelines, roadsides, pastures, brushy pastures, wooded drains, forest edges and openings in secondary forests. Consequently, it has the potential to spread much further than it has to date, both inside and outside its native range. Seeds are easily dispersed by the pods clinging to clothing or to the fur of animals, and they can remain viable for several years (Francis, 2000).

Short-term response of secondary forests to hurricane disturbance in Puerto Rico, USA

2004 ◽  
Vol 199 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 379-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Pascarella ◽  
T. Mitchell Aide ◽  
Jess K. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Hurricane Disturbance ◽  
Term Response

Oldenlandia corymbosa (flat-top mille graines).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
Forest Edges ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Agricultural Produce ◽  
Disturbed Areas ◽  
New Habitats

Abstract Oldenlandia corymbosa is a widespread polymorphic weed with a pantropical distribution. It is fast-growing and can rapidly colonize disturbed areas, open sites, gardens, farmlands, forest edges, grasslands, roadsides and riverbanks. O. corymbosa also produces large volumes of tiny seeds that can be easily dispersed by water, animals and vehicles, or as a contaminant in soil and agricultural produce. Its weedy habit, preference for disturbed sites and tiny seeds all facilitate its spread and colonization of new habitats.

scholarly journals Cordia dentata (white manjack).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo A. Ventosa-Febles ◽  
Pedro Acevedo-Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Cayman Islands ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Us Virgin Islands ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The North ◽  
Disturbed Areas ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Right

Abstract Cordia dentata is an evergreen tree native to the Americas, from Mexico to the north of South America, including a number of Caribbean islands. It is grown as an ornamental, and cultivated for fruit and wood. It has been introduced in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Because it can grow on poor soils it is used for reforestation of denuded areas. It has not been reported as invasive within or outside its native range, but its ability to colonize infertile, disturbed areas may allow it to become invasive in the right conditions.

Performance of Anthocephaluschinensis in Puerto Rico

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel E. Lugo ◽  
Julio Figueroa
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Calcareous Soils ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Basal Area Growth ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
The Tropics

The growth of kadam (Anthocephaluschinensis (Lam.) A. Rich. ex Walp.), a fast-growing Asiatic species, was studied under different soil and climatic conditions in Puerto Rico. Plantings included a 10-year-old line planting, a 12.5-year-old plantation, 12 localities with 20-year-old single tree plots, and 1 locality with four 52-year-old trees. Over 600 trees were measured in all. Growth rates were comparable to those of fast-growing species elsewhere in the tropics; e.g., the 12.5-year-old plantation had a volume growth of 27.8 m3•ha−1•year−1 (77% was merchantable wood), a basal area growth of 1.82 m2•ha−1•year−1, and a total aboveground biomass production of 11.5 t•ha−1•year−1. Trees grew well both in plantations and in lines under natural forest. The 20-year-old single tree plots averaged up to 1 m•year−1 in height growth and 53 cm2•year−1 in basal area growth. Highest rates were observed in localities with high annual rainfall (>2500 mm) and with phosphorus- and silt-rich soils of high bulk density and low pH. After 10 years, basal area growth of trees was fastest in volcanic deep clay locations, followed, in order, by trees on volcanic shallow loams, calcareous soils, and plutonic sandy loams. However, basal area growth during the first 5 years was fastest in the plutonic sandy loams and slowest in the calcareous soils. After 20 years, volcanic deep clay soils still supported the fastest basal area growth rate (about 100 cm2•year−1), while the other locations converged at about 30 cm2•year−1. Trees reached maximum height after 20 years (average, 19 m; maximum, 26.5 m). Kadam growth was limited by close spacings (below 2.5 × 2.5 m). Trees exhibited excellent form (ratio of diameter at 1.3 m to diameter at 4.9 m > 0.8). We found no evidence of pest or disease attacks on trees, but noted severe tapering and stem twist in localities having poor growth rates. Results underline the need for caution when making species adaptability assessments in the tropics with short-term (<10 years) data.

Amaranthus spinosus (spiny amaranth).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Amaranthus Spinosus ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The World ◽  
Hand Weeding ◽  
Environmental Weed ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Grazing Livestock

Abstract A. spinosus is a serious weed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. For instance, it is a troublesome weed in agricultural areas, pastures, and orchards in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Pacific region. In those regions, it is also a serious environmental weed in disturbed sites, secondary forests, along forest edges, and around water troughs (Lemmens and Bunyapraphatsara, 1999; Motooka et al., 2003; PIER, 2015; PROTA, 2015; USDA-ARS, 2015). The plant has large thorns which make it unpalatable for grazing livestock and make weeding difficult in parts of the world where hand weeding and harvest are done by hand. Like other amaranths, it produces large numbers of seeds, which can mature after the plant has been cut, and remain viable for long periods.

Identification of Fast-Growing Rhizobia Nodulating Tropical Legumes from Puerto Rico as Rhizobium gallicum and Rhizobium tropici

2004 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Zurdo-Piñeiro ◽  
Encarna Velázquez ◽  
María José Lorite ◽  
Graciela Brelles-Mariño ◽  
Eduardo C. Schröder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Rhizobium Tropici ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Tropical Legumes ◽  
Fast Growing Rhizobia ◽  
Rhizobium Gallicum

Can a fast-growing early-successional tree (Ochroma pyramidale, Malvaceae) accelerate forest succession?

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivar Vleut ◽  
Samuel Israel Levy-Tacher ◽  
Willem Frederik de Boer ◽  
Jorge Galindo-González ◽  
Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Trees And Shrubs

Abstract:Species-specific traits of trees affect ecosystem dynamics, defining forest structure and understorey development. Ochroma pyramidale is a fast-growing tree species, with life-history traits that include low wood density, short-lived large leaves and a narrow open thin crown. We evaluated forest succession in O. pyramidale-dominated secondary forests, diverse secondary forests, both 10–15 y since abandonment, and rain forests by comparing height, density and basal area of all trees (> 5 cm dbh). Furthermore, we compared species richness of understorey trees and shrubs, and basal area and density of trees of early- and late-successional species (< 5 cm dbh) between forest types. We found that tree basal area (mean ± SD: 32 ± 0.9 m2 ha−1) and height (12.4 ± 1.8 m) of canopy trees were higher, and density (1450 ± 339 ha−1) lower in O. pyramidale forests than in diverse forests, and more similar to rain forest. Understorey shrub diversity and tree seedling density and diversity were lower in O. pyramidale forests than in diverse forests, but these forest types had a similar density of early- and late-successional trees. Canopy openness (> 15%) and leaf litter (> 10 cm) were both highest in O. pyramidale forests, which positively affected density of understorey trees and shrubs and negatively affected density of late-successional trees. In conclusion, O. pyramidale forests presented structural features similar to those of rain forest, but this constrained the establishment of understorey tree species, especially late-successional species, decreasing successional development.

scholarly journals Competitive release from native range does not predict invasive success of a globally dominant exotic ant species

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senay Yitbarek ◽  
Ivette Perfecto ◽  
John H. Vandermeer
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Resource Competition ◽  
Invasion Success ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Competitive Release ◽  
Introduced Range

AbstractA major goal of invasion biology is to understand under what conditions exotic species thrive in the introduced range. High competitive abilities are thought to be an important characteristic of exotic species. Most invasion studies focus on the competitive ability of exotic species in the introduced range and attribute their ecological success to competitive release, but fewer studies have compared the relative competitive differences within the native range. These comparative studies are important in order to determine if competitive abilities of exotic species are strong predictors of invasion success. The little fire ant Wasmmnia auropunctata is a highly invasive species that has spread from its original range (Central and South America) to becoming a globally distributed exotic species in recent decades. It is generally accepted that island ecosystems offer weak biotic resistance to exotic species as compared to their native range. Here, we examined this empirically by comparing the relative competitive difference of W. auropunctata and locally dominant ants, between its native range of Mexico and introduced range of Puerto Rico. Resource competition was assessed between W. auropunctata and native ants under field conditions and in the laboratory. Furthermore, we compared resource competition at different temporal intervals ranging from short-term (< 2 hours) to long-term (14-days) dynamics. Our results are in contrast to common invasion predictions on island communities because we show that native species were resistant to W. auropunctata in its introduced range of Puerto Rico. We observed that the ground-foraging ant Solenopsis invicta competitive displaced W. auropunctata in Puerto Rico during short-term experiments. Meanwhile, the native arboreal ant Linepithema iniquum withstood competitive pressure from W. auropunctata. In the native range of Mexico, W. auropunctata was superior against Solenopsis Picea and Pheidole protensa species, but was outcompeted by dominant ants Solenopsis geminata and Pheidole synanthropica. This study challenges the relative importance of competitive ability in predicting invasion success. This is one of the few detailed comparative studies that examines exotic species performance between native and introduced habitats.

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