scholarly journals Liana functional assembly along the hydrological gradient in Central Amazonia

Author(s):  
Elisangela da Xavier Rocha ◽  
Anselmo Nogueira ◽  
Flávia Costa ◽  
Robyn Burnham ◽  
Caian Gerolamo ◽  
...  

Abstract Soil hydrology, nutrient availability and forest disturbance determine the variation of tropical tree species composition locally. However, most habitat filtering is explained by tree species' hydraulic traits along the hydrological gradient. We asked whether these patterns apply to lianas. At the community level, we investigated: (i) whether the hydrological gradient, soil fertility and forest disturbance explain liana species composition; and (ii) whether differences in leaf and stem wood functional traits were linked to species composition along ecological gradients. We sampled liana species composition in 18 1-ha plots across a 64 km² landscape in Central Amazonia and measured ten leaves and stem wood traits across 115 liana species in 2,000 individuals. We correlated liana species composition summarized with PCoA with the functional composition summarized by PCA, considering the species mean values of traits at the plot level. We tested the relationship between ordination axes and the environmental gradients. Liana species composition was highly correlated with functional composition. Taxonomic (PCoA) and functional (PCA) composition were strongly associated with the hydrological gradient, with a slight impact of forest disturbance on functional composition. Species at valley areas had higher stomata size and higher proportions of self-supporting xylem than plateau. Differently, lianas on plateaus invest more in fast-growing leaves (higher SLA), although with a higher wood density. Our study reveals that lianas use different functional solutions in dealing with each end of the hydrological gradient and that the relationships between habitat preferences and traits explain lianas species distributions not straightforwardly as previously found for trees.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e48559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Levis ◽  
Priscila Figueira de Souza ◽  
Juliana Schietti ◽  
Thaise Emilio ◽  
José Luiz Purri da Veiga Pinto ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 159 (4) ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Brzeziecki ◽  
Feliks Eugeniusz Bernadzki

The results of a long-term study on the natural forest dynamics of two forest communities on one sample plot within the Białowieża National Park in Poland are presented. The two investigated forest communities consist of the Pino-Quercetum and the Tilio-Carpinetum type with the major tree species Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Betula sp., Quercus robur, Tilia cordata and Carpinus betulus. The results reveal strong temporal dynamics of both forest communities since 1936 in terms of tree species composition and of general stand structure. The four major tree species Scots pine, birch, English oak and Norway spruce, which were dominant until 1936, have gradually been replaced by lime and hornbeam. At the same time, the analysis of structural parameters indicates a strong trend towards a homogenization of the vertical stand structure. Possible causes for these dynamics may be changes in sylviculture, climate change and atmospheric deposition. Based on the altered tree species composition it can be concluded that a simple ≪copying≫ (mimicking) of the processes taking place in natural forests may not guarantee the conservation of the multifunctional character of the respective forests.


Author(s):  
Maame Esi Hammond ◽  
Radek Pokorný ◽  
Daniel Okae-Anti ◽  
Augustine Gyedu ◽  
Irene Otwuwa Obeng

AbstractThe positive ecological interaction between gap formation and natural regeneration has been examined but little research has been carried out on the effects of gaps on natural regeneration in forests under different intensities of disturbance. This study evaluates the composition, diversity, regeneration density and abundance of natural regeneration of tree species in gaps in undisturbed, intermittently disturbed, and disturbed forest sites. Bia Tano Forest Reserve in Ghana was the study area and three gaps each were selected in the three forest site categories. Ten circular subsampling areas of 1 m2 were delineated at 2 m spacing along north, south, east, and west transects within individual gaps. Data on natural regeneration < 350 cm height were gathered. The results show that the intensity of disturbance was disproportional to gap size. Species diversity differed significantly between undisturbed and disturbed sites and, also between intermittently disturbed and disturbed sites for Simpson’s (1-D), Equitability (J), and Berger–Parker (B–P) indices. However, there was no significant difference among forest sites for Shannon diversity (H) and Margalef richness (MI) indices. Tree species composition on the sites differed. Regeneration density on the disturbed site was significantly higher than on the two other sites. Greater abundance and density of shade-dependent species on all sites identified them as opportunistic replacements of gap-dependent pioneers. Pioneer species giving way to shade tolerant species is a natural process, thus make them worst variant in gap regeneration.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 997-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine F. Crowley ◽  
Gary M. Lovett

As tree species composition in forests of the northeastern United States changes due to invasive forest pests, climate change, or other stressors, the extent to which forests will retain or release N from atmospheric deposition remains uncertain. We used a species-specific, dynamic forest ecosystem model (Spe-CN) to investigate how nitrate (NO3–) leaching may vary among stands dominated by different species, receiving varied atmospheric N inputs, or undergoing species change due to an invasive forest pest (emerald ash borer; EAB). In model simulations, NO3– leaching varied widely among stands dominated by 12 northeastern North American tree species. Nitrate leaching increased with N deposition or forest age, generally with greater magnitude for deciduous (except red oak) than coniferous species. Species with lowest baseline leaching rates (e.g., red spruce, eastern hemlock, red oak) showed threshold responses to N deposition. EAB effects on leaching depended on the species replacing white ash: after 100 years, predicted leaching increased 73% if sugar maple replaced ash but decreased 55% if red oak replaced ash. This analysis suggests that the effects of tree species change on NO3– leaching over time may be large and variable and should be incorporated into predictions of effects of N deposition on leaching from forested landscapes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Kwon Lee ◽  
Don Koo Lee ◽  
Su‐Young Woo ◽  
Emmanuel Rodantes G. Abraham ◽  
Wilfredo M. Carandang ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 387-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro SHOJI ◽  
Hideyuki IDA ◽  
Toshikazu TSUCHIMOTO ◽  
Shigeo HOYANO

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Tilak Prasad Gautam ◽  
Tej Narayan Mandal

The disappearance of global tropical forests due to deforestation and forest degradation has reduced the biodiversity and carbon sequestration capacity. In these contexts, present study was carried out to understand the species composition and density in the undisturbed and disturbed stands of moist tropical forest located in Sunsari district of eastern Nepal. Study revealed that the forest disturbance has reduced the number of tree species by 33% and tree density by 50%. In contrary, both number and density of herb and shrub species have increased with forest disturbance.


Author(s):  
Nuttaluck Khamyong ◽  
◽  
Prasit Wangpakapattanawong ◽  
Sutthathorn Chairuangsri ◽  
Angkhana Inta ◽  
...  

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