Contrasting Hydraulic Efficiency and Photosynthesis Strategy in Differential Successional Stages of a Subtropical Forest in a Karst Region

Understanding the successional process from a disturbed forest to a mature forest is essential for species recovery and conservation initiatives. The resource acquisition and drought tolerance of plants can be instructive to predictions of species abundance and distribution for different forests. However, they have not been adequately tested at different successional stages in karst regions. Here, we selected seven dominant species in an early-succession forest and 17 species in a late-succession forest in a karst region of southwestern China. Resource acquisition-related traits such as hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic rate, and drought tolerance-related traits, including turgor loss point and wood density, were measured. We found that species in the early-succession forest had a higher hydraulic conductance and photosynthetic rate than those in the late-succession forest, while leaf water potential at turgor loss point and wood density showed nonsignificant differences between the two forests. In addition, we observed a significant negative relationship between photosynthetic rate and drought tolerance in the early-succession forest, which was not identified in late-succession forests. Our study indicates that resource acquisition rather than drought tolerance was the key factor explaining plant distributions in forests at different successional stages in karst regions. We also suggest that the resource acquisition and drought tolerance trade-off hypothesis is not always supported for karst region species. Our study could inform about the design of species replacements in successional forests and provide forest management and restoration guidelines for karst regions.

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

Little is known about the successional dynamics of insects in the highly threatened tropical dry forest (TDF) ecosystem. For the first time, we studied the response of carabid beetles to vegetal succession and seasonality in this ecosystem in Colombia. Carabid beetles were collected from three TDF habitat types in two regions in Colombia: initial successional state (pasture), early succession, and intermediate succession (forest). The surveys were performed monthly for 13 months in one of the regions (Armero) and during two months, one in the dry and one in the wet season, in the other region (Cambao). A set of environmental variables were recorded per month at each site. Twenty-four carabid beetle species were collected during the study. Calosoma alternans and Megacephala affinis were the most abundant species, while most species were of low abundance. Forest and pasture beetle assemblages were distinct, while the early succession assemblage overlapped with these assemblages. Canopy cover, litter depth, and soil and air temperatures were important in structuring the assemblages. Even though seasonality did not affect the carabid beetle assemblage, individual species responded positively to the wet season. It is shown that early successional areas in TDF could potentially act as habitat corridors for species to recolonize forest areas, since these successional areas host a number of species that inhabit forests and pastures. Climatic variation, like the El Niño episode during this study, appears to affect the carabid beetle assemblage negatively, exasperating concerns of this already threatened tropical ecosystem.

Habitat use and age structure of the Fer-de-Lance (Bothrops asper, Viperidae) in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica

The Fer-de-lance or terciopelo (Bothrops asper) inhabits a wide range of environmental conditions and habitats across Central America. While much information on the species is based on anecdotal observations and useum specimens, data collected under natural conditions are more limited. To better document its natural history, this study sought to determine the habitat use and age structure of B. asper in the Quebrada Gonzalez sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica. Snake surveys were conducted from January 2015 to August 2017 and used to evaluate the population age-class distribution and sex ratio. To evaluate macrohabitat use, surveys were conducted in four habitat types (mature forest, late succession, early succession, and human infrastructure). Microhabitat use was determined by recording several structural variables at each snake location and at random sites. Amphibians were sampled in each habitat type to evaluate the available prey base. Fifty-five individuals were captured, mostly females and juveniles, with five recaptures. Snakes were encountered in all habitat types but most often in early succession forests, which have dense vegetation cover and high prey availability. Snakes selected areas with heavy understory cover when resting, and more exposed sites, often closer to bodies of water, when ambushing prey or moving. Human-disturbed sites were used least. Although snake encounters did tend to correlate with higher amphibian abundance, other factors such as mammalian prey abundance could also influence snake distribution.