Effect of canopy openness on growth, specific leaf area, and survival of tree seedlings in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Chacón, Paulina; Armestó, Juan J.

doi:10.1080/0028825x.2005.9512945

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…These values are comparable with those found in evergreen forests of La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica (Denslow et al 1990). We found no differences in soil moisture or total inorganic nitrogen (nitrate plus ammonium), measured at the beginning of the experiment and 6 months later, between canopy gap and forest interior (Chaco´n and Armesto 2005).…”

Section: Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…We predicted that the impact of herbivory on seedling growth and survival should be lower in open habitats, because the lower cost of replacing foliar tissue losses (Denslow 1987;Denslow and Hartshorn 1994). While in the tree-fall gap seedlings of both tree species produced an average of six new leaves, in the forest interior the increment did not reach two leaves in a period of 16 months (Chaco´n and Armesto 2005). A growth reduction in the forest interior, as observed in this study, is even more marked in the neotropical tree Dipteryx panamensis (Clark and Clark 1984).…”

Section: Effects Of Canopy Openness and Herbivory On Seedling Performmentioning

confidence: 66%

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Do carbon-based defences reduce foliar damage? Habitat-related effects on tree seedling performance in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Chacón

Armestó

2005

Oecologia

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Carbon-based secondary compounds (CBSCs), such as phenols or tannins, have been considered as one of the most important and general chemical barriers of woody plants against a diverse array of herbivores. Herbivory has been described as a critical factor affecting the growth and survival of newly established tree seedlings or juveniles then, the presence of secondary metabolites as defences against herbivores should be a primary strategy to reduce foliar damage. We examined whether light-induced changes in leaf phenolic chemistry affected insect herbivory on seedlings of two rainforest tree species, Drimys winteri (Winteraceae) and Gevuina avellana (Proteaceae). Seedlings of both species were planted under closed canopy and in a canopy gap within a large remnant forest patch. Half of the seedlings in each habitat were disinfected with a wide-spectrum systemic insecticide and the other half were used as controls. Seedling growth, survival, and foliar damage (estimated by an herbivory index) due to insect herbivores were monitored over a period of 16 months (December 2001-April 2003). The total leaf content of phenols and condensed tannins were assessed in seedlings from both habitats. As expected, access to light induced a greater production of CBSCs in seedlings of both tree species, but these compounds did not seem to play a significant defensive role, as seedlings grown in gaps suffered greater leaf damage than those planted in forest interior. In addition, in both habitats, seedlings without insecticide treatment suffered a greater foliar damage than those with insecticide, especially 16 months after the beginning of the experiment. Canopy openness and herbivory had positive and negative effects, respectively, on seedling growth and survival in both tree species. In conclusion, despite the higher levels of defence in tree-fall gap, the higher densities of herbivore override this and lead to higher damage levels.

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Section: Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Effects Of Canopy Openness and Herbivory On Seedling Performmentioning

confidence: 66%

Do carbon-based defences reduce foliar damage? Habitat-related effects on tree seedling performance in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Chacón

Armestó

2005

Oecologia

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“…Plants adapt to the light, moisture, and nutrient conditions of the local environment by varying their leaf size and leaf thickness. Plants adapted to low light commonly have thin leaves with a larger surface area (Chacón and Armesto 2005;Taiz and Zeiger 2006;Gurevitch et al 2006). Leaf traits of individual leaves on the same plant vary based on sunlight and shade conditions (Morecroft and Roberts 1999;Nagel and O'Hara 2001;Gratani et al 2006;Al Afas et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between leaf water repellency and leaf traits in three distinct biogeographical regions

Holder

2011

Plant Ecol

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Leaf water repellency (LWR) is the degree to which water droplets repel from a leaf surface. LWR has been suggested as an adaptation to maximize gas exchange during photosynthesis and as a mechanism to increase hydrological inputs beneath the canopy. This article examined the relationships between LWR and leaf traits in 33 species across three distinct biogeographical regions (tropical montane cloud forests in Guatemala; tropical dry forests in Guatemala; and foothills-grassland vegetation in the U.S.). The objectives of this study were to determine if leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf biomass, specific leaf area, leaf toughness, stomatal density, and the presence of epiphylls explained variation in LWR in the 33 species. LWR was greatest in the dry foothills-grassland ecotone in Colorado and lowest in humid cloud forest of the Sierra de las Minas. Most possible pairs of species were significantly different from each other at each study area. Significant variation in all leaf traits was found among species and sites. LWR was not explained by leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf biomass, and specific leaf area. The presence of epiphylls influenced LWR on the abaxial leaf surfaces of species of the Sierra de las Minas. The article concludes that leaf traits related to size and mass do not influence LWR; however, the variation in LWR in species between distinct biogeographical regions remains an important research area in ecohydrology.

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“…Shade-intolerant species may be restricted to small canopy gaps largely due to their higher light requirements for regeneration (Canham, 1989). Drimys winteri seems broadly tolerant to light conditions during the seedling and sapling stages (Figueroa & Lusk, 2001;Gutiérrez et al, 2004;Chacó n & Armesto, 2005). However, the regeneration pattern of E. cordifolia contrasts with the findings for lowland (but not coastal) Chiloé forests where the regeneration of this species appeared to depend on larger gaps (Donoso et al, 1985;Veblen, 1985).…”

Section: Tree Regeneration Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gap‐phase dynamics and coexistence of a long‐lived pioneer and shade‐tolerant tree species in the canopy of an old‐growth coastal temperate rain forest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Gutiérrez

Aravena

Carrasco-Farías

et al. 2008

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim A major question with regard to the ecology of temperate rain forests in south-central Chile is how pioneer and shade-tolerant tree species coexist in oldgrowth forests. We explored the correspondence between tree regeneration dynamics and life-history traits to explain the coexistence of these two functional types in stands apparently representing a non-equilibrium mixture.Location This study was conducted in northern Chiloé Island, Chile (41.6°S, 73.9°W) in a temperate coastal rain forest with no evidence of stand disruption by human impact.Methods We assessed stand structure by sampling all stems within two 50 · 20 m and four 5 · 100 m plots. A 600-m long transect, with 20 uniformly spaced sampling points, was used to quantify seedling and sapling densities, obtain increment cores, and randomly select 10 tree-fall gaps. We used tree-ring analysis to assess establishment periods and to relate the influences of disturbances to the regeneration dynamics of the main canopy species.Results Canopy emergent tree species were the long-lived pioneer Eucryphia cordifolia and the shade-tolerant Aextoxicon punctatum. Shade-tolerant species such as Laureliopsis philippiana and several species of Myrtaceae occupied the main canopy. The stem diameter distribution for E. cordifolia was distinctly unimodal, while for A. punctatum it was multi-modal, with all age classes represented. Myrtaceae accounted for most of the small trees. Most tree seedlings and saplings occurred beneath canopy gaps. Based on tree-ring counts, the largest individuals of A. punctatum and E. cordifolia had minimum ages estimated to be > 350 years and > 286 years, respectively. Shade-tolerant Myrtaceae species and L. philippiana had shorter life spans (< 200 years). Most growth releases, regardless of tree species, were moderate and have occurred continuously since 1750.Main conclusions We suggest that this coastal forest has remained largely free of stand-disrupting disturbances for at least 450 years, without substantial changes in canopy composition. Release patterns are consistent with this hypothesis and suggest that the disturbance regime is dominated by individual tree-fall gaps, with sporadic multiple tree falls. Long life spans, maximum height and differences in shade tolerance provide a basis for understanding the longterm coexistence of pioneer and shade-tolerant tree species in this coastal, oldgrowth rain forest, despite the rarity of major disturbances.

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Effect of canopy openness on growth, specific leaf area, and survival of tree seedlings in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Cited by 8 publications

References 47 publications

Do carbon-based defences reduce foliar damage? Habitat-related effects on tree seedling performance in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

Do carbon-based defences reduce foliar damage? Habitat-related effects on tree seedling performance in a temperate rainforest of Chiloé Island, Chile

The relationship between leaf water repellency and leaf traits in three distinct biogeographical regions

Gap‐phase dynamics and coexistence of a long‐lived pioneer and shade‐tolerant tree species in the canopy of an old‐growth coastal temperate rain forest of Chiloé Island, Chile

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