Multi-stemmed trees in subtropical coastal dune forest: Survival strategy in response to chronic disturbance

Nzunda, Emmanuel F.; Griffiths, Megan; Lawes, Michael J.

doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2007)18[693:mtiscd]2.0.co;2

Cited by 19 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“… Multi‐stemmed architecture in rain forests will become more prevalent as productivity declines (Bellingham & Sparrow 2000). Multi‐stemmed architecture will also be prevalent in sites subject to frequent disturbance (Nzunda et al . 2007a), such as steep, unstable slopes where multiple stems are likely to be a response to uprooting and physical damage (Sakai et al .…”

Section: A Conceptual Model For Multi‐stemmed Trees In Montane Rain Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐stemmed trees in montane rain forests: their frequency and demography in relation to elevation, soil nutrients and disturbance

Bellingham

Sparrow

2009

Journal of Ecology

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Summary 1.Multi-stemmed trees are a common component of tropical and temperate montane rain forests, where they co-occur with single-stemmed trees. We hypothesized that multi-stemmed architecture should predominate in less productive sites (such as at high elevation or with low soil nutrient availability) and that, because it frequently results from sprouting, it should prevail in sites that are frequently disturbed. We also hypothesized that where multi-stemmed architecture predominates, there should be lower rates of mortality and recruitment of individuals. 2. We tested these hypotheses using data from permanent plots in tropical montane rain forests in Jamaica (14 years) and in temperate montane rain forests in New Zealand (19 years). The frequency of multi-stemmed trees varied across plots in both forests (4 -34% in Jamaica; 0 -21% in New Zealand) along gradients of elevation and soil nutrients. 3. Analyses examined the direct and indirect effects of the various environmental variables that are likely to drive site productivity and disturbance. We showed contrasting predictors of the frequency of multi-stemmed trees in the tropical and temperate forests. Multi-stemmed trees in Jamaican forests were most frequent on sites of low soil nutrient status (especially available soil phosphorus, P) whereas in New Zealand they were most frequent at high elevation sites, especially towards tree line. In both forests there was no relationship between multi-stemmed tree frequency and slope. 4. Turnover (the mean of mortality and recruitment rates) of multi-stemmed trees in Jamaican forests was lowest on sites of low soil nutrient status (especially available P) but was unrelated to environmental predictors in New Zealand. In both forests, turnover rates of multi-stemmed trees overall were 60% lower than those for co-occurring single-stemmed trees, offering support for the hypothesis that multi-stemmed architecture favours persistence. 5. Synthesis . Our study demonstrates that multi-stemmed trees can predominate in low productivity sites in montane rain forests. Their low turnover compared with co-occurring single-stemmed trees confirms the importance of evaluating the persistence niche as a mechanism promoting woody species coexistence in forests.

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Section: A Conceptual Model For Multi‐stemmed Trees In Montane Rain Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐stemmed trees in montane rain forests: their frequency and demography in relation to elevation, soil nutrients and disturbance

Bellingham

Sparrow

2009

Journal of Ecology

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“…Even in the absence of catastrophic disturbances, many woody plants resprout after physical damage caused by falling debris, browsing by animals, chronic coastal wind and dieback on the forest floor (Hara 1987;Paciorek et al 2000;Ickes, Dewalt & Thomas 2003;Nzunda, Griffiths & Lawes 2007. Resprouts can grow much faster than similar-sized seedlings because they have the advantage of a large, pre-existing root system, and this allows damaged trees to quickly restore their above-ground biomass after a disturbance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interspecific variation in the size‐dependent resprouting ability of temperate woody species and its adaptive significance

Shibata

Tanaka

et al. 2013

Journal of Ecology

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Summary 1.Resprouting of woody species after above-ground damage may help plants to persist longer at a given site and quickly reoccupy disturbed sites, thereby strongly influencing forest dynamics. Resprouting has been discussed from two adaptation perspectives: recovery from damage by catastrophic disturbance and survival in frequently disturbed shaded understorey. However, few studies have comprehensively dealt with both adaptation types to understand resprouting strategies. 2. To understand the adaptive significance of resprouting, we assessed the size dependence of resprouting ability after stem clipping for 24 deciduous broad-leaved species, including shrubs, subcanopy and canopy trees, in a cool-temperate forest in Japan. The community assembly includes species adapted to past catastrophic disturbances (e.g. fire, logging) and to stable forest with intermittent treefall (currently the dominant disturbance). We correlated resprouting ability with lifehistory strategies based on demographic parameters and plant functional traits, such as leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf toughness and wood density. 3. All the studied species could resprout in juveniles, and resprouting ability increased as stump size increased. Most sub-canopy and canopy trees lost their ability to resprout after attaining a particular stump size, whereas shrub species retained the ability to resprout throughout their lifetimes. 4. The relative growth rate, LMA and foliar nitrogen did not greatly influence the resprouting ability of a species. In contrast, species with smaller maximum size, lower leaf toughness and lower wood density had better juvenile resprouting ability. This better resprouting ability may have evolved because these characteristics make them more vulnerable to shaded understorey. However, species with larger maximum size and lower leaf toughness retained their ability to resprout to a larger size. 5. Synthesis. A better resprouting ability is related to the ability to survive frequent disturbances, in juveniles, which are characteristics of both forest understorey and frequent fire or drought. To retain resprouting ability until grown seems to be an adaptation to survive infrequent large disturbances. Light-demanding species, which generally have better resprouting ability than shade-tolerants both in juveniles and adults, are adapted to disturbances of various scale and frequency; however, shadetolerants could survive well in the understorey due to a combination of stronger physical defences and resprouting ability.

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“…Flower diameter, nectary width, and fl ower depth did not differ signifi cantly between the sexes ( Table 1 ). There were also no signifi cant differences in the mean standing crop (13.8 µ L for male fl owers and 8.8 µ L for female fl owers, Table 1 ), or mean abundant subcanopy tree, occurring at a density of 146 individuals per ha and making up 11% of all tree individuals in the forest ( Nzunda et al, 2007 ). The second study population consisted of a remnant population of just six trees in Umhlanga, approximately 200 km to the South of the Cape Vidal site.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Pollinators, “mustard oil” volatiles, and fruit production in flowers of the dioecious tree Drypetes natalensis (Putranjivaceae)

Johnson

Griffiths

Peter

et al. 2009

American J of Botany

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The Putranjivaceae is an enigmatic family, notable for being the only lineage outside the Capparales to possess the glucosinolate biochemical pathway, which forms the basis of an induced chemical defense system against herbivores (the "mustard oil bomb"). We investigated the pollination biology and floral scent chemistry of Drypetes natalensis (Putranjivaceae), a dioecious subcanopy tree with flowers borne on the stem (cauliflory). Flowering male trees were more abundant than female ones and produced about 10-fold more flowers. Flowers of both sexes produce copious amounts of nectar on disc-like nectaries accessible to short-tongued insects. The main flower visitors observed were cetoniid beetles, bees, and vespid wasps. Pollen load analysis indicated that these insects exhibit a high degree of fidelity to D. natalensis flowers. Insects effectively transfer pollen from male to female plants resulting in about 31% of female flowers developing fruits with viable seeds. Cetoniid beetles showed significant orientation toward the scent of D. natalensis flowers in a Y-maze olfactometer. The scents of male and female flowers are similar in chemical composition and dominated by fatty acid derivatives and isothiocyanates from the glucosinolate pathway. The apparent constitutive emission of isothiocyanates raises interesting new questions about their functional role in flowers.

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Multi-stemmed trees in subtropical coastal dune forest: Survival strategy in response to chronic disturbance

Cited by 19 publications

References 3 publications

Multi‐stemmed trees in montane rain forests: their frequency and demography in relation to elevation, soil nutrients and disturbance

Multi‐stemmed trees in montane rain forests: their frequency and demography in relation to elevation, soil nutrients and disturbance

Interspecific variation in the size‐dependent resprouting ability of temperate woody species and its adaptive significance

Pollinators, “mustard oil” volatiles, and fruit production in flowers of the dioecious tree Drypetes natalensis (Putranjivaceae)

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