No strong evidence for increasing liana abundance in the Myristicaceae of a Neotropical aseasonal rain forest

Smith, James R.; Queenborough, Simon A.; Álvia, Pablo; Romero‐Saltos, Hugo; Valencia, Renato

doi:10.1002/ecy.1657

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Additionally, stable dynamics in liana abundances have also been more recently documented over a similar time period in the well-conserved Yasuní Forest Dynamics Plot (Smith et al . 2016), suggesting that increases in liana abundance stabilize with forest age, as we found in the area of low-intensity land-use in this study. The distribution of percentages of lianas in the tree crowns (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…However, our study does show that in the younger forest area with a higher intensity of past land-use, increases in liana density and biomass accompanied a dynamic tree community, paralleling the increases in lianas and accelerating tree dynamics in other Neotropical forests (Phillips 1996, Wright 2005. Additionally, stable dynamics in liana abundances have also been more recently documented over a similar time period in the well-conserved Yasuní Forest Dynamics Plot (Smith et al 2016), suggesting that increases in liana abundance stabilize with forest age, as we found in the area of low-intensity land-use in this study. The distribution of percentages of lianas in the tree crowns (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

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Liana dynamics reflect land-use history and hurricane response in a Puerto Rican forest

Hogan

Mayorquín

Rice³

et al. 2017

J. Trop. Ecol.

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Abstract:We studied lianas in a subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico to understand how hurricane impacts and past human land-uses interact to affect liana dynamics over a 14-year period. We compared a high-intensity land-use area, where the forest that had been cleared, and used for subsistence agriculture before being abandoned in 1934 then regrew to a low-intensity land-use area, in which there had been only some selective experimental logging by the USDA Forest Service in the 1940s. Prior to our study, both areas were strongly affected by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and again damaged to a lesser degree by Hurricane Georges in 1998, increasing canopy openness and subsequently increasing tree stem densities. Between 2001 and 2015, changes in the light environment and the recovery of forest structure resulted in roughly a 50% reduction in tree stem densities in the high-intensity land-use area, as recruited saplings naturally thinned. In this area, liana abundance increased by 103%, liana biomass tripled, and occupancy of trees by lianas grew by nearly 50%. In the low-intensity land-use area, juvenile stem densities were stable, and resultantly liana abundance only increased by 33%, liana biomass rose 39%, and the occupancy of trees was constant. Liana flower and fruit production increased over the 14-year interval, and these increases were much greater in the high-intensity land-use quadrats. Results of this study do show how rapid forest tree successional dynamics coincide with liana increases, but the confounding of hurricane effects of disturbance at our site, prevent us from asserting that the increases in liana density and biomass can be attributed to the same causes as those in forests elsewhere in the Neotropics.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Liana dynamics reflect land-use history and hurricane response in a Puerto Rican forest

Hogan

Mayorquín

Rice³

et al. 2017

J. Trop. Ecol.

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“…, , Schnitzer and Bongers , Schnitzer ; but see Smith et al. for small‐sized trees) resulting in alterations of forests structure and composition as well as reductions in carbon storage capacity of the forests (Chave et al. , Ingwell et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry conditions and disturbance promote liana seedling survival and abundance

Umaña

Forero‐Montaña

Nytch

et al. 2019

Ecology

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Species composition and community structure in Neotropical forests have been severely affected by increases in climate change and disturbance. Among the most conspicuous changes is the proliferation of lianas. These increases have affected not only the carbon storage capacity of forests but also tree dynamics by reducing tree growth and increasing mortality. Despite the importance of lianas in Neotropical forests, most of the studies on lianas have focused on adult stages, ignoring dynamics at the seedlings stage. Here, we asked whether observed increases in liana abundance are associated with a demographic advantage that emerges early in liana ontogeny and with decreased precipitation and increased disturbance. To test this, we compared patterns of growth and survival between liana seedlings and tree seedlings using a long‐term data set of seedling plots from a subtropical wet forest in Puerto Rico, USA. Then, we examined the effect of precipitation and land use history on these demographic variables. We found evidence for liana seedling survival advantage over trees, but no growth advantages. This survival advantage exhibited significant temporal variation linked with patterns of rainfall, as well as differences associated with land‐use history in the study area. Furthermore, we found that neighborhood density has a negative effect on liana survival and growth. Our results indicate that liana proliferation is likely related to a survival advantage that emerges in early stages and is influenced by climatic conditions and past disturbance. Predicted climatic changes in rainfall patterns, including more frequent and severe droughts, together with increases in disturbance, could have a significant effect on seedling tropical communities by favoring lianas.

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“…Lianas are important structural components of tropical forests, occupying about 50% of the canopy cover (Putz, ). During the last two decades, a number of studies have documented significant increases in the density and biomass of adult lianas in Neotropical forests (Phillips et al, ; Schnitzer & Bongers, , but see, Smith, Queenborough, Alvia, Romero‐Saltos, & Valencia, ), yet causes of this proliferation are largely unknown. The observed proliferation of adult lianas should also generate increases in lianas at earlier ontogenetic stages, such as higher production of liana seeds and higher liana seedling recruitment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term dynamics of liana seedlings suggest decelerating increases in liana relative abundance over time

2019

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Over the past decades, tropical forests have experienced both compositional and structural changes. In the Neotropics, researchers at multiple sites have observed significant increases in the abundance and biomass of lianas (i.e. woody vines) relative to trees. However, the role of dynamics at early life stages in contributing to increasing liana abundance remains unclear. We took advantage of a unique dataset on seedling dynamics over 16 years in ~20 000 1‐m2 plots in a tropical forest in Panama to examine temporal and spatial trends in liana and tree seedling abundance. We found that the relative abundance of liana seedlings increased across the study period, from 0.18 in 2001 to 0.24 in 2017. However, increases in liana seedling relative abundance appear to have levelled off in more recent years. The observed increases in liana relative abundance appear to be the result of both higher survival and higher recruitment rates of liana seedlings compared to tree seedlings. Increasing liana abundance in the seedling layer was not explained by annual variation in dry season length, total rainfall or the proportion of area occupied by canopy gaps. In addition, liana seedlings did not exhibit a demographic advantage (i.e. higher recruitment or survival) over tree seedlings in dry habitats. Synthesis. Our results reveal that seedling communities experienced important compositional changes in the past, but liana seedling relative abundance may have stabilized in recent years. Longer‐term monitoring is needed to determine whether tropical forests will continue to experience compositional changes that may alter forest structure and ecosystem function.

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No strong evidence for increasing liana abundance in the Myristicaceae of a Neotropical aseasonal rain forest

Cited by 9 publications

References 66 publications

Liana dynamics reflect land-use history and hurricane response in a Puerto Rican forest

Liana dynamics reflect land-use history and hurricane response in a Puerto Rican forest

Dry conditions and disturbance promote liana seedling survival and abundance

Long‐term dynamics of liana seedlings suggest decelerating increases in liana relative abundance over time

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