Rapid Liana Colonization along a Secondary Forest Chronosequence

Abstract. Lianas are an important component of tropical forests, where they reduce tree growth, fecundity, and survival. Competition for light from lianas may be intense; however, the amount of light that lianas intercept is poorly understood. We used a large-scale liana-removal experiment to quantify light interception by lianas in a Panamanian secondary forest. We measured the change in plant area index (PAI) and forest structure before and after cutting lianas (for 4 yr) in eight 80 m × 80 m plots and eight control plots (16 plots total). We used ground-based LiDAR to measure the 3-dimensional canopy structure before cutting lianas, and then annually for 2 yr afterwards. Six weeks after cutting lianas, mean plot PAI was 20% higher in control vs. liana removal plots. One yr after cutting lianas, mean plot PAI was ~17% higher in control plots. The differences between treatments diminished significantly 2 yr after liana cutting and, after 4 yr, trees had fully compensated for liana removal. Ground-based LiDAR revealed that lianas attenuated light in the upper-and middle-forest canopy layers, and not only in the upper canopy as was previously suspected. Thus, lianas compete with trees by intercepting light in the upper-and mid-canopy of this forest.

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“…, Schnitzer , Barry et al. ), which may also account for the discrepancy between our finding and that of Clark et al. ().…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

Contribution of lianas to plant area index and canopy structure in a Panamanian forest

Rodríguez‐Ronderos

Bohrer

Sánchez‐Azofeifa

et al. 2016

Ecology

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“…The differences between Gigante and Paracou are consistent with the evidence that lianas are most abundant in young forests and recently created gaps (Barry et al, ; Putz, ; Schnitzer & Carson, ). Young patches are dominated by lianas and persist in a state of arrested succession for approximately 10 years (Figure d); this leads to size distributions that are highly skewed toward small individuals of relatively low height in young patches and a very low liana density in older patches (Figures and ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Modeling the impact of liana infestation on the demography and carbon cycle of tropical forests

Brugnera

Meunier

Longo

et al. 2019

Global Change Biology

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There is mounting empirical evidence that lianas affect the carbon cycle of tropical forests. However, no single vegetation model takes into account this growth form, although such efforts could greatly improve the predictions of carbon dynamics in tropical forests. In this study, we incorporated a novel mechanistic representation of lianas in a dynamic global vegetation model (the Ecosystem Demography Model). We developed a liana‐specific plant functional type and mechanisms representing liana–tree interactions (such as light competition, liana‐specific allometries, and attachment to host trees) and parameterized them according to a comprehensive literature meta‐analysis. We tested the model for an old‐growth forest (Paracou, French Guiana) and a secondary forest (Gigante Peninsula, Panama). The resulting model simulations captured many features of the two forests characterized by different levels of liana infestation as revealed by a systematic comparison of the model outputs with empirical data, including local census data from forest inventories, eddy flux tower data, and terrestrial laser scanner‐derived forest vertical structure. The inclusion of lianas in the simulations reduced the secondary forest net productivity by up to 0.46 tC ha−1 year−1, which corresponds to a limited relative reduction of 2.6% in comparison with a reference simulation without lianas. However, this resulted in significantly reduced accumulated above‐ground biomass after 70 years of regrowth by up to 20 tC/ha (19% of the reference simulation). Ultimately, the simulated negative impact of lianas on the total biomass was almost completely cancelled out when the forest reached an old‐growth successional stage. Our findings suggest that lianas negatively influence the forest potential carbon sink strength, especially for young, disturbed, liana‐rich sites. In light of the critical role that lianas play in the profound changes currently experienced by tropical forests, this new model provides a robust numerical tool to forecast the impact of lianas on tropical forest carbon sinks.

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“…The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute manages three blocks of land (664 ha total) within a 3 × 5 km area, of which ~530 ha was covered by fallow vegetation and secondary forests of various ages upon property acquisition in 2008. Successional trajectories and dynamics in plant diversity and composition in these forests have been extensively studied (Barry, Schnitzer, van Breugel, & Hall, ; Batterman et al, ; van Breugel et al, ; Craven, Hall, Berlyn, Ashton, & van Breugel, ; Lai, Hall, Batterman, Turner, & van Breugel, ; Lai, Hall, Turner, & van Breugel, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil nutrients and dispersal limitation shape compositional variation in secondary tropical forests across multiple scales

et al. 2019

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Soil resource partitioning and dispersal limitation have been shown to shape the tree community structure of mature tropical forests, but are poorly studied in the context of forest succession. We examined the relative contributions of both ecological processes to the variation in the species composition of young tropical secondary forests at different spatial scales, and if the relative importance of these two ecological processes changed during succession. At the species level, we examined if the association between species abundances and soil fertility differed between early and late successional species and/or changed over the course of succession. We used vegetation and soil data from 47 secondary forest sites with two plots each in a tropical agricultural landscape. A distance‐based redundancy analysis and variation partitioning were employed to examine the relative importance of spatial distance (proxy for dispersal limitation) and heterogeneity in soil nutrients (proxy for soil nutrient partitioning) at the landscape scale, and a linear regression to test their effects at the local scale. We examined interspecific variation in species’ responses to successional age and soil nutrients with a joint species distribution model. Dispersal limitation and soil niche partitioning drove considerable variation in the composition of plant communities at local and landscape scales. The relative contribution of these two ecological processes changed with scale (local vs. landscape) and topography (lower slope vs. upper slope plots). At the species level, significant abundance–soil fertility associations were mostly positive. Most species became less responsive to soil nutrients over the first few decades of tropical forest succession, probably because light became the main limiting resource in older forests. Synthesis. Our key finding is that spatial heterogeneity in soil resources and spatial distance jointly drive compositional variation within and across early successional forests. Our results highlight that a network of forest fragments enhances the resilience of ecological processes and the potential of secondary forests to restore and preserve biodiversity in human‐modified landscapes. To advance our understanding of ecological succession, we need to move beyond single‐factor and local‐scale studies and examine the effects of multiple variables on succession at different spatial scales.

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Rapid Liana Colonization along a Secondary Forest Chronosequence

Cited by 46 publications

References 51 publications

Contribution of lianas to plant area index and canopy structure in a Panamanian forest

Contribution of lianas to plant area index and canopy structure in a Panamanian forest

Modeling the impact of liana infestation on the demography and carbon cycle of tropical forests

Soil nutrients and dispersal limitation shape compositional variation in secondary tropical forests across multiple scales

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