Early Successional Forest (early + successional_forest)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Resource Partitioning in Sympatric Cynopterus bats in Lowland Tropical Rain Forest, Thailand

BIOTROPICA, Issue 2 2007
Sara Bumrungsri
ABSTRACT Diet and habitat use of the closely related and size-overlapping sympatric Cynopterus brachyotis and C. sphinx were established in lowland dry evergreen forest, Thailand, between March 1998 and March 2000. Feces from netted bats were analyzed, and the recapture rate determined. Although both species share a set of food plants, and fruits from early successional forest contribute about half of their diet, C. brachyotis, the smaller of the two species, ate a significantly greater proportion of fruits from early successional forest than C. sphinx. The latter ate a significantly greater proportion of fruit species in larger size classes. More C. brachyotis were captured in early successional forest in almost every month, while C. sphinx is more common in old-growth forest. However, the capture rate of C. sphinx increased in early successional forest in the mid-dry season when its preferred fruits become available. The recapture rate of C. brachyotis in early successional forest was significantly higher than that of C. sphinx, and the reverse situation was observed in old-growth forest. Male C. sphinx had a significantly higher recapture rate in early successional forest than females. Fruit size and habitat use are the major determinants of resource partitioning between these size-overlapping congeners. [source]


Succession and Micro-elevation Effects on Seedling Establishment of Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. (Clusiaceae) in an Amazonian River Meander Forest1

BIOTROPICA, Issue 4 2003
Rachel T. King
ABSTRACT I investigated the effects of successional stage and micro-elevation on seedling establishment of Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae), a common canopy tree of seasonally flooded lowland forest along the Manú River meander zone in southeastern Peru. To compare seedling establishment between microhabitat types, I planted C. brasiliense seeds in a fully crossed experimental design of three successional stages (early, mid, and mature) and two micro-elevations (levees and backwaters). Seedling establishment success in this study was affected by both successional stage and micro-elevation, but micro-elevation was most important in mid-successional habitats. In general, seedlings in early succession experienced better conditions than in mature forest; light levels were higher, herbivory lower, and seedling growth higher. In mid-successional forest, micro-elevation determined habitat quality; backwaters had higher light levels, lower herbivory, and higher seedling growth and survival than levees. Mid-successional backwaters were similar in quality to early successional forest for seedling establishment, while levees in that same successional stage were the poorest microhabitats for establishment. Although mid-successional backwaters are similar to early succession for seedling establishment, in the long run, seedlings that establish in mid-succession have a lower chance of reaching reproductive size before their habitat ages to mature forest than members of their cohort that established in early succession. I hypothesize that successful recruitment for C. brasiliense in the Manú River meander system requires dispersal to early successional habitat. RESUMEN Yo investingé el efecto de microhábitats del sistema serpentine ribereño, los cuales se diferencian en estado sucesional y en microelevación, en el establecimiento de plántulas de Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae), un árbol común en bosques estacionalmente inundados alrededor de los meandros del Río Manú en Perú. Para comparar establecimiento de plántulas entre los microhábitats, sembré semillas de C. brasiliense en seis condiciones de microhábitat, combinando los efectos de tres estados sucesionales (bosque temprano, mediano, y maduro) y dos microelevaciones (lomos y depresiones). El establecimiento de plántulas en este estudio fue afectado por estado sucesional y por microelevación, pero microelevación fue más importante en sucesión mediana. En general, plántulas en sucesión temprana tenían mejores condiciones que plántulas de bosque maduro; niveles de luz más altos, menor herbivoría, y una mayor tasa de crecimiento. En sucesión mediana, microelevacion determinó calidad de hábitat; depresiones presentaron más luz, menos herbivoria, y mayor crecimiento y sobreviviencia de plántulas que los lomos. Depresiones en sucesión mediano fueran similares en calidad a sucesión temprano en cuanto al establecimiento de plántulas, mientras que lomos en este mismo estado sucesional fueron los peores microhábitats para establecimiento. A largo plazo, las plántulas establecidas en sucesión mediano tienen menos probabilidad de alcanzar el tamaño reproductive (antes de que el hábitat llega a ser bosque maduro) que las plántulas de la misma edad, establecidas en sucesión temprana. El reclutamiento efectivo de C. brasiliense en el sistema serpentino del Río Manú probablemente requiere la dispersión al hábitat de sucesión temprana. [source]


Size and Structure of Fine Root Systems in Old-growth and Secondary Tropical Montane Forests (Costa Rica)

BIOTROPICA, Issue 2 2003
Dietrich Hertel
ABSTRACT The fine root systems of three tropical montane forests differing in age and history were investigated in the Cordillera Talamanca, Costa Rica. We analyzed abundance, vertical distribution, and morphology of fine roots in an early successional forest (10,15 years old, ESF), a mid-successional forest (40 years old, MSP), and a nearby undisturbed old-growth forest (OGF), and related the root data to soil morphological and chemical parameters. The OGF stand contained a 19 cm deep organic layer on the forest floor (i.e., 530 mol C/m2), which was two and five times thicker than that of the MSF (10 cm) and ESF stands (4 cm), respectively. There was a corresponding decrease in fine root biomass in this horizon from 1128 g dry matter/m2 in the old-growth forest to 337 (MSF) and 31 g/m2 (ESF) in the secondary forests, although the stands had similar leaf areas. The organic layer was a preferred substrate for fine root growth in the old-growth forest as indicated by more than four times higher fine root densities (root mass per soil volume) than in the mineral topsoil (0,10 cm); in the two secondary forests, root densities in the organic layer were equal to or lower than in the mineral soil. Specific fine root surface areas and specific root tip abundance (tips per unit root dry mass) were significantly greater in the roots of the ESF than the MSF and OGF stands. Most roots of the ESF trees (8 abundant species) were infected by VA mycorrhizal fungi; ectomycorrhizal species (Quercus copeyemis and Q. costaricensis) were dominant in the MSF and OGF stands. Replacement of tropical montane oak forest by secondary forest in Costa Rica has resulted in (1) a large reduction of tree fine root biomass; (2) a substantial decrease in depth of the organic layer (and thus in preferred rooting space); and (3) a great loss of soil carbon and nutrients. Whether old,growth Quercus forests maintain a very high fine root biomass because their ectomycorrhizal rootlets are less effective in nutrient absorption than those of VA mycorrhizal secondary forests, or if their nutrient demand is much higher than that of secondary forests (despite a similar leaf area and leaf mass production), remains unclear. [source]


Does land-use change affect biodiversity dynamics at a macroecological scale?

ANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 2 2009
A case study of birds over the past 20 years in Japan
Abstract Because the effects of land-use change on biodiversity have primarily been examined at or below the regional scale, it remains unclear whether such effects scale up to the macroecological scale (i.e. nationwide or continental scale). In Japan, forests have become more mature since the cessation of most forestry efforts in the 1970s. At a nationwide scale, this forest maturation may lead to reductions in the abundance of species that depend on early successional forests (early successional species) and increases in the abundance of species that depend on mature forests (mature forest species). Japan has met its high demand for wood through imports from South-east Asia, resulting in deforestation there. Therefore, the abundance of mature forest species that migrate long distances to overwinter in South-east Asia may decrease. We examined changes in the range sizes of birds in Japan over the past 20 years using the living planet index (LPI). The LPI indicated that the range sizes of early successional species decreased. For mature forest species, the range sizes of long-distance migrants decreased, whereas those of short-distance migrants and residents increased. Our predictions were generally supported. Our results indicate that the effects of land-use change extend to the macroecological scale and that such changes in one country can affect the biodiversity dynamics in other countries. Forest maturation in Japan and concomitant deforestation in South-east Asia have been caused by internationally coupled socioeconomic processes. Therefore, biodiversity conservation at the macroecological scale must consider the role of land use, and such efforts will require both international and socioeconomic perspectives. [source]