Annual Rainfall and Seasonality Predict Pan‐tropical Patterns of Liana Density and Basal Area

Authors

Saara J. DeWalt, Clemson UniversityFollow
Stefan A. Schnitzer, Marquette UniversityFollow
Jérôme Chave, CNRS and Université Paul SabatierFollow
Frans Bongers, Wageningen UniversityFollow
Robyn J. Burnham, University of MichiganFollow
Zhiquan Cai, Chinese Academy of SciencesFollow
George B. Chuyong, University of BueaFollow
David B. Clark, University of Missouri – St. Louis
Corneille E.N. Ewango, Wageningen UniversityFollow
Jeffrey J. Gerwing, Portland State UniversityFollow
Esteban Gortaire, Pontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorFollow
Terese Hart, Wildlife Conservation SocietyFollow
Guillermo Ibarra-Manriquez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Kalan Ickes, Clemson UniversityFollow
David Kenfack, University of MichiganFollow
Manuel J. Macía, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Jean-Remy Makana, Wildlife Conservation SocietyFollow
Miguel Martinez-Ramos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoFollow
Joseph Mascaro, University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeFollow
Sainge Moses, Korup Forest Dynamics Plot Programme
Helene C. Muller-Laudau, Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteFollow
Marc P.E. Parren, Wageningen UniversityFollow
Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Pondicherry UniversityFollow
Diego R. Perez-Salicrup, Centro de Investigaciones en EcosistemasFollow
Francis E. Putz, University of Florida - GainesvilleFollow
Hugo Romero-Saltos, Pontificia Universidad Católica del EcuadorFollow
Duncan W. Thomas, Oregon State University

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

5-2010

Publisher

Wiley

Source Publication

Biotropica

Source ISSN

0006-3606

Abstract

We test the hypotheses proposed by Gentry and Schnitzer that liana density and basal area in tropical forests vary negatively with mean annual precipitation (MAP) and positively with seasonality. Previous studies correlating liana abundance with these climatic variables have produced conflicting results, warranting a new analysis of drivers of liana abundance based on a different dataset. We compiled a pan‐tropical dataset containing 28,953 lianas (≥2.5 cm diam.) from studies conducted at 13 Neotropical and 11 Paleotropical dry to wet lowland tropical forests. The ranges in MAP and dry season length (DSL) (number of months with mean rainfall <100 mm) represented by these datasets were 860–7250 mm/yr and 0–7 mo, respectively. Pan‐tropically, liana density and basal area decreased significantly with increasing annual rainfall and increased with increasing DSL, supporting the hypotheses of Gentry and Schnitzer. Our results suggest that much of the variation in liana density and basal area in the tropics can be accounted for by the relatively simple metrics of MAP and DSL.

Comments

Accepted version. Biotropica, Vol. 42, No. 3 (May 2010): 309-317. DOI. © 2010 Wiley. Used with permission.

Stefan A. Schnitzer was affiliated with University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute at the time of publication.

Recommended Citation

DeWalt, Saara J.; Schnitzer, Stefan A.; Chave, Jérôme; Bongers, Frans; Burnham, Robyn J.; Cai, Zhiquan; Chuyong, George B.; Clark, David B.; Ewango, Corneille E.N.; Gerwing, Jeffrey J.; Gortaire, Esteban; Hart, Terese; Ibarra-Manriquez, Guillermo; Ickes, Kalan; Kenfack, David; Macía, Manuel J.; Makana, Jean-Remy; Martinez-Ramos, Miguel; Mascaro, Joseph; Moses, Sainge; Muller-Laudau, Helene C.; Parren, Marc P.E.; Parthasarathy, Narayanaswamy; Perez-Salicrup, Diego R.; Putz, Francis E.; Romero-Saltos, Hugo; and Thomas, Duncan W., "Annual Rainfall and Seasonality Predict Pan‐tropical Patterns of Liana Density and Basal Area" (2010). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 729.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/729