Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

9-2018

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Source Publication

Journal of Tropical Ecology

Source ISSN

0266-4674

Abstract

Climate change may increase the intensity of hurricanes (Emanuel 1987, 2003), and thus the size of disturbance in tropical forests. As a consequence, disturbance-specialist plants, such as lianas, may increase in abundance there (Phillips & Gentry 1994). Putz (1984) hypothesized that lianas create larger treefall gaps by connecting trees together and pulling down multiple trees during storms. This positive-feedback cycle may increase the prevalence of lianas in disturbed tropical forests (Schnitzer & Bongers 2002, Schnitzer & Carson 2001). Alternatively, Putz (1984) proposed that lianas tie and stabilize canopies together, resulting in less disturbance. Forest age may determine the role of lianas during disturbance because liana abundance and composition vary through secondary succession (De Walt et al. 2000, Schnitzer et al. 2000). To test the two hypotheses of Putz (1984), we evaluated the effect of liana cutting between forests of different successional ages on tree damage by hurricane Wilma.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Tropical Ecology, Vol. 24, No. 5 (September 2018) : 559-562. DOI. © 2018 Cambridge University Press. Used with permission.

Stefan A. Schnitzer was affiliated with University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee at the time of publication.

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