Annual cycles are the most common reproductive strategy in African tropical tree communities

Adamescu, Gabriela Simina; Plumptre, Andrew J.; Abernethy, Katharine; Polansky, Leo; Bush, Emma R; Chapman, Colin A.; Shoo, Luke P.; Fayolle, Adeline; Janmaat, Karline R. L.; Robbins, Martha M.; Ndangalasi, Henry J.; Cordeiro, Norbert J.; Gilby, Ian C.; Wittig, Roman M.; Breuer, Thomas; Hockemba, Mireille Breuer Ndoundou; Sanz, Crickette; Morgan, David; Pusey, Anne E.; Mugerwa, Badru; Gilagiza, Baraka; Tutin, Caroline E. G.; Ewango, Corneille E. N.; Sheil, Douglas; Dimoto, Edmond; Baya, Fidèle; Bujo, Flort; Ssali, Fredrick; Dikangadissi, Jean Thoussaint; Jeffery, Kathryn J.; Valenta, Kim; White, Lee; Masozera, Michel; Wilson, Michael L.; Bitariho, Robert; Ebika, Sydney T. Ndolo; Gourlet‐Fleury, Sylvie; Mulindahabi, Felix; Beale, Colin M.

doi:10.1111/btp.12561

Cited by 49 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Analytical problems are compounded with monitoring challenges of many tropical studies conducted in remote locations or in countries with chronic political instability ( e.g., Adamescu et al . , Babweteera et al . ).…”

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Inter‐annual variability of fruit timing and quantity at Nouragues (French Guiana): insights from hierarchical Bayesian analyses

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The timing and quantity of fruit production are major determinants of the functioning of a forest community, but simultaneous analyses of both are rare. We analyzed a ten‐year dataset (2001–2011) of fruit production for 45 tree and liana species from the Nouragues rain forest, French Guiana. We developed a hierarchical Bayesian approach to determine variation in the timing and quantity of fruit production. Our analysis accommodates missing censuses and quantifies variation at seasonal and inter‐annual scales. The fruiting peak of 22 of 45 species occurred during the peak of the rainy season, which is typical for central and eastern Amazon. The timing and quantity of fruit production varied substantially across years in most species, with greater variation in quantity than in timing. The timing of fruit production varied from continuously fruiting species to mast fruiting species that had two or more consecutive years without fruit production. Fully 40% of species were mast fruiting species. The seasonal timing and inter‐annual variation in fruiting were unrelated to seed dispersal mode across species. We saw no evidence for directional change in the level of fruit production, the timing of fruit production, or their variances; however, 10 yr is a short record for such analyses.

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Inter‐annual variability of fruit timing and quantity at Nouragues (French Guiana): insights from hierarchical Bayesian analyses

et al. 2018

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“…, Adamescu et al . ). By contrast, few quantitative studies have examined the reproductive size of tropical trees (Thomas ).…”

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The size at reproduction of canopy tree species in central Africa

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Size at reproduction is a key aspect of species life history that is relatively understudied for long‐lived tropical trees. Here, we quantified reproductive diameter for 31 major timber species across 11 sites in Cameroon, Congo, and Central African Republic. Specifically, we examined whether (1) between‐species variability is correlated with other species traits; (2) reproductive diameter varies within‐species among sites; (3) reproductive status varies with crown exposure; and (4) the minimum cutting diameter limits (MCDL) imposed by national forest regulations enable seed trees to persist after logging operations. Consistent with studies conducted elsewhere in the tropics, we found great variability in diameter at reproduction among species, which correlated with adult stature (maximum diameter and height). For some species, reproductive diameter thresholds substantially varied between sites, and crown exposure had a significant positive effect on reproductive status. Most MCDLs were found to be suitable, with trees having a high probability of being seed trees at MCDL. Our findings have implications for the sustainable management of production forests, and they highlight questionable MCDLs for some species and between‐site variation in reproductive diameter. The study also highlights the need for long‐term phenological monitoring of tree species spanning a large range of ecological strategies to address both theoretical (species life history, allocation trade‐offs) and practical questions (MCDL).

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“…, Adamescu et al . ). In addition, many of the tropical phenology studies that are now invaluable to assess global change were originally conceived for the study of resource availability and are not necessarily optimized to study climate change impacts on plants ( e.g ., phenology monitoring at Lopé NP was originally set up in 1984 to study Gorilla and Chimpanzee foraging: Tutin et al .…”

Section: Improving Statistical Power In Analyses Of Tropical Phenologymentioning

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Towards effective monitoring of tropical phenology: maximizing returns and reducing uncertainty in long‐term studies

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Phenology is a key component of ecosystem function and is increasingly included in assessments of ecological change. We consider how existing, and emerging, tropical phenology monitoring programs can be made most effective by investigating major sources of noise in data collection at a long‐term study site. Researchers at Lopé NP, Gabon, have recorded monthly crown observations of leaf, flower and fruit phenology for 88 plant species since 1984. For a subset of these data, we first identified dominant regular phenological cycles, using Fourier analysis, and then tested the impact of observation uncertainty on cycle detectability, using expert knowledge and generalized linear mixed modeling (827 individual plants of 61 species). We show that experienced field observers can provide important information on major sources of noise in data collection and that observation length, phenophase visibility and duration are all positive predictors of cycle detectability. We find that when a phenological event lasts >4 wk, an additional 10 yr of data increases cycle detectability by 114 percent and that cycle detectability is 92 percent higher for the most visible events compared to the least. We also find that cycle detectability is four times as high for flowers compared to ripe fruits after 10 yr. To maximize returns in the short‐term, resources for long‐term monitoring of phenology should be targeted toward highly visible phenophases and events that last longer than the observation interval. In addition, programs that monitor flowering phenology are likely to accurately detect regular cycles more quickly than those monitoring fruits, thus providing a baseline for future assessments of change.

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Annual cycles are the most common reproductive strategy in African tropical tree communities

Cited by 49 publications

References 53 publications

Inter‐annual variability of fruit timing and quantity at Nouragues (French Guiana): insights from hierarchical Bayesian analyses

Inter‐annual variability of fruit timing and quantity at Nouragues (French Guiana): insights from hierarchical Bayesian analyses

The size at reproduction of canopy tree species in central Africa

Towards effective monitoring of tropical phenology: maximizing returns and reducing uncertainty in long‐term studies

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