Buttresses of tropical forest trees and spatial competition

Sloover, Jacques R. De; Fagnant, M.

doi:10.1127/phyto/24/1994/573

Cited by 4 publications

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“…In fact, buttressed roots are effective as structural members, supporting large trees on substrates that offer poor anchorage, since they reduce the danger of tree failure (Henwood 1973, Crook et al 1997). Plank buttressing in tropical trees may also be related to a competitive mechanism, since the physical presence of buttresses presumably hinders the neighbor establishment of other large trees and of soil‐rooted woody vines (Black & Harper 1979, Sloover & Fagnant 1994).…”

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“…Function of aboveground roots: other factors .— Buttressing was more frequent in the late successional stages in low and high várzea, where upper canopy trees reach heights of up to 30–40 m. In the study plots, tree density was low in late successional stages, and soil‐rooted woody vines were observed with more frequency in high‐várzea sites. The production of buttresses may be linked to interspecific competition, or to the defense against the establishment of soil‐rooted woody vines, as described by Black and Harper (1979) and Sloover and Fagnant (1994). However, since no replicates in other sites could be performed to date, further studies are necessary to better understand the function of buttresses as related to competition.…”

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Aboveground Roots in Amazonian Floodplain Trees¹

Wittmann

Parolin

2005

Biotropica

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Sediment‐rich rivers seasonally flood central Amazonian várzea forests, leading to periodic anoxic conditions in the rhizosphere and requiring morphological and structural adaptations, such as aboveground root systems. We investigated some possible relationships between root types and environmental factors in forest plots covering 3.1 ha of várzea in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, Brazil. Digital elevation models of the study sites were obtained; sedimentation and soil texture were investigated to check relationship between position of trees on the flood gradient, soil conditions, and aboveground root systems. Different types of aboveground roots were closely related to flooding duration and habitat dynamics. Species subjected to higher and more prolonged floods tended to produce more aboveground roots than species subjected to lower and shorter inundations. Plank‐buttressing species increased with decreasing flood height and/or flood duration, and with increasing growth height and basal area. Habitats inundated for long periods were dominated by species with low growth heights and low basal areas, which formed stilt roots and aerial roots. Root system and sediment deposition showed a close relationship, plank buttressing being more common in sites subjected to lower sediment rates. In the disturbed sites close to the main river channel colonized by pioneer species, the occurrence of buttresses was lower than in less disturbed climax stages. No clear relationship was found between root systems and sediment grain sizes.

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confidence: 99%