Comparative growth of four Syzygium species within simulated shade environments of a Sri Lankan rain forest

Singhakumara, B.M.P.; Gamage, Harshi K.; Ashton, Mark S.

doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(02)00071-3

Cited by 16 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Trends appear related to size of disturbance, stature of the forest, topographic position, and underlying geology and soil-weathering environment. Previous studies have demonstrated tree species differences in shade tolerance (Ashton, 1995;Ashton et al, 1995Ashton et al, , 2005Gamage et al, 2003); response to soil nutrition (Gunatilleke et al, 1996(Gunatilleke et al, , 1997Singhakumara et al, 2003) and aversion to drought (Ashton et al, 2005). The results from this study provide a stronger context for work conducted on Sri Lankan mixed dipterocarp forest on forest regeneration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

“…In this sense, regeneration of tree species may differentiate by specializing in particular combinations of light, soil water and nutrients beneath and across canopy openings and within the forest understory (Baillie et al, 1987;Gunatilleke et al, 1996;Bloor and Grubb, 2003;Hall et al, 2002;Singhakumara et al, 2003). Heterogeneity of the soil and light resource availability can also promote differences in the vertical structure of tree species distribution (Asian mixed-dipterocarp forest, Davies et al, 1998; Central American rain forest, Dalling et al, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Variation in canopy structure, light and soil nutrition across elevation of a Sri Lankan tropical rain forest

Ediriweera

Singhakumara

Ashton

2008

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in canopy structure, light and soil nutrition across elevation of a Sri Lankan tropical rain forest

Ediriweera

Singhakumara

Ashton

2008

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Ashton, unpubl. data; Ashton, ; Ashton & Berlyn, ; Singhakumara, Gamage., & Ashton, ; Ashton, Singhakumara, & Gamage, ). The high growth of G. dewevrei in full sunlight in our experiment is particularly remarkable given that the shade‐tolerance of this species has been highlighted for decades with no mention of its ability to grow well in high light or the potential implications of such seedling growth in helping to promote monodominance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resource acquisition strategies facilitate Gilbertiodendron dewevrei monodominance in African lowland forests

et al. 2019

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Tropical forests are hyperdiverse, yet extensive areas of monodominant forest occur in the tropics worldwide. Most long‐lived and persistent monodominant tree species form ectomycorrhizal fungi symbioses, allowing them to obtain nutrients directly from soil organic matter. This might promote monodominance by reducing nutrient availability to co‐occurring species, the majority of which form associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest is the most widespread monodominant forest in tropical Africa. Its distribution appears determined in part by moisture availability, but its monodominance is not thought to be driven by its fungal partner or soil fertility. Here, we compare soil fertility of 20 G. dewevrei stands to mixed forest from three sites across an 8,400 km2 region of the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. In contrast to previous studies, we find monodominant G. dewevrei stands associated with infertile soils, as base cations (calcium, magnesium, total exchangeable bases) and extractable manganese are extremely low, and significantly lower in soils under G. dewevrei forest compared to mixed forest. Further, and consistent with ectomycorrhizal forests globally, soil carbon to nitrogen and carbon to phosphorus ratios are significantly higher in G. dewevrei stands than in mixed forest stands, providing evidence in support of direct acquisition of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil organic matter by ectomycorrhizal fungi. Gilbertiodendron dewevrei recruits from the seedling bank, with its large seedlings surviving in high densities for over a decade. We tested whether light plasticity could facilitate monodominance by growing seedlings of G. dewevrei under controlled light conditions. We found that its seedlings grow well under a wide range of irradiance levels and conclude that this plasticity affords a competitive advantage. Synthesis. We reframe the discussion of factors contributing to monodominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei into one of resource acquisition and use efficiency. In particular, G. dewevrei is associated with moist and infertile soils and competes well under a variety of light conditions. Our data are consistent with a model where root associations with ectomycorrhizal fungi drive monodominance through the direct acquisition of nutrients from soil organic matter, promoting nutrient limitation of co‐occurring species.

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“…, , Singhakumara et al. ). All can influence patterns in species recruitment and mortality with low years in growth and leaf production being 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2004–2005, and 2006–2007 (all weakly correlated to El Niño).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Regeneration recruitment and survival in an Asian tropical rain forest: implications for sustainable management

et al. 2018

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Citation: Ashton, M. S., E. R. Hooper, B. Singhakumara, and S. Ediriweera. 2018. Regeneration recruitment and survival in an Asian tropical rain forest: implications for sustainable management. Ecosphere 9(2):e02098. 10. 1002/ecs2.2098 Abstract. Few studies have been published that focus on monitoring and investigating the long-term patterns of recruitment and survival of seedlings in the understories of tropical forests. Studies for mixed dipterocarp forest, the dominant tropical forest type for South and Southeast Asia, demonstrate seedlings in the existing forest understory (advance regeneration) play the most important role in forming a new forest after disturbance (e.g., logging, windstorms). Our study monitors the regeneration dynamic across a topographic gradient (ridge, mid-slope, and valley) of the understory for a mixed dipterocarp forest in the Sinharaja MAB reserve in southwest Sri Lanka. We recorded seedling recruitment, growth, and mortality by species in replicated plots on multiple forest understory sites over a ten-year period. Seedling density ranged from 26 to 31 m 2 with all of it categorized as advance regeneration of canopy tree species. Resultsshow differences in seedling density per species across the topography and over time, with differences driven by changes in species composition from valley to ridge and in recruitment periodicity potentially related to supra-annual variations in climate. Seedling mortality was higher on ridges than valley and midslopes; and disproportionately higher seedling mortality occurs of relatively shade-intolerant late-successional trees species (70% mortality after 8 yr) compared with their more shade-tolerant associates (30% mortality after 8 yr). Our results contradict current selective logging prescriptions for tropical forests that comprise a single cutting cycle and minimum diameter felling for all commercial timber trees. Such harvests give no consideration to timing and manipulation of the forest canopy to favor release of advance regeneration. We recommend careful timing of timber harvests to occur in synchrony to the periodicity of seedling recruitment and silvicultural treatments that both insures their release and that accommodates to differences in seedling composition and density across topography.

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Comparative growth of four Syzygium species within simulated shade environments of a Sri Lankan rain forest

Cited by 16 publications

References 21 publications

Variation in canopy structure, light and soil nutrition across elevation of a Sri Lankan tropical rain forest

Variation in canopy structure, light and soil nutrition across elevation of a Sri Lankan tropical rain forest

Resource acquisition strategies facilitate Gilbertiodendron dewevrei monodominance in African lowland forests

Regeneration recruitment and survival in an Asian tropical rain forest: implications for sustainable management

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