Plant–plant interactions in tropical forests

Ewel, John J.; Hiremath, Ankila J.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511541971.002

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 87 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A certain degree of below-ground niche complementarity in terms of rooting space occupation may well exist in a number of mixed forests, but we conclude from our findings that this seems not to be a frequent or even universal phenomenon. This is in agreement with a conclusion drawn by Ewel and Hiremath (2005) for tropical forests emphasizing that belowground complementarity among tree species is rare due to genetic constraints of root system development. Systematic investigations in a larger number of forests differing in tree species diversity are needed to clarify the importance of functional niche complementarity in the fine root system among species and to show, under which circumstances it may result in 'overyielding' in terms of fine root biomass and productivity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

No evidence of spatial root system segregation and elevated fine root biomass in multi-species temperate broad-leaved forests

Meinen

Leuschner

Ryan

et al. 2009

Trees

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Differences in spatial rooting patterns among coexisting species have been recognized as an important mechanism for generating biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. However, it is not yet clear whether complementarity in root space exploration is a universal characteristic of multi-species woody communities. In a temperate broad-leaved forest with a mosaic of speciespoor and species-rich stands, we tested two hypotheses related to putative below-ground 'overyielding' in more diverse forests, (1) that species mixture results in a partial spatial segregation of the fine root systems of different species, and (2) that stand fine root biomass increases with tree species diversity. We investigated 12 stands either with one, three, or five dominant tree species (4 replicate stands each) under similar soil and climate conditions for stand fine root biomass and spatial root segregation in vertical and horizontal direction in the soil. Fine roots of different tree species were identified using a morphological key based on differences in colour, periderm surface structure, and branching patterns. In species-poor and species-rich stands, and in all tree species present, fine root density (biomass per soil volume) decreased exponentially with soil depth at very similar rates. Stand fine root biomass in the densely rooted upper soil (0-40 cm depth) was not significantly different between stands with 1, 3 or 5 dominant tree species. We conclude that 'below-ground overyielding' in terms of higher fine root biomasses in species-rich stands as compared to monospecific ones does not occur in these broad-leaved forests which most likely results from a missing complementarity in vertical rooting patterns of the present tree species.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

No evidence of spatial root system segregation and elevated fine root biomass in multi-species temperate broad-leaved forests

Meinen

Leuschner

Ryan

et al. 2009

Trees

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The dependence of one life form on another for physical support is a common phenomenon in the tropics. Indeed, the most common form of several large families is epiphytic (Ewel & Hiremath 2005). Microhabitat selection by epiphytes is likely to be influenced by host characteristics, as these influence an epiphyte's ability to obtain water, nutrients, and light.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting the Distribution and Abundance of Asplenium nidus L. in a Tropical Lowland Rain Forest in Peninsular Malaysia

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Asplenium nidus is an abundant epiphytic fern of tropical rain forests in the Old World, where it plays an important ecological role in the forest canopy as host to diverse arthropod communities. We investigated the factors that determine the distribution and abundance of A. nidus in the canopy of an aseasonal lowland dipterocarp forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia. We found that A. nidus was more abundant in the understory, and on hosts with smooth bark and relatively flat branch angles. Ferns were found on a wide diversity and size range of host taxa. However, both host taxa and host diameter at breast height had a significant effect on A. nidus occupancy. Asplenium nidus had an aggregated spatial distribution at all scales within the study area. Spatial aggregation at larger scales appears to be driven by habitat preference, as A. nidus abundance was positively associated with swampy areas and negatively associated with hilly areas. At smaller scales, limited dispersal of their wind-dispersed spores most likely explains the aggregated distribution. Larger individuals occurred higher in the canopy and were more common in the hilly area. Thus, the distribution of A. nidus may represent a trade-off between the availability of suitable microsites for establishment in the understory and better growth conditions higher in the canopy. However, A. nidus is known to comprise a complex of cryptic species, and future studies should incorporate molecular techniques to elucidate the potential role of speciation in explaining these patterns. Abstract in Malaysian is available at

show abstract

“…Neighborhood models show that although competition for light has a strong influence on the growth of small trees (Coomes and Allen 2007), crowding, which supposedly reflects belowground interactions, affects all trees (Canham et al 2004, Coomes andAllen 2007) and can have stronger effects than shading (Canham et al 2004, Coates et al 2009). Moreover, complementary rooting depths are commonly invoked to account for biodiversity effects (Loreau 1998, Ewel and Hiremath 2005, Pretzsch and Schutze 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond shading: Litter production by neighbors contributes to overyielding in tropical trees

Sapijanskas

Potvin

Loreau

2013

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The influence of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning is now well established. However, our ability to predict the ecological consequences of biodiversity changes remains limited by our poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying biodiversity effects. We disentangled the contributions of light competition and residual neighborhood interactions in a 10‐year‐old biodiversity experiment with tropical trees that display overyielding, i.e., higher community‐level yields in mixtures compared with monocultures. We developed models of individual tree growth that partition the effects of neighboring trees into shading and residual effects assumed to reflect primarily belowground interactions. These models reject the hypothesis that reduced light competition in mixtures is the only mechanism driving overyielding. After factoring out the effects of shading, litter production by neighbors was a far better predictor of tree growth than traditional crowding indices; it contributed to overyielding by producing pairwise interactions that ranged from competitive to facilitative, but which, on average, concentrated competition within species. Consistent with litter‐mediated biodiversity effects, the magnitude of overyielding increased over time. Our results provide evidence for diversity effects extending beyond that of light and reveal the neglected role of litter‐mediated interactions among trees.

show abstract

Plant–plant interactions in tropical forests

Cited by 11 publications

References 87 publications

No evidence of spatial root system segregation and elevated fine root biomass in multi-species temperate broad-leaved forests

No evidence of spatial root system segregation and elevated fine root biomass in multi-species temperate broad-leaved forests

Factors Affecting the Distribution and Abundance of Asplenium nidus L. in a Tropical Lowland Rain Forest in Peninsular Malaysia

Beyond shading: Litter production by neighbors contributes to overyielding in tropical trees

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About