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What controls tropical forest architecture? Testing environmental, structural and floristic drivers

What controls tropical forest architecture? Testing environmental, structural and floristic drivers
What controls tropical forest architecture? Testing environmental, structural and floristic drivers
Aim: To test the extent to which the vertical structure of tropical forests is determined by environment, forest structure or biogeographical history.

Location: Pan-tropical.

Methods: Using height and diameter data from 20,497 trees in 112 non-contiguous plots, asymptotic maximum height (H AM) and height–diameter relationships were computed with nonlinear mixed effects (NLME) models to: (1) test for environmental and structural causes of differences among plots, and (2) test if there were continental differences once environment and structure were accounted for; persistence of differences may imply the importance of biogeography for vertical forest structure. NLME analyses for floristic subsets of data (only/excluding Fabaceae and only/excluding Dipterocarpaceae individuals) were used to examine whether family-level patterns revealed biogeographical explanations of cross-continental differences.

Results: H AM and allometry were significantly different amongst continents. H AM was greatest in Asian forests (58.3 ± 7.5?m, 95% CI), followed by forests in Africa (45.1 ± 2.6?m), America (35.8 ± 6.0?m) and Australia (35.0 ± 7.4?m), and height–diameter relationships varied similarly; for a given diameter, stems were tallest in Asia, followed by Africa, America and Australia. Precipitation seasonality, basal area, stem density, solar radiation and wood density each explained some variation in allometry and H AM yet continental differences persisted even after these were accounted for. Analyses using floristic subsets showed that significant continental differences in H AM and allometry persisted in all cases.

Main conclusions: Tree allometry and maximum height are altered by environmental conditions, forest structure and wood density. Yet, even after accounting for these, tropical forest architecture varies significantly from continent to continent. The greater stature of tropical forests in Asia is not directly determined by the dominance of the family Dipterocarpaceae, as on average non-dipterocarps are equally tall. We hypothesise that dominant large-statured families create conditions in which only tall species can compete, thus perpetuating a forest dominated by tall individuals from diverse families.
allometry, architecture, dipterocarpaceae, ecology, fabaceae, function, height–diameter, maximum height, structure, tropical moist forest
1466-822X
1179-1190
Banin, L.
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Feldpausch, T.R.
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Phillips, O.L.
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Baker, T.R.
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Lloyd, J.
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Affum-Baffoe, K.
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Arets, E.J.M.M.
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Berry, N.J.
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Bradford, M.
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Brienen, R.J.W.
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Davies, S.
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Drescher, M.
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Higuchi, N.
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Hilbert, D.W.
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Hladik, A.
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Iida, Y.
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Salim, K. Abu
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Kassim, A.R.
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King, D.A.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, G.
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Metcalfe, D.
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Nilus, R.
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Peh, K. S.-H.
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Reitsma, J.M.
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Sonké, B.
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Taedoumg, H.
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Tan, S.
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White, L.
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Wöll, H.
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Lewis, S.L.
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Banin, L.
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Feldpausch, T.R.
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Phillips, O.L.
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Baker, T.R.
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Lloyd, J.
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Affum-Baffoe, K.
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Arets, E.J.M.M.
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Berry, N.J.
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Bradford, M.
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Brienen, R.J.W.
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Davies, S.
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Drescher, M.
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Higuchi, N.
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Hilbert, D.W.
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Hladik, A.
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Iida, Y.
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Salim, K. Abu
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Kassim, A.R.
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King, D.A.
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Lopez-Gonzalez, G.
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Metcalfe, D.
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Nilus, R.
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Peh, K. S.-H.
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Reitsma, J.M.
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Sonké, B.
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Taedoumg, H.
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Tan, S.
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White, L.
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Wöll, H.
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Lewis, S.L.
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Banin, L., Feldpausch, T.R., Phillips, O.L., Baker, T.R., Lloyd, J., Affum-Baffoe, K., Arets, E.J.M.M., Berry, N.J., Bradford, M., Brienen, R.J.W., Davies, S., Drescher, M., Higuchi, N., Hilbert, D.W., Hladik, A., Iida, Y., Salim, K. Abu, Kassim, A.R., King, D.A., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Metcalfe, D., Nilus, R., Peh, K. S.-H., Reitsma, J.M., Sonké, B., Taedoumg, H., Tan, S., White, L., Wöll, H. and Lewis, S.L. (2012) What controls tropical forest architecture? Testing environmental, structural and floristic drivers. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 21 (12), 1179-1190. (doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2012.00778.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aim: To test the extent to which the vertical structure of tropical forests is determined by environment, forest structure or biogeographical history.

Location: Pan-tropical.

Methods: Using height and diameter data from 20,497 trees in 112 non-contiguous plots, asymptotic maximum height (H AM) and height–diameter relationships were computed with nonlinear mixed effects (NLME) models to: (1) test for environmental and structural causes of differences among plots, and (2) test if there were continental differences once environment and structure were accounted for; persistence of differences may imply the importance of biogeography for vertical forest structure. NLME analyses for floristic subsets of data (only/excluding Fabaceae and only/excluding Dipterocarpaceae individuals) were used to examine whether family-level patterns revealed biogeographical explanations of cross-continental differences.

Results: H AM and allometry were significantly different amongst continents. H AM was greatest in Asian forests (58.3 ± 7.5?m, 95% CI), followed by forests in Africa (45.1 ± 2.6?m), America (35.8 ± 6.0?m) and Australia (35.0 ± 7.4?m), and height–diameter relationships varied similarly; for a given diameter, stems were tallest in Asia, followed by Africa, America and Australia. Precipitation seasonality, basal area, stem density, solar radiation and wood density each explained some variation in allometry and H AM yet continental differences persisted even after these were accounted for. Analyses using floristic subsets showed that significant continental differences in H AM and allometry persisted in all cases.

Main conclusions: Tree allometry and maximum height are altered by environmental conditions, forest structure and wood density. Yet, even after accounting for these, tropical forest architecture varies significantly from continent to continent. The greater stature of tropical forests in Asia is not directly determined by the dominance of the family Dipterocarpaceae, as on average non-dipterocarps are equally tall. We hypothesise that dominant large-statured families create conditions in which only tall species can compete, thus perpetuating a forest dominated by tall individuals from diverse families.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 20 July 2012
Published date: December 2012
Keywords: allometry, architecture, dipterocarpaceae, ecology, fabaceae, function, height–diameter, maximum height, structure, tropical moist forest
Organisations: Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 352970
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/352970
ISSN: 1466-822X
PURE UUID: f09c3b30-2b8c-46e3-b25c-22a0d73265af
ORCID for K. S.-H. Peh: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1341

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 May 2013 11:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:44

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Contributors

Author: L. Banin
Author: T.R. Feldpausch
Author: O.L. Phillips
Author: T.R. Baker
Author: J. Lloyd
Author: K. Affum-Baffoe
Author: E.J.M.M. Arets
Author: N.J. Berry
Author: M. Bradford
Author: R.J.W. Brienen
Author: S. Davies
Author: M. Drescher
Author: N. Higuchi
Author: D.W. Hilbert
Author: A. Hladik
Author: Y. Iida
Author: K. Abu Salim
Author: A.R. Kassim
Author: D.A. King
Author: G. Lopez-Gonzalez
Author: D. Metcalfe
Author: R. Nilus
Author: K. S.-H. Peh ORCID iD
Author: J.M. Reitsma
Author: B. Sonké
Author: H. Taedoumg
Author: S. Tan
Author: L. White
Author: H. Wöll
Author: S.L. Lewis

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