The accelerated proliferation of these woody vines, due to natural disturbance, is altering forest structure, regeneration and functioning.
The accelerated proliferation of these woody vines, due to natural disturbance, is altering forest structure, regeneration and functioning.
Lianas are the bridges of the tropical forest. These long, woody vines contribute to the high diversity of tropical plants and, by linking forest trees together, they also help animals move about the canopy. However, their abundance is increasing dramatically, which may be linked to natural forest disturbance. To test this hypothesis, a team led by Stefan Schnitzer, a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), followed the fate of more than 117,000 rooted liana stems over a 10-year period in a 50-ha area of old-growth forest in Panama’s Barro Colorado Island (BCI).
The study area chosen by the team has not been manipulated by humans for centuries, yet according to study results recently published in Ecology Letters, liana density increased by almost one-third between 2007 and 2017. Most of these increases were associated with natural canopy disturbance (canopy gaps).
Read more at: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
A team led by Stefan Schnitzer, a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, followed the fate of more than 117,000 rooted liana stems over a 10-year period in Panama’s Barro Colorado Island. (Photo Credit: Sean Mattson)
