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Liana Ecology Project
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ABSTRACT:
Liana abundance patterns: the role of ecological filters during development
Journal Article
Nogueira A; Costa FRC; Castilho CV
2011
Biotropica
43
442-449
We studied three different size classes of liana abundance representing proxies for three different life stages and aimed to identify the sequence of ecological filters that have led to current patterns of liana abundance. We tested the relationship between vegetation structure (including antagonistic support types) and soil texture on liana abundance using 40 plots (1 and 0.25 ha) set at least 1 km apart and distributed over 64 km2 in a Central Amazonian terra firme forest. Three support types were considered: palms thin trees and an index of vegetation structure. Liana size classes responded hierarchically to ecological filters: larger size classes were progressively less associated with the environmental variables while different aspects of vegetation structure were related to individual size classes. This hierarchical pattern suggests that selection mechanisms change throughout liana life cycles. Our results show that vegetation structure is an important predictor of liana abundance at a mesoscale and highlights the importance of considering the spatial structure in studies of tropical liana communities.
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