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opencc-zeroDec 2017View details →

Data from: Successional dynamics of the bee community in a tropical dry forest: insights from taxonomy and functional ecology

Despite the recent rapid growth of tropical dry forest succession ecology, most studies on this topic have focused on plant community attribute recovery, whereas animal community successional dynamics has been largely overlooked, and the few existing studies have used taxonomic approaches. Here, we analyze the successional changes in the bee community in a Mexican tropical dry forest, by integrating taxonomic (species, genus, and family diversity) and functional (sociability, nesting strategy, and body size) information for bees. Over one year, in a successional chronosequence (2–67 years after abandonment) we collected 469 individual bees, representing five families, 36 genera and 69 species. Linear modeling showed decreases in taxonomic diversity with succession, more strongly so for species. Bee species turnover along succession ranged from moderate to high, decreasing slightly at intermediate stages. An RLQ analysis (ordination method that allows relating environmental variables with functional attributes) revealed clear relations between bee functional traits and the plant community. RLQ axis 1 was positively related to vegetation structural and diversity variables, and to eusociality, whilst solitary, parasociality and ground nesting were negatively associated with it. Early successional fallows attract mostly solitary and parasocial bees; older fallows tend to attract eusocial bees with aerial nesting. The continuous taxonomic turnover observed by us and the functional analysis suggest that the disappearance of old fallows from agricultural landscapes would likely result in significant reductions and even local extinctions of particular bee guilds. Considering the low viability of preserving large mature tropical dry forest tracts, the conservation of older successional stands emerges as a crucial component of landscape management.

opencc-zeroOct 2019View details →

Data from: Forest-type specialization strongly predicts avian responses to tropical agriculture

Species' traits influence how populations respond to land-use change. However, even in well-characterized groups such as birds, widely studied traits explain only a modest proportion of the variance in response across species. Here, we show that associations with particular forest types strongly predict the sensitivity of forest-dwelling Amazonian birds to agriculture. Incorporating these fine-scale habitat associations into models of population response dramatically improves predictive performance and markedly outperforms the functional traits that commonly appear in similar analyses. Moreover, by identifying habitat features that support assemblages of unusually sensitive habitat-specialist species, our model furnishes straightforward conservation recommendations. In Amazonia, species that specialize on forests along a soil–nutrient gradient (i.e. both rich-soil specialists and poor-soil specialists) are exceptionally sensitive to agriculture, whereas species that specialize on floodplain forests are unusually insensitive. Thus, habitat specialization per se does not predict disturbance sensitivity, but particular habitat associations do. A focus on conserving specific habitats that harbour highly sensitive avifaunas (e.g. poor-soil forest) would protect a critically threatened component of regional biodiversity. We present a conceptual model to explain the divergent responses of habitat specialists in the different habitats, and we suggest that similar patterns and conservation opportunities probably exist for other taxa and regions.

opencc-zeroDec 2020View details →

Beyond leaf habit: generalities in plant function across 97 tropical dry forest tree species

Leaf habit has been hypothesized to define a linkage between the slow-fast plant economic spectrum and the drought resistance-avoidance trade-off in tropical forests ('slow-safe versus fast-risky'). However, variation in hydraulic traits as a function of leaf habit has rarely been explored for a large number of species. We sampled leaf and branch functional traits of 97 tropical dry forest tree species from four sites to investigate whether patterns of trait variation varied consistently in relation to leaf habit along the 'slow-safe versus fast-risky' tradeoff. Leaf habit explained from 0 to 43.69 % of individual trait variation. We found that evergreen and semi-deciduous species differed in their location along the multivariate trait ordination when compared to deciduous species. While deciduous species showed consistent trait values, evergreen species trait values varied as a function of the site. Last, trait values varied in relation to the proportion of deciduous species in the plant community. We found that leaf habit describes the strategies that define drought avoidance and plant economics in tropical trees. However, leaf habit alone does not explain patterns of trait variation, which suggests that quantifying site-specific or species-specific uncertainty in trait variation as the way forward.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Data from: Tropical forests structure and diversity: a comparison of methodological choices

1. Large-scale data compilation is increasing steadily in tropical forest research, but the lack of standardized methods for data collection limits drawing inference from large datasets and cross-biome analyses. Different inclusion methods and minimum tree diameter threshold are among these varying factors. To tackle this issue, we evaluated how different approaches for tree sampling affects our understanding of diversity and functioning in different tropical vegetation types. 2. We used a unique dataset of 44 inventory plots (43.54 ha) encompassing an aridity gradient: evergreen moist forests, semideciduous and deciduous tropical forests. Data were collected using the by-tree inclusion method, in which, all stems are measured if the equivalent diameter of the tree reaches the minimum threshold. We simulated the impact of adopting different inclusion methods (by-stem and by-tree) and different minimum diameter thresholds on the estimation of number of trees and stems, biomass and species richness. We used linear mixed models to investigate the effect of minimum diameter threshold and inclusion method on our different response variables. We also evaluated species chance to be sampled under different minimum inclusion criteria. 3. Inclusion method and minimum diameter threshold mainly affect the estimation of number of trees and stems and species richness, especially in deciduous and semideciduous forests, where resprouting is a prevalent strategy. In these forests, many trees that have several stems do not reach the minimum size individually when adopting the by-stem method, yet they do reach the minimum size threshold when all stems are considered together. For these environments under water stress, our analysis showed that using large minimum sizes, such as the 10 cm typically used in rainforests, implies large sampling losses, especially when used jointly with the by-stem inclusion method. 4. The by-tree inclusion method represents an alternative approach that offers a more reliable sampling in different vegetation types, particularly in those habitats where resprouting is a widely encountered strategy along all age classes. We demonstrate the infeasibility of adopting broad and standard minimum thresholds for different tropical vegetation types, particularly considering their widely different ecological strategies.

opennotspecifiedJul 2014View details →

FIGURE 2 in Stigmaphyllon caatingicola (Malpighiaceae), a new species from Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Brazil

FIGURE 2. Stigmaphyllon caatingicola: A. detail of the abaxial surface of entire leaves, B. detail of the adaxial surface of lobed leaves, C. flowering branches, D. detail of the inflorescence, E. detail of a sepal with oil glands, F. lateral and posterior petals, G. androecium with stamens connate at base and enlarged (androecium opened at the stamen opposite to the anterior sepal), H. detail of the gynoecium, I. detail of the samaroid mericarp (based on R.F.Almeida 577).

opennotspecifiedJul 2014View details →

FIGURE 3 in Stigmaphyllon caatingicola (Malpighiaceae), a new species from Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Brazil

FIGURE 3. Map of the distribution of Stigmaphyllon caatingicola (circles) and Stigmaphyllon urenifolium (squares).

opennotspecifiedJul 2014View details →

FIGURE 1 in Stigmaphyllon caatingicola (Malpighiaceae), a new species from Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Brazil

FIGURE 1. Stigmaphyllon caatingicola: A. adaxial leaf surface, B. detail of inflorescence, C. detail of flower, D. samaroid mericarp from S. urenifolium (left) and S. caatingicola (right, scale 1 cm), E. detail of stem surface, F. habitat within SDTF in anthropomorphically modified Caatinga (white arrow shows a tree with S. caatingicola climbing) (R.F.Almeida 577, holotype).

Tree abundance in eight 1-ha tropical forest plots in northeastern Costa Rica from 1997-2017

In 1997, four 1-ha plots were established in secondary forests (12-25 yr since establishment on former pasture) in northeastern Costa Rica, in and around La Selva Research Station. In 2005, four additional plots were established, two in 10-yr old sites and two in old growth sites. The dataset contains information for 155,378 trees. Each year, from 1997-2017 all stems with a diameter of breast height ≥ 5 cm were censused in each site within 100 subplots of 10m x 10m. All but a few individuals were identified to species with confirmed identifications by local experts and vouchers. Life form for each species was also recorded as tree (reaching canopy), midtree (midstory tree), treelet (understory tree), shrub, liana, palm, or understory palm. The specimen-based data set contains data for all trees that were alive (not completely dead) and standing in each annual census, including notes on new recruits or damaged trees. Each tree individual is identified by a unique stem identifiation code and each entry has a unique specimen code. Each tree had a unique numbered tag, nailed into the stem. Locations of diameter measurements were painted on each tree to minimize annual variation and field technians had data from the prior year to confirm information for each tree. These were generally taken at 1.3 m height. In cases where a buttress or stilt root caused a stem irregularity, the measurement point was moved upwards beyond any stem irregularity. The diameter measurement for each specimen reflects each year's measurement point.

opennotspecifiedNov 2012View details →

Figure 2 in Patterns of species participation across multiple mixed-species flock types in a tropical forest in northeastern India

Figure 2. Body mass distribution of participant species of three mixed-species flock types. "Large-bodied" flocks are composed of species that are significantly larger than species comprising "Understorey" flocks. Both these flocks are understorey–midstorey foraging flocks.

opennotspecifiedNov 2012View details →

Figure 3 in Patterns of species participation across multiple mixed-species flock types in a tropical forest in northeastern India

Figure 3. Foraging method groups in (A) core and (B) regular attendant species. Core species in both understorey and canopy mixed-species flocks showed a relatively heterogeneous representation of different foraging method groups compared with attendant species.

opennotspecifiedNov 2012View details →

Figure 1 in Patterns of species participation across multiple mixed-species flock types in a tropical forest in northeastern India

Figure 1. Cluster dendrogram of mixed-species bird flocks showing three distinct flock types, namely understorey flocks, canopy flocks and flocks composed of large-bodied bird species. Each "tip" represents a mixed-species flock.

Alpha-diversity, Beta-diversity and host-specificity of wood-boring longhorn beetle (Cerambycidea) in Asian tropical and subtropical forests

A long-debated question in ecology is whether the hyper-diversity of tropical plant-feeding insects is a direct consequence of high tropical plant diversity and/or should be attributed to increases in host plant specialization. To address this debate, we used the longhorn beetle as a study system because their larval stages feed on the xylems of trees and lianas. We hypothesized that longhorn beetles show higher host-specificity in tropical forests than in other forests; alternatively, the high longhorn beetle diversity in the tropics may simply be owing to more diverse host plants. We therefore designed an investigation in tropical and subtropical forests to test these hypotheses. We adapted several analyses (i.e., non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, alpha-diversity, beta-dissimilarity indices comparisons, and variation partitioning based on redundancy analysis) to compare the species diversity of plants and longhorn beetles in different forests. Our results show that both the plant and beetle species in the tropical and subtropical areas were well-stratified (non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis). The beetle alpha-diversity in the tropical forests was significantly higher than that in the subtropical forests, but the plant alpha-diversity in the two types of forests were not significantly different. The beta-dissimilarity comparison showed that the plant species exerted a significant influence on beetle compositional assemblage in the tropical forests, but not in the subtropical forests. Finally, the variation partitioning results showed that both plant species and plant phylogenetic beta-diversity possessed significant explanatory power for beetle assemblage composition in the tropical forests, but not in the subtropical forests. We conclude that wood-boring longhorn beetles show higher host-specificity in tropical forests than in subtropical forests, and the high diversity of wood-boring longhorn beetles in tropical forests might be explained to a large extent by their more finely partitioned diet-breadth.

Data from: Soil dynamics in forest restoration: a data set for temperate and tropical regions

Restoring forest ecosystems has become a global priority. Yet, soil dynamics is still poorly assessed among restoration studies and lacks knowledge on how soil is affected by forest restoration process. Here, we compile information on soil dynamics in forest restoration based on soil physical, chemical and biological attributes in temperate and tropical forest regions. It encompasses 50 scientific papers across 17 different countries and contains 1,469 quantitative information of soil attributes between reference (e.g., old-growth forest) and restored ecosystems (e.g. forests in their initial or secondary stage of succession) within the same study. To be selected, studies had to be conducted in forest ecosystems, to include multiple sampling sites (replicates) in both restored and reference ecosystems, and to encompass quantitative data of soil attributes for both reference and restored ecosystems. We recorded in each study the following information: (i) study year; (ii) country; (iii) forest region (tropical or temperate); (iv) latitude; (v) longitude; (vi) soil class; (vii) past disturbance; (viii) restoration strategy (active or passive); (ix) restoration age; (x) soil attribute type (physical, chemical or biological); (xi) soil attribute; (xii) soil attribute unit; (xiii) soil sampling (procedures); (xiv) date of sampling; (xv) soil depth sampled; (xvi) soil analysis; (xvii) quantitative values of soil attributes for both restored and reference ecosystems; (xviii) type of variation (standard error ou deviation) for both restored and reference ecosystems; and (xix) quantitative values of the variation for both restored and reference ecosystems. These were the most common data available in the selected studies. This extensive database on the extent soil physical, chemical and biological attributes differ between reference and restored ecosystems can fill part of the existing gap on both soil science and forest restoration in terms of: (i) which are the critical soil attributes to be monitored during forest restoration? and (ii) how do environmental factors affect soil attributes in forest restoration? The data will be made available to the scientific community for further analyses on both soil science and forest restoration. Soil information gap during the forest restoration process and its general patterns can be addressed using this data set.

opennotspecifiedMay 2009View details →

Figure 1 in Within-nest abundance of a tropical cockroach Pseudoanaplectinia yumotoi associated with Crematogaster ants inhabiting epiphytic fern domatia in a Bornean dipterocarp forest

Figure 1. Response of Crematogaster difformis workers to cockroaches of two species and conspecific and allospecific ant workers.

Figure 2 in Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Figure 2. Historical rainfall distribution and minimum and maximum mean monthly temperatures recorded from 1977 to 2002 in Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. Source: Faria (2006).

Figure 3 in Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Figure 3. Cumulative curve of species and richness estimators of anurans recorded in Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil, from September 2005 to March 2007 based on sampling at breeding sites. The dots show the mean cumulative curve, generated by 500 randomized additions of samples, and the vertical bars indicate possible variation around the medium curve (confidence interval of 95%).

Figure 1 in Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Figure 1. Phytogeographic units of Brazil, pointing out the state of São Paulo, and showing the location of Morro do Diabo State Park (MDSP).

Figure 5 in Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Figure 5. Dispersion diagram of the similarity matrix in the composition of the anuran assemblage (Coefficient of Geographic Resemblance; CGR) with the geographic distance matrix among the localities. p is the significance level to Mantel's test (r), using 5000 Monte Carlo permutations.

Figure 4 in Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Figure 4. Similarity (Coefficient of Geographic Resemblance; CGR) in the taxonomic composition of the Morro do Diabo State Park anuran assemblage with other areas of different phytogeographic units in the country. r represents the Cophenetic Correlation Coefficient. The abbreviations are defined in Table 1.

Post‐agriculture rain forest succession on a tropical Pacific island

We surveyed the tree and seedling community in 34 vegetation plots in mature and >50 y old secondary lowland rain forest on the Polynesian island of Tutuila, American Samoa. The main data set includes original data from the tree surveys as well as all repeat surveys of seedling plots. We also include all R code and data sets used in analyses, including soil and environmental data, species by plot matrices for NMDS, and processed data used for survival analysis.