Dynamics of tree stems and biomass in old-growth and secondary forests along gradients in liana dominance, elevation and soil

Alain Senghor K. Ngute; Marion Pfeifer; David S. Schoeman; Roy E. Gereau; Hamidu R. Mnendendo; Herman M. Lyatuu; Hamidu A. Seki; Deo D. Shirima; Andrew R. Marshall

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.14347

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Dynamics of tree stems and biomass in old-growth and secondary forests along gradients in liana dominance, elevation and soil

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Dynamics of tree stems and biomass in old-growth and secondary forests along gradients in liana dominance, elevation and soil

Alain Senghor K. Ngute, Marion Pfeifer, David S. Schoeman, Roy E. Gereau, Hamidu R. Mnendendo, Herman M. Lyatuu, Hamidu A. Seki, Deo D. Shirima and Andrew R. Marshall

Journal of Ecology, Vol.112(7), pp.1638-1654

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14347

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Abstract

carbon

disturbance

landscape ecology

plant-climate interactions

plant-plant interactions

plant-soil interactions

restoration

topography

tropical forests

vines

Lianas, or woody vines, are key components of many tropical forests and can have substantial impacts on the dynamics and functioning of these important ecosystems. Their competition with trees for resources, in particular light, can hamper the recovery of forests from disturbances. Yet, it is unclear how forest disturbance interacts with liana–tree ratio (LTR), topography and soil properties to shape tree dynamics and the trajectories of forest succession. Using temporal data from the Kilombero Valley and the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, we demonstrate how the dynamics of tree stems and biomass vary between secondary and old-growth forests with changes in the dominance of lianas and environmental gradients. Greater tree recruitment and mortality in secondary forests compared with old-growth forests suggested rapid regeneration processes and faster turnover. However, no significant differences were found in the net annual changes in the number or biomass of trees between secondary and old-growth forests. Our findings also showed that higher LTRs were positively associated with stem mortality but also with tree biomass growth, indicating a nuanced ecological role of lianas in forest ecosystems, which warrants further investigation to fully understand the causal factors at play. Net changes in tree stem numbers decreased significantly with elevation, implying climatic constraints on forest regeneration at higher elevations. Soil cation exchange capacity and organic carbon were found to significantly influence tree stem recruitment and net change in abundance, although their effects on biomass remained unclear. Synthesis: Our findings indicate that the recovery of tropical forests from disturbance in terms of the number and biomass of tree stems may be predictable along environmental gradients. These insights have the potential to broaden our capacity to develop more nuanced strategies that identify when and where tropical forests may require restoration interventions, with a focus on structural recovery.

Details

Title: Dynamics of tree stems and biomass in old-growth and secondary forests along gradients in liana dominance, elevation and soil
Authors: Alain Senghor K. Ngute (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research Institute
Marion Pfeifer - Newcastle University
David S. Schoeman - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Roy E. Gereau - Missouri Botanical Garden
Hamidu R. Mnendendo - Reforest Africa
Herman M. Lyatuu - Reforest Africa
Hamidu A. Seki - Reforest Africa
Deo D. Shirima - Sokoine University of Agriculture
Andrew R. Marshall - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research Institute
Publication details: Journal of Ecology, Vol.112(7), pp.1638-1654
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Date published: 2024
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.14347
ISSN: 1365-2745; 0022-0477
Copyright note: © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Data Availability: All generated data underlying this study are accessible on Figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24522124.v2 (Ngute et al., 2023). Additional stem-level forest inventory data will be deposited at Forestplots (https://forestplots.net/) and Science-i (https://science-i.org/), public repositories that provide data upon request for research purposes.
Grants: Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management, FT170100279, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991043428202621
Output Type: Journal article

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