Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen-fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests

D N L Menge; Robin L Chazdon

doi:10.1111/nph.13734

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Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen-fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen-fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests

D N L Menge and Robin L Chazdon

New Phytologist, Vol.209(3), pp.965-977

2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13734

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Abstract

biogeochemistry

demography

growth

individual-based model

mortality

Pentaclethra macroloba

recruitment

tropicalforest

Trees capable of symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation ('N fixers') are abundant in many tropical forests. In temperate forests, it is well known that N fixers specialize in early-successional niches, but in tropical forests, successional trends of N-fixing species are poorly understood. We used a long-term census study (1997-2013) of regenerating lowland wet tropical forests in Costa Rica to document successional patterns of N fixers vs non-fixers, and used an individual-based model to determine the demographic drivers of these trends. N fixers increased in relative basal area during succession. In the youngest forests, N fixers grew 2.5 times faster, recruited at a similar rate and were 15 times less likely to die as non-fixers. As succession proceeded, the growth and survival disparities decreased, whereas N fixer recruitment decreased relative to non-fixers. According to our individual-based model, high survival was the dominant driver of the increase in basal area of N fixers. Our data suggest that N fixers are successful throughout secondary succession in tropical rainforests of north-east Costa Rica, and that attempts to understand this success should focus on tree survival. © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Details

Title: Higher survival drives the success of nitrogen-fixing trees through succession in Costa Rican rainforests
Authors: D N L Menge (Author) - Columbia University, United States
Robin L Chazdon (Author) - University of Connecticut, United States
Publication details: New Phytologist, Vol.209(3), pp.965-977
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Date published: 2016
DOI: 10.1111/nph.13734
ISSN: 0028-646X
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450351502621
Output Type: Journal article

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