The Search for Champion Lianas: The Largest Lianas on Six Continents

Stefan A. Schnitzer; Begüm Kaçamak; Isaac Zombo; Vivek Pandi; Patrick Addo-Fordjour; Ya‐Jun Chen; Alfredo Di Filippo; Warren Y. Brockelman; Anuttara Nathalang; Ernesto Gianoli; Maria M. Garcia Leon; Boris Bernal; Emma Mackintosh; Geertje van der Heijden; Hideki Mori; Christopher J. Davis; Jacob D. J. Peters; Rahmad B. Zakaria; Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez; Santiago Sinaca-Colín; Wirong Chanthorn; Gabriel A. Dabo; Francis E. Putz; Andrew R. Marshall; David M. DeFilippis; Felipe Mello; Annik Schnitzler; Christian Dronneau; Naveen Babu Kanda; Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy; Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder

doi:10.1111/btp.70119

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The Search for Champion Lianas: The Largest Lianas on Six Continents

Journal article

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The Search for Champion Lianas: The Largest Lianas on Six Continents

Stefan A. Schnitzer, Begüm Kaçamak, Isaac Zombo, Vivek Pandi, Patrick Addo-Fordjour, Ya‐Jun Chen, Alfredo Di Filippo, Warren Y. Brockelman, Anuttara Nathalang, Ernesto Gianoli, …

Biotropica, Vol.57(6), pp.1-8

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70119

Abstract

climbing plants

maximum size

temperate forests

tropical forests

woody vines

Determining species' maximum sizes provides valuable insights into their ecology, natural history, and potential ecosystem contributions. Using both plot‐based and forest‐wide surveys on six continents, we document the largest “Champion” liana ever recorded (866 mm diameter) from an African forest, as well as continental Champions Lianas from around the world.

Details

Title: The Search for Champion Lianas: The Largest Lianas on Six Continents
Authors: Stefan A. Schnitzer (Corresponding Author) - Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Begüm Kaçamak - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Isaac Zombo - Olam Agri (Republic of Congo)
Vivek Pandi - Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Patrick Addo-Fordjour - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Ya‐Jun Chen - Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
Alfredo Di Filippo - Università degli Studi della Tuscia
Warren Y. Brockelman - Kasetsart University
Anuttara Nathalang - National Science and Technology Development Agency
Ernesto Gianoli - Tarleton State University
Maria M. Garcia Leon - Marquette University
Boris Bernal - Marquette University
Emma Mackintosh - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Geertje van der Heijden - University of Nottingham
Hideki Mori - Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
Christopher J. Davis - University of Pittsburgh
Jacob D. J. Peters - Yale University
Rahmad B. Zakaria - Universiti Sains Malaysia
Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Santiago Sinaca-Colín - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Wirong Chanthorn - Kasetsart University
Gabriel A. Dabo - Nigerian Montane Forest Project (Nigeria)
Francis E. Putz - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Andrew R. Marshall - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
David M. DeFilippis - Marquette University
Felipe Mello - Marquette University
Annik Schnitzler - Francis Hallé’s Association (France)
Christian Dronneau - Ligue pour la Protection de Oiseaux (France)
Naveen Babu Kanda - Pondicherry University
Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy - Pondicherry University
Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder - Virginia Tech
Publication details: Biotropica, Vol.57(6), pp.1-8
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1111/btp.70119
ISSN: 1744-7429; 0006-3606
Data Availability: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no data were created or analyzed in this study.
Grants: Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management, FT170100279, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Grant note: Financial support for liana censuses in Panama was provided by the US National Science Foundation through grants DEB 06-13666, 08-45071, 10-19436, 12-58070, 18-22473, 20- 01799, and IOS 15-58093. An Anne McLaren Fellowship from the University of Nottingham and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) funding supported G.H. H.P.T.D.D. was funded by the Carbon Mitigation Initiative at Princeton University. Th eForestGEO Research Grant Program sponsored the Ngel Nyaki Liana Census, supporting G.A.D.
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991179072302621
Output Type: Journal article

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