The global abundance of tree palms
Authors: Muscarella Robert , Emilio Thaise , Phillips Oliver L. , Lewis Simon L. , Slik Ferry , Baker William J. , Couvreur Thomas L. P. , Eiserhardt Wolf L. , Svenning Jens‐Christian , Affum‐Baffoe Kofi , Aiba Shin‐Ichiro , de Almeida Everton C. , de Almeida Samuel S. , de Oliveira Edmar Almeida , Álvarez‐Dávila Esteban , Alves Luciana F. , Alvez‐Valles Carlos Mariano , Carvalho Fabrício Alvim , Guarin Fernando Alzate , Andrade Ana , Aragão Luis E. O. C. , Murakami Alejandro Araujo , Arroyo Luzmila , Ashton Peter S. , Corredor Gerardo A. Aymard , Baker Timothy R. , de Camargo Plinio Barbosa , Barlow Jos , Bastin Jean‐François , Bengone Natacha Nssi , Berenguer Erika , Berry Nicholas , Blanc Lilian , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin , Bonal Damien , Bongers Frans , Bradford Matt , Brambach Fabian , Brearley Francis Q. , Brewer Steven W. , Camargo Jose L. C. , Campbell David G. , Castilho Carolina V. , Castro Wendeson , Catchpole Damien , Cerón Martínez Carlos E. , Chen Shengbin , Chhang Phourin , Cho Percival , Chutipong Wanlop , Clark Connie , Collins Murray , Comiskey James A. , Medina Massiel Nataly Corrales , Costa Flávia R. C. , Culmsee Heike , David‐Higuita Heriberto , Davidar Priya , del Aguila‐Pasquel Jhon , Derroire Géraldine , Di Fiore Anthony , Van Do Tran , Doucet Jean‐Louis , Dourdain Aurélie , Drake Donald R. , Ensslin Andreas , Erwin Terry , Ewango Corneille E. N. , Ewers Robert M. , Fauset Sophie , Feldpausch Ted R. , Ferreira Joice , Ferreira Leandro Valle , Fischer Markus , Franklin Janet , Fredriksson Gabriella M. , Gillespie Thomas W. , Gilpin Martin , Gonmadje Christelle , Gunatilleke Arachchige Upali Nimal , Hakeem Khalid Rehman , Hall Jefferson S. , Hamer Keith C. , Harris David J. , Harrison Rhett D. , Hector Andrew , Hemp Andreas , Herault Bruno , Pizango Carlos Gabriel Hidalgo , Coronado Eurídice N. Honorio , Hubau Wannes , Hussain Mohammad Shah , Ibrahim Faridah‐Hanum , Imai Nobuo , Joly Carlos A. , Joseph Shijo , K Anitha , Kartawinata Kuswata , Kassi Justin , Killeen Timothy J. , Kitayama Kanehiro , Klitgård Bente Bang , Kooyman Robert , Labrière Nicolas , Larney Eileen , Laumonier Yves , Laurance Susan G. , Laurance William F. , Lawes Michael J. , Levesley Aurora , Lisingo Janvier , Lovejoy Thomas , Lovett Jon C. , Lu Xinghui , Lykke Anne Mette , Magnusson William E. , Mahayani Ni Putu Diana , Malhi Yadvinder , Mansor Asyraf , Peña Jose Luis Marcelo , Marimon‐Junior Ben H. , Marshall Andrew R. , Melgaco Karina , Bautista Casimiro Mendoza , Mihindou Vianet , Millet Jérôme , Milliken William , Mohandass D. , Mendoza Abel Lorenzo Monteagudo , Mugerwa Badru , Nagamasu Hidetoshi , Nagy Laszlo , Seuaturien Naret , Nascimento Marcelo T. , Neill David A. , Neto Luiz Menini , Nilus Rueben , Vargas Mario Percy Núñez , Nurtjahya Eddy , de Araújo R. Nazaré O. , Onrizal Onrizal , Palacios Walter A. , Palacios‐Ramos Sonia , Parren Marc , Paudel Ekananda , Morandi Paulo S. , Pennington R. Toby , Pickavance Georgia , Pipoly John J. , Pitman Nigel C. A. , Poedjirahajoe Erny , Poorter Lourens , Poulsen John R. , Rama Chandra Prasad P. , Prieto Adriana , Puyravaud Jean‐Philippe , Qie Lan , Quesada Carlos A. , Ramírez‐Angulo Hirma , Razafimahaimodison Jean Claude , Reitsma Jan Meindert , Requena‐Rojas Edilson J. , Correa Zorayda Restrepo , Rodriguez Carlos Reynel , Roopsind Anand , Rovero Francesco , Rozak Andes , Lleras Agustín Rudas , Rutishauser Ervan , Rutten Gemma , Punchi‐Manage Ruwan , Salomão Rafael P. , Van Sam Hoang , Sarker Swapan Kumar , Satdichanh Manichanh , Schietti Juliana , Schmitt Christine B. , Marimon Beatriz Schwantes , Senbeta Feyera , Nath Sharma Lila , Sheil Douglas , Sierra Rodrigo , Silva‐Espejo Javier E. , Silveira Marcos , Sonké Bonaventure , Steininger Marc K. , Steinmetz Robert , Stévart Tariq , Sukumar Raman , Sultana Aisha , Sunderland Terry C. H. , Suresh Hebbalalu Satyanarayana , Tang Jianwei , Tanner Edmund , ter Steege Hans , Terborgh John W. , Theilade Ida , Timberlake Jonathan , Torres‐Lezama Armando , Umunay Peter , Uriarte María , Gamarra Luis Valenzuela , van de Bult Martin , van der Hout Peter , Martinez Rodolfo Vasquez , Vieira Ima Célia Guimarães , Vieira Simone A. , Vilanova Emilio , Cayo Jeanneth Villalobos , Wang Ophelia , Webb Campbell O. , Webb Edward L. , White Lee , Whitfeld Timothy J. S. , Wich Serge , Willcock Simon , Wiser Susan K. , Young Kenneth R. , Zakaria Rahmad , Zang Runguo , Zartman Charles E. , Zo‐Bi Irié Casimir , Balslev Henrik 
Published: July 2020

Aim

Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change.

Location

Tropical and subtropical moist forests.

Time period

Current.

Major taxa studied

Palms (Arecaceae).

Methods

We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure.

Results

On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work.

Conclusions

Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.