bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of Multiple Disturbances (Fire and Hurricane) on Epiphyte Community Dynamics in a Subtropical Forest, Florida, U.S.A.1
Authors: Robertson Kevin M. , Platt William J. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTWe addressed the interacting effects of a natural large–scale fire and a subsequent major hurricane on relative positions of epiphytes in a subtropical forest. In Everglades National Park, subtropical hammocks (hardwood tree “islands”; burned and unburned) during the Ingraham Fire (1989) were surveyed for trees and epiphytic bromeliads (Tillandsia spp.) one year before, as well as one and five years after, Hurricane Andrew (1992). We measured trees (species, diameter, and status [alive/dead]) and epiphytes (species, height, host tree characteristics, substrate life status, and density). The fire decreased the height of epiphytes during the hurricane because branches and bark of trees killed by the fire were unstable epiphyte substrates in the high winds. Proportions of epiphytes on Quercus virginiana were equally increased after the hurricane in both unburned and burned hammocks; the large size and bark characteristics resulted in greater proportional survival of epiphytes on this species. During the five years following the hurricane, changes in the distributions of epiphytes generally were toward pre–hurricane distributions, but recovery was faster in unburned than burned hammocks. We conclude that disturbances that kill trees are likely to amplify the vertical reduction of epiphytes during a subsequent hurricane and that effects of a single disturbance on plant populations can be influenced by the disturbance history of the system, including different types of disturbances.
Poachers and Forest Fragmentation Alter Seed Dispersal, Seed Survival, and Seedling Recruitment in the Palm Attalea butyraceae, with Implications for Tropical Tree Diversity1
Authors: Wright S. Joseph , Duber Herbert C. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTWe examined the interaction between a palm and two bruchid beetles along with several mammal species to explore how poachers and habitat fragmentation may indirectly alter the spatial pattern of seed dispersal, seed predation, and seedling recruitment in central Panama. The large, stony endocarps of Attalea butyraceae decay slowly and bear distinctive scars when opened by rodents or beetles. We determined the final distance between endocarps and reproductive trees (which we call an ecologically effective dispersal distance), the predation status of each endocarp, and the distance between seedlings and reproductive trees. The 68 focal trees were divided among 14 sites and four levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Levels of disturbance included full protection from poachers, light and heavy pressure from poachers, and small island habitat fragments. Ecologically effective seed dispersal distances were greatest for protected sites, intermediate for lightly poached sites, and shortest for heavily poached sites and habitat fragments. Seed predation by rodents increased with distance to the nearest reproductive Attalea and was greatest for fully protected sites, intermediate for lightly poached sites, and least for heavily poached sites and habitat fragments. Seed predation by beetles reversed the patterns described for seed predation by rodents. Total seed predation by beetles and rodents combined was independent of distance, greatest for fully protected sites, and lower for poached sites and habitat fragments. Seedling densities were always greatest close to reproductive trees; however, the increase in seedling densities close to reproductive trees was minimal for fully protected sites, clearly evident for poached sites, and pronounced for habitat fragments. Increased seedling recruitment near conspecific trees may in time reduce tree diversity where humans disrupt mammal communities.
Variation in Post‐dispersal Seed Predation in Mature Peruvian Lowland Tropical Forest and Fallow Agricultural Sites1
Authors: Notman Evan , Gorchov David L. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTVariation in post‐dispersal seed predation between mature forest and fallow swidden agriculture sites (young forest) was examined for 26 tree and liana species in Peruvian lowland tropical forest. Exclosures were also used to determine the relative importance of vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators. Although species differed significantly in levels of predation, predation of seeds exposed to vertebrates was high (>75%) for all species, while seed predation by invertebrates was lower and more variable. Seed and seedling predation by insects was significantly higher in mature forest, while seed predation by rodents was higher in fallow areas. Other sources of mortality (primarily desiccation) were higher for seeds in fallow areas. The percentage of seeds moved was significantly different among species but not between forests.RESUMESLa variación en depredación de semillas, después de dispersadas, se examinó en el bosque maduro y la purma (áreas de agricultura en sucesión) para 26 especies de árboles y lianas en un bosque tropical de bajura en Perú. Se utilizaron tratamientos de exclusión para determinar la importancia relativa de depredadores de semillas vertebrados e inverte‐brados. Aunque las especies difirieron significativamente en niveles de depredación, la depredación de las semillas expuestas a vertebrados fue alta (>75%) para todas las especies, mientras que la depredación de semillas por inver‐tebrados fue más baja y más variable. La depredación de semillas y plántulas por insectos fue significativamente mas alta en el bosque maduro, mientras que la depredación de semillas por roedores fue más alta en purmas. Otras causas de mortalidad (principalmente desecación) fueron más comunes en las purmas. El porcentaje de semillas movidas difirió significativamente entre especies pero no entre los dos tipos de bosque.
North—South Patterns within Arboreal Ant Assemblages from Rain Forests in Eastern Australia1
Authors: Majer J. D. , Kitching R. L. , Heterick B. E. , Hurley K. , Brennan K. E. C. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the ant assemblages sampled from rain forest canopies ranging from southern Victoria through to Cape York Peninsula, Australia, and also in Brunei. Specifically, it examines the influence of decreasing latitude and variations in elevation on the character, richness, and abundance of the arboreal rain forest ant fauna, and also the relative contribution of ants to the total arthropod community. The sites that were examined included: cool temperate Nothofagus cunninghamii forest from a range of locations in Victoria; cool temperate N. moorei forest at both Werrikimbe and Styx River, New South Wales; notophyll vine forest in Lamington National Park, southeast Queensland; high elevation notophyll vine forest in Eungella National Park, central Queensland; complex notophyll vine forest at Robson Creek, Atherton Tablelands, north Queensland; complex mesophyll vine forest at Cape Tribulation, north Queensland; and mixed dipterocarp forest in Brunei. Although these sites represent a gradient increasingly tropical in character, botanically speaking, Eungella is less tropical than Lamington because of its high elevation. All samples were obtained by fogging the canopy with a rapid‐knockdown pyrethrin pesticide. In all cases, circular funnels were suspended beneath the foliage of individual trees or small plots of mixed canopy. Arthropods were collected four hours after fogging. Following ordinal sorting, ants were identified and counted to morphospecies level. The resulting catch were then standardized across sites as numbers caught per 0.5 m2 sampling funnel. Generic and species richness were higher at the lowland tropical Cape Tribulation sites than at the sites to the south and was comparable with values in the Brunei site. Species richness was negatively correlated with latitude and elevation. Within the Australian rain forest, the lowland/highland break appears to be the strongest predictor of ant relative abundance, with a weaker latitudinal relationship superimposed.
The Behavior and Interactions of Birds Visiting Erythrina fusca Flowers in the Colombian Amazon1
Authors: Cotton Peter A. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTI observed 22 species of birds visiting flowering Erythrina fusca trees at Matamatá, Amazonas, Colombia. The large orange flowers of E. fusca are adapted for pollination by birds and are protected from illegitimate visits by a petal that covers the nectaries and anthers until displaced by a foraging bird. Experiments with flowers bagged to exclude potential pollinators demonstrated that the flowers do not open without assistance. At Matamatá, parrots are the most frequent visitors to flowering E. fusca, and two species, Dusky‐headed Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii) and Cobalt‐winged Parakeet (Brotogeris cyanoptera), appear to be the main pollinators. This is only the fourth report of Neotropical parrots acting as pollinating agents. At least five other parrot species fed on the nectar or flowers of E. fusca but destroyed the flowers in the process. Orange‐backed Troupials (Icterus jamacaii) were the only other species observed opening E. fusca flowers nondestructively and are likely to be pollinators. Hummingbirds were common visitors to E. fusca flowers and some species were found to carry E. fusca pollen; however, hummingbirds were unable to open the flowers themselves and relied on other visitors to open the flowers for them. The number of hummingbird visits to a flowering E. fusca tree was positively correlated with the number of visits by parrots and icterids, but not with the number of mature flowers, indicating that legitimate visitors facilitate access by hummingbirds.
Soil Phosphorus Fractionation during Forest Development on Landslide Scars in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico1
Authors: Frizano Jacqueline , Johnson Arthur H. , Vann David R. , Scatena Frederick N. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTMineral soils from a chronosequence of landslide scars ranging in age from 1 to more than 55 years in a subtropical montane rain forest of eastern Puerto Rico were used to determine the rate at which labile P capital recovers during primary succession. Nine organic and inorganic soil P fractions were measured using the Hedley sequential extraction procedure. Deep soil cores (9 m) from a nearby site were also analyzed to determine the distribution of P fractions below the solum. Litterfall P was measured for two years in the landslide scars to estimate allochthonous litter P inputs, and published precipitation data were used to estimate annual atmospheric inputs of P to the recovering forests. In the upper solum (0–10 cm), organic matter increased with landslide age, as did resin‐Pi, labile P (defined here as resin‐Pi + HCO3‐Pi + HCO3‐Po) and total organic P. Occluded P decreased with increasing landslide age. No significant changes in P concentrations or pools were observed in 10 to 35 or in 35 to 60 cm depth intervals across the chronosequence. Labile soil P increased to approximately two‐thirds of the pre‐disturbance levels in the oldest landslide scar (>55 yr). Thus, plants, their associated microflora/fauna, and P inputs from off‐site substantially altered the distribution of soil P fractions during forest recovery. Across the chronosequence, the increase in labile P accumulated in soil and biomass appeared to be greater than the estimated allochthonous inputs from litter and precipitation, indicating that as the forest developed, some occluded P may have been released for use by soil biota. Resin‐Pi and labile P were correlated with soil organic matter content, suggesting, as in other highly weathered soils, organic matter accumulation and turnover are important in maintaining labile P pools. Primary mineral P (apatite) was scarce, even in deep soil cores.
Phenology of Gallery and Montane Forest in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil1
Authors: Funch Ligia Silveira , Punch Roy , Barroso Graziela Maciel 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTPhenological studies were carried out in gallery and montane forests along the Lençóis River in the Chapada Diamantina mountains, state of Bahia, Brazil, between January 1993 and March 1998. Leaf flush, leaf fall, flowering, and fruiting were followed in 54 tree species (N= 243 trees tagged along trails following the river margin and the valley sides). Both gallery and montane forests exhibited a moderate peak in leaf fall during die dry season (August–October), as well as increased leaf flushing in the rainy season (December–April). Three basic modes of leafing activity were noted, although most trees in the gallery forest and in the montane forest were evergreen (82.3 and 57.8% relative frequency, respectively). In both forest types, flowering and fruiting modes were annual, with peaks of activity during the rainy season. The predominantly evergreen mode of leaf fall and leaf flush found in this study was most similar to that seen in tropical wet forests, while the flowering and fruiting modes were more similar to that of dry forests.RESUMESFoi desenvolvido um estudo fenológico em mata ciliar e mata de encosta adjacentes ao rio Lençóis, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil entre Janeiro de 1993 a março de 1998 em 54 espécies de árvores, atentando‐se para as fenofases queda e brotamento de folhas, floração e frutificação. Foram acompanhados 243 individuos marcados ao longo de trilhas seguindo as margens do rio e na encosta. Em ambas as matas, verificou‐se um pico moderado de queda foliar durante a estação seca (agosto‐outubro) e maior brotamento durante a estação chuvosa (dezembro‐abril). Foram reconhecidos três padrões de queda e brotamento foliar, sendo os padrões perenifólios predominantes tanto na mata ciliar quanto na mata de encosta (82.3 e 57.8% Freqüência Relativa, respectivamente). Em ambas as matas, os padrões de floração e frutificação foram anuais, com picos de atividade durante a estação chuvosa. Os padrões de queda e produção foliar assemelharam‐se queles encontrados em matas umidas, sendo o perenifólio predominante; enquanto padrões de floração e frutificação são similares ao de matas secas.
Distress Calls of Birds in a Neotropical Cloud Forest1
Authors: Neudorf Diane L. , Sealy Spencer G. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTDistress calls are loud, harsh calls given by some species of birds when they are captured by a predator or handled by humans. We recorded the frequency of distress calls and struggling behavior in 40 species of birds captured in mist nets during the dry season in a Costa Rica cloud forest. We tested the following hypotheses proposed to explain the function of distress calls: (1) calling for help from kin or reciprocal altruists; (2) warning kin; (3) eliciting mobbing behavior; (4) startling the predator; and (5) distracting the predator through attraction of additional predators. Our results did not support the calling‐for‐help, warning kin, or mobbing hypotheses. Indeed, genera that regularly occurred with kin or in flocks were not more likely to call than non‐flocking genera. There was no relationship between calling frequency and struggling behavior as predicted by the predator startle hypothesis. Genera of larger birds tended to call more than smaller birds, providing some support for both the predator distraction hypothesis and predator startle hypotheses. Calls of higher amplitude may be more effective in startling the predator. Distress calls of larger birds may also travel greater distances than those of smaller birds, supporting the predator manipulation hypothesis, but this requires further testing.
Nutritional Evaluation of Terrestrial Invertebrates as Traditional Food in Amazonia1
Authors: Marconi Stefania , Manzi Pamela , Pizzoferrato Laura , Buscardo Erika , Cerda Hugo , Hernandez Danilo Lopez , Paoletti Maurizio G. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTIn tropical areas worldwide, more than 1000 terrestrial species of invertebrates are used as food. For populations of Amazonian areas, different species of insects and other invertebrates serve as nourishing food sources. Here, we document the composition and nutritional quality of some invertebrates consumed in Venezuelan Amazonia, including termites (Isoptera) and earthworms (Glossoscolecidae) eaten by the Ye'Kuana (Makiritare) and caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) consumed by the Yanomamo. Consumption of 100 g of any of these invertebrates contributed 1.2–9.4 percent of the daily fat requirement and 26–144 percent of the protein daily requirement for an adult male. The sample of caterpillars regularly eaten by these peoples was rich in beta carotene (provitamin A), and a 100 g ingestion guaranteed 323 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. The greatest amount of alpha tocopherol was provided by the consumption of the smoked earthworms (36.7%). Earthworms and termites contained high levels of sterols, mainly cholesterol. The consumption of these animals by tropical human populations represents not only an important traditional habit but also, considering their nutritional composition, a substantial contribution to the human diet.
The Structure of Ground Beetle Assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae) at Fruit Falls of Melastomataceae Trees in a Brazilian Terra Firme Rain Forest1
Authors: Paarmann Wilfried , Gutzmann Burkhard , Stumpe Philipp , Bolte Hubertus , Küppers Steffen , Holzkamp Karsten , Niers Clemens , Adis Joachim , Stork Nigel E. , da Fonseca Claudlo R. V. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTAlthough most Carabidae are recognized as predacious, recent studies have shown that some tropical rain forest Carabidae use the small seeds of fallen fruit from some tree species as a key food resource (particularly figs [Moraceae] but also those from other families). Assemblages of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) at fruit falls of the Melastomataceae tree genera, Bellucia, Loreya, and Miconia, were studied in a terra firme rain forest near Manaus (Amazonia, Brazil) from February 1992 to August 1996. Of 5483 specimens of 14 carabid species collected at 53 fruit falls, 98.2 percent of the collected beetles represented the seed‐feeding genus Notiobia. Four of the 7 Notiobia species were found to reproduce at Melastomataceae fruit falls. The most abundant species, N. glabrata, was found to be a Melastomataceae seed generalise while N. maxima seemed to prefer the seeds of Bellucia, and N. aulica and Af. umbrifera the seeds of Miconia. The presence of larvae indicated reproduction of N. glabrata at fruit falls of all three tree genera and reproduction of N. maxima at those of Bellucia. Fruit falls of different species and genera of Melastomataceae appeared to occur at different times of die year and not continuously throughout the year. The seed‐feeding Notiobia species, which specialize on Melastomataceae, used fruit falls of figs as migratory “stepping stones” during periods when there were no Melastomataceae fruit falls. The comparable suite of fig seed‐feeding specialist species of Notiobia did not appear to do the reverse and seemed to avoid Melastomataceae fruit falls. The carabid assemblage at fig fruit falls was more diverse than the assemblage at those of Melastomataceae. Among the Melastomataceae, carabid species richness was highest at Miconia fruit falls and lowest at Loreya fruit falls. The three most common predatory species caught at Ficus fruit falls were also caught at those of Melastomataceae and appeared to reproduce at both fruit fall types. The proportion of the carabid assemblage accounted by predatory species was much lower at Melastomataceae (1.8%) than at fig fruit falls (8%).
Temporal and Spatial Diversity and Distribution of Arboreal Carabidae (Coleoptera) in a Western Amazonian Rain Forest1
Authors: Lucky Andrea , Erwin Terry L. , Witman Jon D. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTDiversity of arboreal carabid beetles was sampled by fumigation in 100 3 × 3 m stations within a 100 × 1000 m terra firme forest plot in Ecuadorian Amazonia. Nine sampling dates from January 1994 to October 1996 yielded 2329 individuals belonging to 318 species of which more than 50 percent were undescribed species. A high percentage of the species sampled were rare; the proportion that occurred once per sampling date (singletons) ranged from 50.0 to 62.5 percent. Estimates of species richness were from 82 to 282 species of arboreal carabids in the study plot on a given sampling date. Most richness values were greater than 173 species. Species accumulation curves attained asymptotes for all but one sampling date, indicating that an adequate level of sampling effort was used to characterize the diversity of carabid fauna. Total accumulation curves based on pooled data failed to reach asymptotes. There was a high turnover in species composition between sampling dates; less than 50 percent of the species between the majority of sampling dates were shared, suggesting that the total species pool may be extremely large. Although species composition changed seasonally, species richness varied little. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that the structure of this species assemblage was significantly patterned at distances below 280 m. Taken together, the large percentage of undescribed species, die failure of the overall species accumulation curves to level off, and the high turnover in species composition indicate that the species diversity of carabid beetles is far higher than previously thought.
Flower Visitation by Bats in Cloud Forests of Western Ecuador1
Authors: Muchhala Nathan , Jarrin ‐V. Pablo 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTThe importance of bat pollination has been demonstrated for many plant species. Yet this mutualism has rarely been studied on a community–wide level. In this paper we present results of a yearlong study of a bat–flower community in cloud forests on the western slopes of the Ecuadoran Andes. Of eight plant–visiting bat species caught, only Anoura caudifera and A. geoffroyi were carrying pollen. These species of Anoura supplement their diets with insects. Unlike glossophagines in other environments, however, which switch completely to a frugivorous or insectivorous diet during certain seasons, they are nectarivorous year–round and were never found with seeds or fruit pulp in their feces. Of the 13 morphotypes of pollen carried by the bats, 11 were identified to genus and 7 to species. Floral characteristics of all of these plants fit the traditional chiropterophilous syndrome well. Our study represents the first direct evidence of bat pollination for those plants identified to species, including four species of Burmeistera (Campanulaceae), as well as the first record of bat pollination for a plant of the genus Meriania (Melastomataceae). While overlap in the diets of the two Anoura was high, significant differences in visitation frequencies to particular plant species were detected. The larger bat species (A. geoffroyi) preferred large flowers, whereas the smaller species (A. caudifera) preferred small flowers.
Host Specialization among Wood‐Decay Polypore Fungi in a Caribbean Mangrove Forest1
Authors: Gilbert Gregory S. , Sousa Wayne P. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACTHost specialization in highly diverse tropical forests may be limited by the low local abundance of suitable hosts. To address whether or not fungi in a low‐diversity tropical forest were released from this restriction, fruiting bodies of polypore basidiomycete fungi were collected from three species of mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle) in a Caribbean mangrove forest in Panama. Unlike other tropical forests, the polypore assemblage in this mangrove forest was strongly dominated by a few host‐specialized species. Three fungal species, each with strong preference for a different mangrove host species, comprised 88 percent of all fungi collected.