DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rs80t
title: Data from: Episodic bamboo die-off, neighbourhood interactions, and tree seedling performance in a Patagonian mixed forest

description: 1. Episodic mass flowering and subsequent die-off of bamboo understories
 may generate rare opportunities for tree regeneration by altering
 consumer-seedling interactions as much as by increasing light availability
 to seedlings. We hypothesized that bamboo dieback interacts with canopy
 neighbourhood composition in creating recruitment microsites for tree
 seedling species with varied shade tolerance and susceptibility to
 herbivory. 2. We conducted a 2-year experiment in a Patagonian mixed
 forest altered by extensive, but patchy dieback of the bamboo Chusquea
 culeou. Newly emerged seedlings of Nothofagus alpina (more shade-tolerant)
 and N. dombeyi (less shade-tolerant) were planted in conspecific and
 heterospecific canopy neighbourhoods, with either a flowered (dead) or
 nonflowered (live) bamboo understorey. Seedlings were placed inside and
 outside mesh cages to assess mortality from vertebrate or invertebrate
 consumers. 3. Vertebrate exclusion increased seedling survival regardless
 of bamboo condition. Seedling loss to invertebrates decreased with bamboo
 die-off, resulting in higher survival of N. alpina in dead than in live
 patches. In contrast, bamboo die-off increased N. dombeyi mortality by
 wilting, which counteracted the benefits of seedling release from
 consumers. Bamboo die-off increased light availability and enhanced
 seedling growth for both species. 4. N. alpina seedlings were less damaged
 or killed by invertebrates under heterospecific canopies than under
 conspecifics (associational resistance), whereas N. dombeyi performance
 was unaffected by neighbourhood composition. Bamboo die-off did not change
 seedling performance patterns observed across canopy neighbourhoods with
 live bamboo understories. 5. Synthesis. Gaps created by bamboo die-off can
 exert both positive and negative, species-specific effects on the
 likelihood of tree seedling establishment. We conclude that infrequent
 understorey disturbances coupled with canopy neighbourhood effects
 mediated by seedling herbivores may drive gap-phase succession within
 old-growth forests.
description: Seedling survival and
 sources of mortality (consumers or wiliing stress) for N. alpina and N.
 dombeyiData recorded in the
 field for Nothofagus seedling transplants at the end of the experiment,
 after two growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel .xls
 file)Seedling mortality
 attributed to invertebrate consumersMortality of Nothofagus
 seedlings recorded in the field at the end of the experiment, after two
 growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel .xls
 file).Seedling mortality
 attributed to vertebrate consumersMortality of Nothofagus
 seedlings recorded in the field at the end of the experiment, after two
 growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel xls.
 file)Leaf area removed by
 folivoruos insects in N. alpina seedlingsHerbivory recorded in
 the field on Nothofagus alpina surviving seedlings at the end of the
 experiment, after two growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel
 xls. file).Leaf area removed by
 folivoruos insects in N. dombeyi seedlingsHerbivory recorded in
 the field on Nothofagus dombeyi surviving seedlings at the end of the
 experiment, after two growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel
 xls. file)No. of leaves per N.
 alpina plantData recorded in the
 field on surviving seedlings of Nothofagus alpina at the end of the
 experiment, after two growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel
 xls. file)No. of leaves per N.
 dombeyi plantData recorded in the
 field on surviving seedlings of Nothofagus dombeyi at the end of the
 experiment, after two growing seasons in a Patagonian mixed forest (excel
 xls. file)Understorey
 microenvironment - Photosynthetic photon flux density
 recordsMeasurements were taken
 in the forest understorey in February 2004 (midsummer) over two
 consecutive sunny days (excel xls. file)Understorey
 microenvironment - Temperature of litter layer recordsMeasurements were taken
 in the forest understorey in February 2004 (midsummer) over two
 consecutive sunny days (excel xls. file)Understorey
 microenvironment - Temperature of topsoil layer recordsMeasurements were taken
 in the forest understorey in February 2004 (midsummer) over two
 consecutive sunny days (excel xls. file)Understorey
 microenvironment - Mineral soil mositure recordsMeasurements were taken
 in the forest understorey in February 2004 (midsummer) over two
 consecutive sunny days (excel xls. file)Understorey
 microenvironment - Litter depth recordsMeasurements were taken
 in the forest understorey in February 2004 (midsummer) over two
 consecutive sunny days (excel xls. file)