Tree seedling development in tropical dry abandoned pasture and secondary forest in Costa Rica

1993 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Gerhardt
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Seedling Development ◽  
Tree Seedling

Effects of vegetation cover on seedling and sapling dynamics in secondary tropical wet forests in Costa Rica

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Dupuy ◽  
Robin L. Chazdon
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Canopy Gaps ◽  
Canopy Gap ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Understorey Vegetation

We examined effects of experimental manipulations of vegetation cover on recruitment, mortality and density of seedlings (20–100 cm tall) and saplings (≥100 cm tall) of woody growth forms over a 2.5-y period. We created four treatments in each of three 15–20-y-old tropical forest stands in Costa Rica: a large canopy gap (270–350 m2), a small canopy gap (50–100 m2), understorey vegetation removal, and an unmanipulated control treatment. Creation of canopy gaps, especially large ones, increased first-year recruitment and density, as well as overall mortality of seedlings. Saplings experienced lower mortality and more prolonged gap-enhanced recruitment and density than seedlings. Removal of understorey vegetation had little or no effect on tree seedling and sapling dynamics. Recruitment and density of lianas responded only to large gaps, whereas understorey species responded to both gap treatments and to spatial heterogeneity within gaps. Tree species exhibited diverse regeneration requirements, whereas liana and understorey species were more specialized to the high and low ends of the light availability gradient, respectively. Canopy gaps provide a critical mechanism for regeneration of lianas, and canopy tree species that dominate during the early stages of secondary forest succession. The choice of management system for these secondary forests can determine the direction and rate of succession.

Irradiance and Spectral Quality Affect Asian Tropical Rain Forest Tree Seedling Development

Ecology ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 568-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Lee ◽  
Krishnapillay Baskaran ◽  
Marzalina Mansor ◽  
Haris Mohamad ◽  
Son Kheong Yap
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Seedling Development ◽  
Spectral Quality ◽  
Tree Seedling

scholarly journals Biomass and Soil Carbon Stocks in Wet Montane Forest, Monteverde Region, Costa Rica: Assessments and Challenges for Quantifying Accumulation Rates

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence H. Tanner ◽  
Megan T. Wilckens ◽  
Morgan A. Nivison ◽  
Katherine M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Biomass Carbon ◽  
Mature Forest ◽  
Large Trees

We measured carbon stocks at two forest reserves in the cloud forest region of Monteverde, comparing cleared land, experimental secondary forest plots, and mature forest at each location to assess the effectiveness of reforestation in sequestering biomass and soil carbon. The biomass carbon stock measured in the mature forest at the Monteverde Institute is similar to other measurements of mature tropical montane forest biomass carbon in Costa Rica. Local historical records and the distribution of large trees suggest a mature forest age of greater than 80 years. The forest at La Calandria lacks historical documentation, and dendrochronological dating is not applicable. However, based on the differences in tree size, above-ground biomass carbon, and soil carbon between the Monteverde Institute and La Calandria sites, we estimate an age difference of at least 30 years of the mature forests. Experimental secondary forest plots at both sites have accumulated biomass at lower than expected rates, suggesting local limiting factors, such as nutrient limitation. We find that soil carbon content is primarily a function of time and that altitudinal differences between the study sites do not play a role.

scholarly journals How forest structure varies with elevation in old growth and secondary forest in Costa Rica

2020 ◽  
Vol 469 ◽  
pp. 118191
Author(s):  
Miguel Muñoz Mazón ◽  
Kari Klanderud ◽  
Bryan Finegan ◽  
Darío Veintimilla ◽  
Diego Bermeo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Forest Structure ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Old Growth

Germination and development of sown mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) in secondary tropical dry forest habitats in Costa Rica

1996 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Gerhardt
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Root Competition ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Swietenia Macrophylla ◽  
Seedling Mortality

ABSTRACTEffects of irradiance, root competition and water availability on germination and seedling establishment of Swietenia macrophylla King were investigated in tropical secondary dry forests in the Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica. The fate of seeds sown in the beginning and the middle of the rainy season was studied in abandoned pasture, and in deciduous and semi-evergreen secondary forest. In the pasture, experimental treatments were mown and unmown grass. In the forest sites, thinning to increase light and trenching to reduce root competition were combined in a factorial design. Effects of moisture availability on germination were tested by supplementing natural rainfall in the initial rainy month. Germination at the beginning of the rainy season was not influenced by the supplementary water and was higher in the semi-evergreen forest than in the deciduous forest and pasture. In the forests, germination was little affected by irradiance or root competition. More seeds germinated in unmown than in mown pasture during the initial rains, but were not influenced by mowing when sown in the peak of the rainy season. Seedling mortality was low (>10%) during the initial months, but increased greatly in the dry season. Seedlings germinating early in the rainy season had a higher survival than those germinating later. The relatively slight effects of the different treatments and habitats on seedling establishment suggest that this species is rather insensitive to the large microsite variation in secondary vegetation.

Tree seedling recruitment in Amazon secondary forest: Importance of topography and gap micro-site conditions

2013 ◽  
Vol 287 ◽  
pp. 140-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Vizcarra Bentos ◽  
Henrique E.M. Nascimento ◽  
G. Bruce Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Tree Seedling

scholarly journals Demography of the land snail Tikoconus (Tikoconus) costarricanus (Stylommatophora: Euconulidae) in tropical low montane and premontane forests, Costa Rica

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaidett Barrientos
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Land Snail ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Land Snails ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Spearman Correlation ◽  
Mature Forest

Abstract. Introduction: Ecology and natural history of neotropical land snails is almost unknown. Objetive: In this paper I analyse the population dynamics of Tikoconus (Tikoconus) costarricanus Barrientos, in prep., an understory endemic euconulid. Methods: I compared T. costarricanus’ demography patterns in tropical montane forests in central Costa Rica in three habitats with different restoration techniques: a mature forest, a secondary forest and a Cuppressus lusitanica plantation. I collected data in three month periods during a year. I analysed population size in relation with habitat, sampling date, leaf litter humidity, depth and quantity; and specimen size in relation with habitat and sampling date. I also kept some specimens in terraria and described part of their natural history. Results: The species is more abundant in mature forest (Ø = 0.174 ind/m2). The number of specimens in each habitat was constant throughout the year (Kruskall-Wallis = 2.0118, p = 0.57, NS) and hatching occurs in the middle and last months of the rainy season (Kruskall-Wallis = 17.3061, p = 0.00061, **). Number of specimens is related with leaf litter humidity (Spearman correlation, r = 0.3524, n = 232, p = 0.000, **), amount (Spearman correlation, r = 0.3922, n = 232, p = 0.000, **) and depth (Spearman correlation, r = 0.2543, n = 232, p = 0.000, **). This relationship is explained by the high and stable humid environment provided by leaf litter. During the drier months some specimens migrate from the foliage to the leaf litter. Eggs (Ø = 1mm) are laid on moss or soil and the young spend the first 2 or 3 weeks of their life on moss. Egg masses are small (Ø = 4 eggs), and shells look bubbly. Egg development time (20 days) was longer than in other tropical species. Adult pigmentation appears around two months after hatch. In the only case observed egg laying began 5 months after hatching and the specimen lived 9 months. Conclusions: Although no conclusive, these data point to a fragile species susceptible to habitat and climate change. Restorations techniques should consider leaf litter features in order to protect endemic neotropical humid dependent diversity.

Land cover dynamics in Osa Region, Costa Rica: secondary forest is here to stay

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1461-1472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Algeet-Abarquero ◽  
Arturo Sánchez-Azofeifa ◽  
Javier Bonatti ◽  
Miguel Marchamalo
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Land Cover Dynamics

scholarly journals Landscape structure shapes the diversity of tree seedlings at multiple spatial scales in a fragmented tropical rainforest

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0253284
Author(s):  
Sergio Nicasio-Arzeta ◽  
Isela E. Zermeño-Hernández ◽  
Susana Maza-Villalobos ◽  
Julieta Benítez-Malvido
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Landscape Configuration ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Α Diversity

The maintenance of seedling diversity of animal-dispersed tree species is fundamental for the structure and function of forest patches in fragmented tropical rainforests. Nonetheless, the effects of landscape structure at different spatial scales on α- and β-diversity of tree seedling communities are recently explored. Using a multi-scale approach, we assessed the relative effect of landscape composition and configuration on α- and β-diversity of animal-dispersed seedlings within 16 forest patches in the Lacandona rainforest, Mexico. We assessed these effects at 13 spatial scales (from 300 to 1500 m radius, at 100 m intervals) for three metrics of effective number of species considering α- and β-diversity. We found that α-diversity was largely affected by landscape composition and β-diversity by landscape configuration. On the one hand, the amount of secondary forest influenced α-diversity. Additionally, species richness increased in landscapes with highly aggregated forest patches. On the other hand, β-diversity was affected positively by forest fragmentation and negatively by the edge contrast of forest patches with the surrounding matrix. Our findings indicate that landscape configuration is a strong driver of seedling diversity in highly deforested rainforests. Promoting forest patches and secondary forests through payment for ecosystem services’ programs, favoring matrix quality within land-sharing schemes of smallholder agriculture and secondary forest management, and identifying restoration opportunities for assisted or unassisted natural regeneration are urgently needed for conservation of seedling diversity in human-modified tropical landscapes.

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