A5014429751- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Forest ecology and management
- Water Resource Management and Quality
- Plant and soil sciences
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Environmental and Ecological Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Climate change impacts on agriculture
- Environmental and sustainability education
- Hydrology and Drought Analysis
- Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna
- Seed Germination and Physiology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute
2017-2024
National Museum of Natural History
2020
ForestGEO
2020
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
2020
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
2011-2015
Universidad del Rosario
2015
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
2015
Universidad de Los Andes
2011-2012
University of Connecticut
2008-2011
Laboratoire Evolution et Diversite Biologique
2007-2009
Old-growth tropical forests are being extensively deforested and fragmented worldwide. Yet forest recovery through succession has led to an expansion of secondary in human-modified landscapes (HMTLs). Secondary thus emerge as a potential repository for biodiversity, also source essential ecosystem functions services HMTLs. Such critical roles controversial, however, they depend on successional, landscape socio-economic dynamics, which can vary widely within across regions. Understanding the...
Tropical secondary forests recover quickly (decades) in tree species richness but slowly (centuries) composition.
Significance Although forest succession has been approached as a predictable process, successional trajectories vary widely, even among nearby stands with similar environmental conditions and disturbance histories. We quantified predictability uncertainty during tropical using dynamical models describing the interactions stem density, basal area, species density over time. showed that of these attributes were poorly predicted by stand age varied significantly within sites. Our reproduced...
Understanding the recovery dynamics of ecosystems presents a major challenge in human-impacted tropics. We tested whether secondary forests follow equilibrium or non-equilibrium by evaluating community reassembly over time, across different successional stages, and among multiple life stages. Based on long-term static data from six 1-ha plots NE Costa Rica, we show that are undergoing canopy tree palm species composition through successful recruitment seedlings, saplings, young trees mature...
Tropical forests disappear rapidly because of deforestation, yet they have the potential to regrow naturally on abandoned lands. We analyze how 12 forest attributes recover during secondary succession and their recovery is interrelated using 77 sites across tropics. are highly resilient low-intensity land use; after 20 years, attain 78% (33 100%) old-growth values. Recovery 90% values fastest for soil (<1 decade) plant functioning (<2.5 decades), intermediate structure species diversity (2.5...
We develop a novel statistical approach for classifying generalists and specialists in two distinct habitats. Using multinomial model based on estimated species relative abundance habitats, our method minimizes bias due to differences sampling intensities between habitat types as well insufficient within each habitat. The permits robust classification of generalists, without excluding rare priori. Based user-defined specialization threshold, the classifies into one four groups: (1)...
Abstract Numerous studies have shown reduced performance in plants that are surrounded by neighbours of the same species 1,2 , a phenomenon known as conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) 3 . A long-held ecological hypothesis posits CNDD is more pronounced tropical than temperate forests 4,5 which increases community stabilization, coexistence and diversity local tree 6,7 Previous analyses supporting such latitudinal gradient 8,9 suffered from methodological limitations related to...
1 Theoretical models predict that large-seeded species should germinate more rapidly than small-seeded species, since large seeds are likely to have higher post-dispersal seed predation small seeds. A prompt germination strategy would therefore enable reduce risks of mortality. 2 To assess this predicted relationship between mass and mean time (MTG), we used a meta-analysis published data sources. Our base contained information for these two traits 1037 tree from five tropical areas...
ABSTRACT We compared the functional type composition of trees ≥10 cm dbh in eight secondary forest monitoring plots with logged and unlogged mature lowland wet forests Northeastern Costa Rica. Five plant types were delimited based on diameter growth rates canopy height 293 tree species. Mature had significantly higher relative abundance understory slow‐growing canopy/emergent trees, but lower fast‐growing than forests. Fast‐growing subcanopy reached peak densities early succession. Density...
Abstract The dynamics of tropical forest woody plants was studied at the Nouragues Field Station, central French Guiana. Stem density, basal area, above-ground biomass and net primary productivity, including contribution litterfall, were estimated from two large permanent census plots 12 10 ha, established on contrasting soil types, censused twice, first in 1992–1994, then again 2000–2002. Mean stem density 512 stems ha −1 30 m 2 . mortality rate ranged between 1.51% 2.06% y In both plots,...
Ecology Letters (2011) 14 : 34–41 Abstract Negative density dependence (NDD) and environmental filtering (EF) shape community assembly, but their relative importance is poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that seedling’s mortality risk positively related to the phylogenetic relatedness of neighbours. However, natural enemies, whose depredations often cause NDD, respond functional traits hosts rather than per se . To understand roles NDD EF in we assessed effects on seedling...
The recovery of soil conditions is crucial for successful ecosystem restoration and, hence, achieving the goals UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Here, we assess how soils resist forest conversion and agricultural land use, recover during subsequent tropical succession abandoned fields. Our overarching question resistance depend local such as climate, type land-use history. For 300 plots in 21 sites across Neotropics, used a chronosequence approach which sampled from two depths old-growth...
One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles proximity adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree exhibit weaker CDD than arbuscular species. We further...
Abstract Succession is defined as a directional change in species populations, the community, and ecosystem at site following disturbance. fundamental concept ecology it links different disciplines. An improved understanding of succession urgently needed Anthropocene to predict widespread effects global on recovery, but comprehensive successional framework (CSF) lacking. A CSF synthesize results, draw generalizations, advance theory, make decisions for restoration. We first show that an...
ABSTRACT The core principle shared by most theories and models of succession is that, following a major disturbance, plant–environment feedback dynamics drive directional change in the plant community. commonly studied loops are those which regrowth community causes changes to abiotic (e.g. soil nutrients) or biotic dispersers) environment, differentially affect species availability performance. This, turn, leads shifts composition However, there many other PE that potentially succession,...
To gain insight into the ecological processes driving community reassembly in disturbed ecosystems, we assessed phylogenetic dispersion of early‐ and late‐successional tree species occurring lowland forests northeastern Costa Rica. Early‐successional were more closely related than expected by chance, whereas tended to be less chance. Then, evaluated temporal changes structure seedling assemblages four 1‐ha plots secondary this region. We found an increase evenness among individuals over time...
Summary Empirical evidence and modelling both suggest that global changes may lead to an increased dominance of lianas thus prevalence liana‐infested forest formations in tropical forests. The implications for structure the carbon cycle remain poorly understood. We studied ecological processes underpinning dynamics a French Guiana, using combination long‐term surveys (tree, liana, seedling litterfall), soil chemical analyses remote‐sensing approaches (LiDAR Landsat). At stand scale adult...
Summary Successional gradients are ubiquitous in nature, yet few studies have systematically examined the evolutionary origins of taxa that specialize at different successional stages. Here we quantify habitat specialization Neotropical forest trees and evaluate its lability along a precipitation gradient. Theoretically, should be more evolutionarily conserved wet forests than dry due to extreme microenvironmental differentiation between early late‐successional stages forest. We applied...
1 Both spatial and temporal processes are assumed to play an important role in driving seedling dynamics. We assessed the magnitude of these two a neotropical forest French Guiana. first quantified changes community structure, then evaluated relative importance environmental heterogeneity fluctuations seed arrival determining 2 monitored dynamics 6244 seedlings by censusing 370 1-m2 plots 160 stations over 20 months. At each station, we variability (light availability, soil resources, litter...
Based on eight years of annual censuses in secondary forests central Amazonia, we compared successional dynamics areas presenting alternative states due to different land use histories. Sites that had been clearcut without subsequent are dominated by the pioneer genus Cecropia , but their understory is characterized a diverse species assemblage. In contrast, and then used for pasture Vismia forming nearly monogeneric stands. We evaluated whether such patterns were outcome differences...
Understanding the dynamics of natural ecosystems in highly transformed landscapes is key to design regional development plans that are more sustainable and otherwise enhance conservation initiatives. We analyzed secondary forest shrubland over 30 years (1985–2015) a densely populated area Colombian Andes using satellite biophysical data. performed land-cover change analysis, assessed landscape fragmentation, applied regression models evaluate effects environmental geographical correlates...
Given the importance of species diversity as a tool for assessing recovery during forest regeneration and active restoration, robust approaches changes in tree over time are urgently needed. We assessed natural 12–20 years eight 1-ha monitoring plots NE Costa Rica, six second-growth forests two old-growth reference forests. used profiles to show successional trajectories measures observed, asymptotic standardized evenness well sample completeness. randomly subsampled plot data evaluate how...
Summary 1. As trees in a given cohort progress through ontogeny, many individuals die. This risk of mortality is unevenly distributed across species because processes such as habitat filtering, interspecific competition and negative density dependence. Here, we predict test the patterns that ecological should inscribe on both phylogenetic diversity plants recruit from saplings to canopy. 2. We compared sapling tree communities at two sites French Guiana. surveyed 2084 adult four 1‐ha plots...