A5087225758- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Seedling growth and survival studies
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Cambodian History and Society
- Agriculture, Water, and Health
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Management and Policy
- Banana Cultivation and Research
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Coleoptera: Cerambycidae studies
University of Peradeniya
2013-2025
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis
2006
State Street (United States)
2006
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
2006
Harvard University
2006
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore
2006
ForestGEO
2006
1 This article reviews the application of some summary statistics from current theory spatial point processes for extracting information patterns plants. Theoretical measures and issues connected with their estimation are described. Results illustrated in context specific ecological questions about trees two forests. 2 The pair correlation function, related to Ripley's K provides a formal measure density neighbouring plants makes precise general notion 'plant's-eye' view community. function...
Maintaining tree diversity Negative interaction among plant species is known as conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD). This ecological pattern thought to maintain higher in the tropics. LaManna et al. tested this hypothesis by comparing how changes with intensity of local biotic interactions tropical and temperate latitudes (see Perspective Comita). Stronger specialized seem prevent erosion biodiversity forests, not only limiting populations common species, but also strongly...
The search for simple principles that underlie the spatial structure and dynamics of plant communities is a long-standing challenge in ecology1–6. In particular, relationship between species coexistence distribution plants challenging to resolve species-rich communities7–9. Here we present comprehensive analysis patterns 720 tree 21 large forest plots their consequences coexistence. We show with low abundance tend be more spatially aggregated than abundant species. Moreover, there...
Most ecological hypotheses about species coexistence hinge on differences, but quantifying trait differences across in diverse communities is often unfeasible. We examined the variation of demographic traits using a global tropical forest data set covering 4500 10 large-scale tree inventories. With hierarchical Bayesian approach, we quantified distribution mortality and growth rates all at each site. This allowed us to test prediction that facilitate richness, as suggested by theory tradeoff...
Forest structure and species distribution patterns were examined among eight topographically defined habitats for the 205 with stems ≥ 1 cm dbh inhabiting a 25-ha plot in Sinharaja rain forest, Sri Lanka. The steep spurs, less-steep gullies gullies, all at either lower or upper elevations. Mean stem density was significantly greater on spurs than lower, gullies. Stem also higher within each elevation category upper-elevation habitat its corresponding lower-elevation habitat. Basal area...
Understanding how plant species coexist in tropical rainforests is one of the biggest challenges community ecology. One prominent hypothesis suggests that rare are at an advantage because trees have lower survival areas high conspecific density due to increased attack by natural enemies, a process known as negative dependence (NDD). A consensus emerging NDD important for plant-species coexistence forests. Most evidence comes from short-term studies, but testing prediction decreases spatial...
Long-term surveys of entire communities species are needed to measure fluctuations in natural populations and elucidate the mechanisms driving population dynamics community assembly. We analysed changes abundance over 4000 tree 12 forests across world periods 6-28 years. Abundance all large consistent with models which temporal environmental variance plays a central role. At some sites we identify clear drivers, such as fire drought, that could underlie these patterns, but at other there is...
Neutral and niche theories give contrasting explanations for the maintenance of tropical tree species diversity. Both have some empirical support, but methods to disentangle their effects not yet been developed. We applied a statistical measure spatial structure data from 14 large forest plots test prediction theory that is incompatible with neutral theory: in heterogeneous environments should separate out space according preferences. chose across range topographic heterogeneity, tested...
In the moist tropics, studies have demonstrated poor seedling establishment of late-successional trees on lands cleared forest. Our study examined potential for establishing tree species that dominate canopy rainforest by planting within and adjacent to experimental openings were created a Pinus caribaea plantation. We tested five (Dipterocarpus zeylanicus, Mesua ferrea, Shorea disticha, S. megistophylla trapezifolia) tropical forest in south-western Sri Lanka. Seedlings monitored 2 years...
A persistent challenge in ecology is to explain the high diversity of tree species tropical forests. Although role characteristics maintaining forests has been subject theory and debate for decades, spatial patterns local have not analyzed from viewpoint individual species. To measure scale-dependent structures around species, we propose species-area relationships (ISAR), a statistic that marries common with Ripley's K expected alpha circular neighborhoods variable radius an arbitrary target...
Ceylon and the Indian peninsula comprise a tectonic unit of southern Gondwana origin known as Deccan Plate. Little is history their vegetation, partially because they have been connected with Eurasia for almost 40 million years earlier historical biogeographic patterns long obscured through migration. Nevertheless, lowland montane wet evergreen forests there possess striking floristic differences from those rest tropical Asia. These rain are isolated. Within modest area southwestern lowlands...
Summary One of the primary goals in community ecology is to determine relative importance processes and mechanisms that control biodiversity. Here, we examined habitat‐driven species assemblages distribution patterns as well their temporal variations for three life stages two censuses a 25‐ha mixed dipterocarp forest at S inharaja ( ri L anka). Our general objective was find out whether associated habitat types changed with stage, spatial scale attributes. We also analyse were related...
The assertion that the spatial location of different species is independent each other fundamental in major ecological theories such as neutral theory describes a stochastic geometry biodiversity. However, this has rarely been tested. Here we use techniques point pattern analysis to conduct comprehensive test independence by analysing data from three large forest plots with richness: species-rich tropical at Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Sinharaja (Sri Lanka), and temperate Changbaishan...
ABSTRACT In this study four species of the genus Shorea section Doom were investigated. All occur together as canopy trees in Sinaraja rainforest south-west Sri Lanka. Partitioning regeneration niche can be one explanation for co-existence ecologically similar tree within a forest. Seedlings planted plots located five zones that represent range forest groundstorey microenvironments found adjacent to and across openings three sites – valley, midslope, ridgetop. Experiments designed monitor...
Niche and neutral theories emphasize different processes that contribute to the maintenance of species diversity should leave spatial structures in assemblages. In this study we used variation partitioning combination with distance-based Moran's eigenvector maps habitat variables determine relative importance effects pure habitat, spatial, spatially structured on distribution tree composition richness a 25-ha tropical rain forest Sinharaja/Sri Lanka. We analyzed contribution those components...
Abstract Symbiotic nitrogen (N)‐fixing trees can provide large quantities of new N to ecosystems, but only if they are sufficiently abundant. The overall abundance and latitudinal distributions N‐fixing well characterised in the Americas, less outside Americas. Here, we a network forest plots spanning five continents, ~5,000 tree species ~4 million trees. majority (86%) were America or Asia. In addition, examined whether observed pattern was correlated with mean annual temperature...
Abstract: The angiosperm flora of Sri Lanka, which has been comparatively well studied by many eminent botanists for over two centuries, a rich endemic component and also exhibits strong affinities to that peninsular India Some the 15 floristic regions recognized in island have exceptionally rich, highly localized floras. But increased forest disturbances years taken heavy toll. A plea is made conserve at least one sufficiently large reserve each region. meaningful conservation program...
C. V. S. GUNATILLEKE, I. A. U. N. G. D. PERERA, F. R. P. BURSLEM*, M. ASHTONt and Department of Botany, University Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, *Department Plant Soil Science, Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK, tSchool Forestry Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 $Arnold Arboretum, Harvard 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Summary 1. Colonization by woody plants is often very slow or absent on grasslands occupying degraded land in the tropics. Seed dispersal limitation widely reported, but constraints to forest succession imposed barriers seedling establishment are poorly understood. We tested hypotheses that emergence of limited interactions anthropogenic fire, vertebrate herbivory and competition with dominant grass sward human‐induced montane Sri Lanka. 2. Seedling was determined fortnightly for 18 months...
Interactions among neighboring individuals influence plant performance and should create spatial patterns in local community structure. In order to assess the role of large trees generating species richness, we used individual species–area relationship (ISAR) evaluate richness different size classes (and dead trees) circular neighborhoods with varying radius around focal species. To reveal signals interactions, compared ISAR function that randomly selected nearby locations. We expected...
The relationship between β-diversity and latitude still remains to be a core question in ecology because of the lack consensus studies. One hypothesis for studies is that spatial scale changes β-diversity. Here, we test this using tree data from 15 large-scale forest plots (greater than or equal ha, diameter at breast height ≥ 1 cm) across latitudinal gradient (3–30 o ) Asia-Pacific region. We found observed decreased with increasing when sampling local communities small (grain size ≤0.1...
Studies of forest dynamics plots (FDPs) have revealed a variety negative density-dependent (NDD) demographic interactions, especially among conspecific trees. These interactions can affect growth rate, recruitment and mortality, they play central role in the maintenance species diversity these complex ecosystems. Here we use an equal area annulus (EAA) point-pattern method to comprehensively analyze data from two tropical FDPs, Barro Colorado Island Panama Sinharaja Sri Lanka. We show that...
Our study tested the potential for establishing shade-tolerant tree species within different canopy removal treatments of an 18-year-old Pinus caribaea (Caribbean pine) plantation. We investigated whether planting a plantation can be solution to dispersal, weed competition, and pathogen/insect problems rain forest have during their initial establishment on sites previously cleared forest. The was originally established abandoned swidden adjacent Sinharaja Man Biosphere reserve in...