Stand Characteristics and Leaf Litter Composition of a Dry Forest Hectare in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica
نویسنده
چکیده
One hectare of tropical dry forest in Guanacaste Conservation Area, Cosra Rica was mapped and all trees larger than 10 cm diameter at breast heighr (DBH) identified. The same hectare was sampled for leaf litter and the two data sets, forest and litter, were compared. Dominant and subdominant species of the forest are represented in the leaf litter, whereas rare tree species are highly variable in their representation in the leaf litter. Relative abundance of dominant and subdominant tree species is represented well by the litter although absolute rank-order is nor identical between source forest basal area and leaf litter mass. The litter adds a significant component to the source forest data owing to the presence of vines and lianas, and more rarely small trees or shrubs. This indicates that litter studies may be able to add depth to forest diversity surveys. The source forest also was used to test foliar physiognomic reconstructions of climate that have been proposed recently by paleobotanists as an alternative to taxonomic affinities methods. The observed climate of the area does not conform to the climatic values that were predicted by application of these new methods.
منابع مشابه
Dry-season leaf flushing of Enterolobium cyclocarpum (ear-pod tree): above- and below-ground phenology and water relations.
Above- and belowground phenology and water relations of Enterolobium cyclocarpum Jacq. trees in the dry forest of Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica were studied during two consecutive phenological cycles, from November 1998 to June 2000. Aboveground phenological activity, including leaf shedding, growth and maturation of dormant fruits, new leaf flushing and flowering, occurred during the dr...
متن کاملBehavioral adaptations to heat stress and water scarcity in white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica.
We examined thermoregulatory behaviors in a wild population of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) inhabiting a highly seasonal dry forest in Santa Rosa National Park (SRNP), Costa Rica. The dry season in SRNP lasts approximately 5 months and is characterized by high ambient temperatures regularly exceeding 37 degrees C, low relative humidity, and the near absence of precipitation. This stu...
متن کاملPrimate Seed Dispersal: The Fate of Dispersed Seeds
The three primate species of Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica (Ateles geoffroyi, Alouatta palliata, Cebus capucinus) have diets in which fruits are major components. All three primate species defecated seeds of many fruiting species; the majority of which (60%) germinated under experimental conditions. The sampling of seed traps placed throughout he forest indicated that, on average, 392 la...
متن کاملDo seasonal changes in light availability influence the inverse leafing phenology of the neotropical dry forest understory shrub Bonellia nervosa (Theophrastaceae)?
In tropical dry forests most plants are deciduous during the dry season and flush leaves with the onset of the rains. In Costa Rica, the only species displaying the opposite pattern is Bonellia nervosa. To determine if seasonal changes in light availability are associated with the leaf and reproductive phenology of this species, we monitored leaf production, survival, and life span, as well as ...
متن کامل