Increasing dominance of large lianas in Amazonian forests

Oliver L. Phillips (), Rodolfo Vásquez Martínez, Luzmila Arroyo, Timothy R. Baker, Timothy Killeen, Simon L. Lewis, Yadvinder Malhi, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, David Neill, Percy Núñez Vargas, Miguel Alexiades, Carlos Cerón, Anthony Di Fiore, Terry Erwin, Anthony Jardim, Walter Palacios, Mario Saldias and Barbara Vinceti
Additional contact information
Oliver L. Phillips: University of Leeds
Rodolfo Vásquez Martínez: Jardin Botánico de Missouri
Luzmila Arroyo: Missouri Botanical Garden
Timothy R. Baker: University of Leeds
Timothy Killeen: Missouri Botanical Garden
Simon L. Lewis: University of Leeds
Yadvinder Malhi: University of Edinburgh
Abel Monteagudo Mendoza: Jardin Botánico de Missouri
David Neill: Escuela de Biología de la Universidad Central del Ecuador
Percy Núñez Vargas: Herbario Vargas, Universidad San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Miguel Alexiades: New York Botanical Garden
Carlos Cerón: Escuela de Biología de la Universidad Central del Ecuador
Anthony Di Fiore: New York University
Terry Erwin: Smithsonian Institution
Anthony Jardim: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Walter Palacios: Escuela de Biología de la Universidad Central del Ecuador
Mario Saldias: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Barbara Vinceti: University of Edinburgh

Nature, 2002, vol. 418, issue 6899, 770-774

Abstract: Abstract Ecological orthodoxy suggests that old-growth forests should be close to dynamic equilibrium, but this view has been challenged by recent findings that neotropical forests are accumulating carbon1,2 and biomass3,4, possibly in response to the increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide5,6. However, it is unclear whether the recent increase in tree biomass has been accompanied by a shift in community composition. Such changes could reduce or enhance the carbon storage potential of old-growth forests in the long term. Here we show that non-fragmented Amazon forests are experiencing a concerted increase in the density, basal area and mean size of woody climbing plants (lianas). Over the last two decades of the twentieth century the dominance of large lianas relative to trees has increased by 1.7–4.6% a year. Lianas enhance tree mortality and suppress tree growth7, so their rapid increase implies that the tropical terrestrial carbon sink may shut down sooner than current models suggest8,9,10. Predictions of future tropical carbon fluxes will need to account for the changing composition and dynamics of supposedly undisturbed forests.

Date: 2002
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DOI: 10.1038/nature00926

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