Growth strategies differentiate the spatial patterns of 11 dipterocarp species coexisting in a Malaysian tropical rain forest

We examined relationships between mortality rate, relative growth rate (RGR), and spatial patterns of three growth stages (small, medium, and large trees) for 11 dipterocarp species in the Pasoh 50-ha plot. Mortality rates for these species tended to be positively correlated with RGRs, although the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plant research 2009-01, Vol.122 (1), p.81-93
Main Authors: Suzuki, R.O.(Nara Women's Univ. (Japan)), Numata, S, Okuda, T, Supardi, Md.N.N, Kachi, N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
BOSQUE TROPICAL HUMEDO
CRECIMIENTO
CROISSANCE
DEMOGRAFIA
DEMOGRAPHIE
DEMOGRAPHY
Dipterocarpaceae - classification
Dipterocarpaceae - growth & development
DIPTEROCARPUS
Ecosystem
Ecosystems
ESPACEMENT
ESPACIAMIENTO
Forestry
FORET TROPICALE HUMIDE
GROWTH
HABITAT
HABITATS
Life Sciences
MALAISIE
MALASIA
MALAYSIA
MORTALIDAD
MORTALITE
MORTALITY
Plant Biochemistry
Plant biology
Plant Ecology
Plant growth
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Plant species
Population Dynamics
Rainforests
Regular Paper
Soil types
SPACING
Spatial distribution
Trees
Tropical Climate
Tropical forests
TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS
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Summary:We examined relationships between mortality rate, relative growth rate (RGR), and spatial patterns of three growth stages (small, medium, and large trees) for 11 dipterocarp species in the Pasoh 50-ha plot. Mortality rates for these species tended to be positively correlated with RGRs, although the correlation was significant only at the small-tree stage. Seven species with high growth and mortality rates exhibited peaks in spatial aggregation at small distances (100 m) in small trees, but this aggregation disappeared in medium and large trees. In contrast, the other four species with low growth and mortality rates aggregated at large distances (200 m) throughout the three growth stages in all but one species. Negative associations between different growth stages were observed only for the high-mortality species, suggesting density-dependent mortality. The high-mortality species showed habitat associations with topography, soil type, and the forest regeneration phase after gap formation, whereas the three low-mortality species only had associations with the forest regeneration phase. A randomization procedure revealed that these habitat associations explained little of their spatial aggregation. Our results suggest that the growth strategy has a large effect on the structuring of the spatial distribution of tree species through mortality processes.
ISSN:0918-9440
1618-0860
DOI:10.1007/s10265-008-0198-0