Effects of Logging on the Diversity of Lianas in a Lowland Tropical Rain Forest in Hainan Island, South China

Lianas are an integral part of tropical forest ecosystems, which usually respond strongly to severe disturbances, such as logging. To compare the effect of different logging systems on the lianas diversity in tropical rain forest, we recorded all lianas and trees ≥1 cm dbh in two 40-year-old forest sites after clear cutting (CC) and selective cutting (SC) as well as in an old-growth (OG) lowland tropical rain forest on Hainan Island in south China. Results showed that OG contained fewer liana stems and lower species richness (stems: 261, richness: 42 in 1 ha) than CC (606, 52) and SC (727, 50). However, OG had the highest Fisher's α diversity index (17.3) and species richness per stem (0.184). Species composition and dbh class distribution of lianas varied significantly with different logging systems. The mean liana dbh in OG (22.1 cm) were higher than those in CC (7.0 cm) and SC (10.4 cm). Stem twining was the most frequent climbing mechanism represented in the forest, as shown by the greatest species richness, abundance, basal area, and host tree number with this mechanism. The percent of host tree stems ≥4 cm dbh hosting at least one liana individual in SC (39%) was higher than CC (23%) and OG (19.5%). Large host trees (dbh≥60 cm) were more likely to be infested by lianas in SC and OG. Our study demonstrated that logging disturbance could significantly change the composition and structure of liana communities in the lowland tropical rain forest of south China.
     

Alternative pathways of liana communities in the forests of northwestern Argentina

Liana dynamics in secondary and mature forests are well known in tropical areas dominated by native tree species. Outside the tropics and in secondary forests invaded by exotic species, knowledge is scarce. In this study, we compare liana communities between secondary and mature forests dominated by native species in a subtropical montane area of Sierra de San Javier, Tucuman, Argentina. Additionally, we evaluate changes of liana communities in secondary forests with increasing densities of Ligustrum lucidum and Morus alba, two of the most invasive exotic trees of the area. We surveyed liana species richness and density in three 30-year secondary patches, four 60-year secondary patches, and four mature patches dominated by native tree species, to analyze changes in liana communities with forest age. Within each patch, we sampled 10–25 20 × 20 m quadrats. Additionally, we surveyed liana density and species richness in secondary forest patches with different densities of L. lucidum and M. alba. In native-dominated forests, liana species richness increased and showed a tendency of increasing basal area from 30-year secondary forests to mature forests. Liana density was highly variable, and most of the species were shared between native-dominated secondary and mature forests. Liana density and species richness decreased with L. lucidum density, whereas in secondary forests highly dominated by M. alba, lianas increased in density. Overall, lianas followed different pathways influenced by native forest succession and exotic tree invasions.     

海南尖峰岭不同热带雨林类型与物种多样性变化关联的环境因子

环境因子是影响物种分布并导致物种多样性形成的重要因素,采伐后恢复的热带森林次生林和原始林的环境因子是否一致是一个很重要的问题.对于该问题的回答对长期监测热带森林次生林的变化具有重要意义.该文基于在海南尖峰岭地区设置的164个625 m2植被公里网格样地数据,记录了每个样地的采伐历史并测定了其他的17个环境变量指标,分析了17个环境因子之间的相关关系;将164个样地划分成3种不同采伐历史的森林,通过典范对应分析(CCA)探讨3种森林类型中影响物种分布的环境因子组成;比较两种多元回归模型的优劣,来揭示3种森林类型中影响物种丰富度形成的环境因子组成的差异.结果表明:驱动海南尖峰岭地区物种分布并导致物种多样性差异的环境因子在森林采伐前后并不是一成不变的,而是与森林采伐历史有关联的.除了人为森林采伐干扰外,海拔梯度是形成海南尖峰岭热带天然林物种多样性的最重要因素.CCA分析显示:原始林中,物种分布与海拔、土壤交换性钙和交换性镁含量3个环境因子有较密切的关系,也与4个土壤物理性质环境因子(土壤密度、土壤最大持水能力、毛细管持水量和毛管孔隙度)关系密切;森林采伐后的恢复森林中,土壤全磷和速效磷含量对物种分布的影响增强,但皆伐后土壤交换性钙和交换性镁含量对物种分布的影响减弱.多元回归分析显示:原始林的物种丰富度与海拔和土壤交换性钙含量显著相关,径级择伐后恢复热带天然林的物种丰富度和海拔、土壤全磷含量和速效钾含量显著相关,皆伐后恢复热带天然林的物种丰富度仅和海拔显著相关.研究结果还显示,如果数据中存在空间自相关,建立多元回归模型时应该考虑数据中的空间自相关属性,虽然它并不总是存在的.     

Soil phosphorus and disturbance influence liana communities in a subtropical montane forest

Questions: What are the effects of soil, topography, treefall gaps, tree species composition, and tree density on liana species composition and total liana abundance? Location: A 6‐ha permanent plot in a subtropical montane forest in northwest Argentina. Methods: Multiple regressions were used to quantify associations of liana species composition and total liana abundance with edaphic, disturbance and tree community variables. Gradients in liana and tree species composition were quantified using principal components analysis (PCA). Results: Liana species composition was correlated most strongly with soil phosphorus concentration (R²=0.55). Total liana aanased with phosphorus and the density of recent treefall gaps (R²=0.60). Conclusions: In our study area, liana composition and abundance are most strongly correlated with features of the physical environment, rather than host tree characteristics. Our results support the hypothesis that recent increases in liana abundance in mature tropical forests may be related to increased rates of gap formation.     

Environmental factors influencing liana community diversity,structure and habitat associations in a tropical hill forest,Malaysia

Background: Although lianas are important in forest ecosystems, information on the environmental factors influencing their diversity, structure and habitat associations is scanty.

Aims: This study had the aim of determining variation in liana diversity, structure and habitat associations across different topographic habitats, and the environmental factors influencing them, in the Penang Hill Forest Reserve, Malaysia.

Methods: Liana diversity, structure and habitat associations were examined in 30 plots, 40 m × 40 m, randomly demarcated within three topographic habitats (flatland, slope and valley). The physico-chemical properties of the soils in the plots were determined and the altitude and slope of the plots recorded.

Results: Liana species richness, diversity and structure varied significantly among the topographic habitats. Liana species richness, diversity and abundance variations were related to soil moisture, phosphorus content, pH and altitude, whereas liana diameter and basal area were associated with soil magnesium and slope. A total of eight species had a positive association with the habitat and a further six showed a negative association. Four species had a positive association with the flatland habitat, but only three and two species, respectively, with slope and valley habitats. The slope habitat gave the highest number of species that showed a negative association.

Conclusions: Liana diversity and structure varied between habitats. Some liana species showed different associations with specific habitats. Environmental variables were identified that influence liana diversity, structure and habitat associations. The study provides important information about the factors influencing liana success, and these will be of value in liana conservation and management in tropical forests.     

Does selective logging change ground‐dwelling beetle assemblages in a subtropical broad‐leafed forest of China?

Selective logging with natural regeneration is advocated as a near‐to‐nature strategy and has been implemented in many forested systems during the last decades. However, the efficiency of such practices for the maintenance of forest species are poorly understood. We compared the species richness, abundance and composition of ground‐dwelling beetles between selectively logged and unlogged forests to evaluate the possible effects of selective logging in a subtropical broad‐leafed forest in southeastern China. Using pitfall traps, beetles were sampled in two naturally regenerating stands after clearcuts (ca. 50 years old, stem‐exclusion stage: selectively logged 20 years ago) and two mature stands (> 80 years old, understory re‐initiation stage: selectively logged 50 years ago) during 2009 and 2010. Overall, selective logging had no significant effects on total beetle richness and abundance, but saproxylic species group and some abundant forest species significantly decreased in abundance in selectively logged plots compared with unlogged plots in mature stands. Beetle assemblages showed significant differences between selectively logged and unlogged plots in mature stands. Some environmental characteristics associated with selective logging (e.g., logging strategy, stand age, and cover of shrub and moss layers) were the most important variables explaining beetle assemblage structure. Our results conclude that selective logging has no significant impacts on overall richness and abundance of ground‐dwelling beetles. However, the negative effects of selective logging on saproxylic species group and some unlogged forest specialists highlight the need for large intact forested areas for sustaining the existence of forest specialist beetles.     

森林采伐对尖峰岭海南特有种子植物多样性的影响

特有种子植物是热带森林植物区系的一个重要组成部分,且很容易受到人为干扰的影响,但是森林采伐对特有种子植物的影响少有报道。本文基于164个25m×25m植被公里网格样地数据,分析了海南岛尖峰岭地区海南特有种子植物(以下简称特有种子植物)的组成结构、样地内特有种子植物物种数与总物种数之间的关系;并从种-面积曲线、累积种-个体关系和物种多度分布3个方面比较了原始林、径级择伐林和皆伐林样地中特有种子植物的物种多样性变化规律。结果显示:尖峰岭地区特有种子植物种类丰富,共有158种,占全岛(397种)的40%;其中木本特有种子植物达98种(藤本除外),在164个样地内共记录到胸径≥1.0cm的52种,占整个尖峰岭地区的53%,以樟科、壳斗科、茜草科种类为主。样地内特有种子植物的物种数与总物种数成正相关关系。采伐后特别是径级择伐后特有种子植物物种数略微增加,但增加的种类大多仅在1-2个样地中出现;而且种群也比较小,表现为较稀有且不稳定的种群结构特征,在后续的更新中消失的可能性较大。但是,采伐后一些特有种子植物仍具有中等大小的种群,例如毛荔枝(Nephelium topengii)、海南紫荆木(Madhucaha inanensis)和尖峰岭锥(Castanopsis jianfenglingen-sis)等。     

Mass–abundance scaling in avian communities is maintained after tropical selective logging

1. Selective logging dominates forested landscapes across the tropics. Despite the structural damage incurred, selectively logged forests typically retain more biodiversity than other forest disturbances. Most logging impact studies consider conventional metrics, like species richness, but these can conceal subtle biodiversity impacts. The mass–abundance relationship is an integral feature of ecological communities, describing the negative relationship between body mass and population abundance, where, in a system without anthropogenic influence, larger species are less abundant due to higher energy requirements. Changes in this relationship can indicate community structure and function changes.
2. We investigated the impacts of selective logging on the mass–abundance scaling of avian communities by conducting a meta‐analysis to examine its pantropical trend. We divide our analysis between studies using mist netting, sampling the understory avian community, and point counts, sampling the entire community.
3. Across 19 mist‐netting studies, we found no consistent effects of selective logging on mass–abundance scaling relative to primary forests, except for the omnivore guild where there were fewer larger‐bodied species after logging. In eleven point‐count studies, we found a more negative relationship in the whole community after logging, likely driven by the frugivore guild, showing a similar pattern.
4. Limited effects of logging on mass–abundance scaling may suggest high species turnover in logged communities, with like‐for‐like replacement of lost species with similar‐sized species. The increased negative mass–abundance relationship found in some logged communities could result from resource depletion, density compensation, or increased hunting; potentially indicating downstream impacts on ecosystem functions.
5. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that size distributions of avian communities in logged forests are relatively robust to disturbance, potentially maintaining ecosystem processes in these forests, thus underscoring the high conservation value of logged tropical forests, indicating an urgent need to focus on their protection from further degradation and deforestation.

     

Patterns of liana community diversity and structure in a tropical rainforest reserve,Ghana: effects of human disturbance

Most studies have concluded that liana diversity and structure increase with disturbance. However, a contradictory pattern has emerged recently calling for more research in the area. Liana diversity and structure were investigated in three forest types that differ in disturbance intensity (nondisturbed, moderately disturbed and heavily disturbed forest: NDF, MDF and HDF, respectively) in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Ghana. In each forest type, 10 square plots of 0.25 ha were demarcated. Lianas with diameter ≥1 cm located on trees with diameter ≥10 cm were enumerated. A total of 429 individuals representing 40 species, 29 genera and seventeen families were identified in the study. Shannon diversity and species richness of lianas were significantly lower in the HDF (P < 0.05). Liana density and basal area differed significantly across all forest types (P < 0.0001). The importance value index (IVI) of most liana species varied greatly across the forest types. The current study has provided evidence to support the pattern of decreasing liana diversity and structure with disturbance in some tropical forests. Further studies are recommended to gain more understanding of the factors that are responsible for the divergent liana responses to disturbance in tropical forests.     

Long-Term Effects of Forest Regrowth and Selective Logging on the Seed Bank of Tropical Forests in NE Costa Rica1.

To investigate long-term effects of land use on the soil seed bank, we compared the abundance/density, species richness, life form distribution, and species composition of seeds stored in the soil of four 15–20 yr-old second-growth stands, two old-growth stands, and two previously selectively-logged stands in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. Surface soil (10 cm deep, 4.7 cm diameter) was collected at 10 m intervals along three 120–160 m long transects in each stand (44–48 soil cores, 22–24 combined seed bank samples per site). Seed density was highest but variable in second-growth stands (8331–14535 seeds/m²), low and homogeneous in old-growth stands (2258–2659 seeds/m²), and intermediate and highly variable in selectively-logged stands (1165–6854 seeds/m²), which also had contrasting logging intensities. Species richness was strongly dependent on seed density, but showed less variation. Life form distribution did not differ statistically among or within land-use categories. In each stand, herbs-forbs, shrubs, and vines dominated the seed bank (> 75% of the species richness and abundance), whereas trees were a minor component (< 20% of the species richness and < 5% of the abundance) and were predominandy early successional. Shrubs and vines were most abundant in second-growth stands where regrowth vegetation was repeatedly cut before abandonment, whereas grasses and sedges were most abundant in the only forest stand that was completely surrounded by pastures. In terms of species composition, old-growth stands were more similar to selectively-logged stands than to second-growth stands, but across stands, selectively-logged forests were most distinct from the other two forest types. An inventory of the standing woody vegetation in each site showed little representation of the woody taxa found in the seed bank. We discuss these results in the context of the main factors that have been postulated to influence the abundance, life form, and species composition of tropical forest seed banks, and explore the role of the latter during intermediate phases of tropical forest succession and regeneration.     

The legacy of forest logging on organic matter inputs and storage in tropical streams

Riparian forests play an important role in stream ecosystems, as they support biodiversity, reduce water erosion, and provide litter that fuels aquatic biota. However, they are affected by great array of anthropogenic threats (e.g., fire, logging, and organic pollution), which alter species composition and their physical structure. Although forest recovery after disturbance such as logging can take decades, the legacy of forest clear-cut logging on key processes in tropical riparian ecosystems is mostly unknown. Here, we investigated how litter inputs (leaves, twigs, and reproductive parts) and storage, key processes for carbon and nutrient recycling and for forest and stream biota, are influenced by riparian vegetation undergoing succession (after 28 years from logging) through the comparison of reference and logged forest sites in the Cerrado biome. Litterfall was overall similar between forest types, but litterfall of twigs was twofold higher at logged than reference sites. Similarly, litter inputs from the bank to the stream (i.e., lateral inputs) and streambed storage were 50–60% higher at logged than reference sites. The higher litterfall observed in logged forests could be related to higher proportion of tree species that are characteristic of primary and secondary successional stages, including fast-growing and liana species, which often are more productive and common in anthropogenic areas. Our results showed that the legacy impact of clear-cut logging, even if residual woody vegetation is maintained in riparian buffers, can shift the type, quantity, and seasonality of litter subsidies to tropical streams. This knowledge should be considered within the context of management and conservation of communities and ecosystem processes in the forest-stream interfaces.     

Presidential Address—Some Reflections On The Nature Of Species

Background: Variation in the distribution and abundance of woody plants as consequence of disturbances such as fire may be explained by lineage age.

Aims: We tested whether lowland tropical tree lineages that colonise secondary forests are more late-diverging than clades from old-growth forests, and whether tree phylogenetic beta diversity from old-growth to secondary forests is higher in burned than non-burned secondary forests.

Methods: We sampled tree communities in old-growth forests and in secondary forests with distinct disturbance histories (burned and unburned). We calculated mean family age in each plot, and tested for differences among forest types using ANOVA. A phylogenetic fuzzy-weighting procedure was employed to generate a matrix describing the abundance of tree clades per plot, which was then analysed using a principal coordinate analysis.

Results: Most clades found in old-growth forests were underrepresented in secondary forests, which have been heavily colonised by a single species from a young lineage that is not found in old-growth forests. Phylogenetic beta diversity was higher between unburned secondary forests and old-growth forests than between burned secondary forests and old-growth forests.

Conclusions: The capacity of Neotropical trees to colonise secondary forests and persist after fire disturbance may be related to the age of distinct lineages.     

Liana habitat associations and community structure in a Bornean lowland tropical forest

Lianas (woody vines) contribute substantially to the diversity and structure of most tropical forests, yet little is known about the importance of habitat specialization in maintaining tropical liana diversity and the causes of variation among forests in liana abundance and species composition. We examined habitat associations, species diversity, species composition, and community structure of lianas at Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia in northeastern Borneo among three soil types that give rise to three distinct forest types of lowland tropical rain forest: alluvial, sandstone hill, and kerangas (heath) forest. Alluvial soils are more nutrient rich and have higher soil moisture than sandstone soils, whereas kerangas soils are the most nutrient poor and drought prone. Lianas ≥0.5-cm in diameter were measured, tagged, and identified to species in three square 0.25-ha plots in each forest type. The number of lianas ≥0.5 cm did not differ significantly among forest types and averaged 1348 lianas ha⁻¹, but mean liana stem diameter, basal area, estimated biomass, species richness, and Fisher’s diversity index were all greater for plots in alluvial than sandstone or kerangas forests. Liana species composition also differed greatly among the three habitats, with 71% of species showing significant positive or negative habitat associations. Sandstone forests were intermediate to alluvial and kerangas forests in most aspects of liana community structure and composition, and fewer species showed significant habitat associations with this forest type. Ranking of forest types with respect to liana density, biomass, and diversity matches the ranking in soil fertility and water availability (alluvial > sandstone hill > kerangas). These results suggest that edaphic factors play an important role in maintaining liana species diversity and structuring liana communities.     

Effects of Clearfell Harvesting on Lucanid Beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in Wet and Dry Sclerophyll Forests in Tasmania

The effects of commercial forestry harvest and regeneration practices (clearfelling and slash-burning) on the lucanid fauna of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern Tasmania and the dry sclerophyll forests of eastern Tasmania were examined using pitfall catches. Lucanids are saproxylic beetles, dependent on dead, moribund and decaying wood. Samples taken from old-growth forest and from a chronosequence of sites regenerating after logging, in each forest type, were used to compare the species richness and abundance of the lucanid assemblages. In both forest types, species richness and abundance was highest in the youngest regeneration sites (1–3 year), reflecting the species richness of the original and adjacent unlogged forest, lowest in the older (20–25 year) sites, and variable in the old-growth sites. TWINSPAN cluster analysis showed no clear distinction between regeneration and old-growth forest. The post-harvest slash and stump residue provided an important refugium and initial habitat, but our research indicates that some species may not maintain populations in the long term. Our results suggest that most species of lucanids will find a continuous supply of suitable habitat only in old-growth forests; and such species may become less common as clearfell harvesting leads to a replacement of heterogeneous old-growth forest with single-aged monospecific stands. Continuity of supply of wood in all decay stages, the maintenance of sufficient source areas, and biological connectivity between old-growth stands to enable dispersal, are all likely to be essential to maintain lucanid beetle community integrity. If similar principles apply to other saproxylic species of invertebrate, then clearfelling and slash-burning may cause a gradual extinction of an important element of the forest biota.     

Diversity of Medicinal Plants among Different Forest-use Types of the Pakistani Himalaya

Diversity of Medicinal Plants among Different Forest-use Types of the Pakistani Himalaya Medicinal plants collected in Himalayan forests play a vital role in the livelihoods of regional rural societies and are also increasingly recognized at the international level. However, these forests are being heavily transformed by logging. Here we ask how forest transformation influences the diversity and composition of medicinal plants in northwestern Pakistan, where we studied old-growth forests, forests degraded by logging, and regrowth forests. First, an approximate map indicating these forest types was established and then 15 study plots per forest type were randomly selected. We found a total of 59 medicinal plant species consisting of herbs and ferns, most of which occurred in the old-growth forest. Species number was lowest in forest degraded by logging and intermediate in regrowth forest. The most valuable economic species, including six Himalayan endemics, occurred almost exclusively in old-growth forest. Species composition and abundance of forest degraded by logging differed markedly from that of old-growth forest, while regrowth forest was more similar to old-growth forest. The density of medicinal plants positively correlated with tree canopy cover in old-growth forest and negatively in degraded forest, which indicates that species adapted to open conditions dominate in logged forest. Thus, old-growth forests are important as refuge for vulnerable endemics. Forest degraded by logging has the lowest diversity of relatively common medicinal plants. Forest regrowth may foster the reappearance of certain medicinal species valuable to local livelihoods and as such promote acceptance of forest expansion and medicinal plants conservation in the region.     

Impacts of Selective Logging and Agricultural Clearing on Forest Structure, Floristic Composition and Diversity, and Timber Tree Regeneration in the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo

Mature tropical forests at agricultural frontiers are of global conservation concern as the leading edge of global deforestation. In the Ituri Forest of DRC, as in other tropical forest areas, road creation associated with selective logging results in spontaneous human colonization, leading to the clearing of mature forest for agricultural purposes. Following 1-3 years of cultivation, farmlands are left fallow for periods that may exceed 20 years, resulting in extensive secondary forest areas impacted by both selective logging and swidden agriculture. In this study, we assessed forest structure, tree species composition and diversity and the regeneration of timber trees in secondary forest stands (5-10 and ~40 years old), selectively logged forest stands, and undisturbed forests at two sites in the Ituri region. Stem density was lower in old secondary forests (~40 years old) than in either young secondary or mature forests. Overall tree diversity did not significantly differ between forest types, but the diversity of trees ≥10 cm dbh was substantially lower in young secondary forest stands than in old secondary or mature forests. The species composition of secondary forests differed from that of mature forests, with the dominant Caesalpinoid legume species of mature forests poorly represented in secondary forests. However, in spite of prior logging, the regeneration of high value timber trees such as African mahoganies (Khaya anthotheca and Entandrophragma spp.) was at least 10 times greater in young secondary forests than in mature forests. We argue that, if properly managed and protected, secondary forests, even those impacted by both selective logging and small-scale shifting agriculture, may have high potential conservation and economic value.     

Landscape-Scale Disturbances Modified Bird Community Dynamics in Successional Forest Environment

Ecosystem-based forest management strives to develop silvicultural practices that best emulate natural disturbances such as wildfire to conserve biodiversity representative of natural forest ecosystems. Yet, current logging practices alter forest structure and reduce the proportion of old-growth forest and, consequently, can exert long-term effects on the dynamics of forest biota. The stand- and landscape-scale factors driving bird community dynamics in post-disturbance environment remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined bird community dynamics along successional gradients in boreal ecosystems originating from fire and logging in landscapes dominated by old-growth forest. We tested if bird species richness and community compositions in clear-cutting stands became comparable to those in natural stands after 70 years, and identified the relative contributions of stand- and landscape-scale forest attributes in bird community dynamics. Based on records of bird occurrences at 185 field sites in natural and clearcutting stands, we demonstrate that (1) both forest structures and bird communities underwent evident changes along successional gradients in post-clearcutting environment; (2) bird species richness and community composition in 60- to 70-years-old clearcutting stands still differed from those in 50- to 79-years-old natural stands, in spite of the fact that most forest attributes of clearcutting stands became comparable to those of natural stands after 40 years; and (3) landscape disturbances contributed more than stand characteristics in explaining the lack of convergence of mature forest species, residents, and short-distance migrants in post-clearcutting environment. Our study points out that more regards should be paid to improve the landscape configuration of the managed forests, and implies that old-growth forest retention within logged areas, combined with selection cutting and prolonged logging rotations, can better emulate fire and alleviate forest harvesting effects on bird community assemblages typical of natural boreal ecosystem.     

Do lianas shape ant communities in an early successional tropical forest?

Almost half of lowland tropical forests are at various stages of regeneration following deforestation or fragmentation. Changes in tree communities along successional gradients have predictable bottom‐up effects on consumers. Liana (woody vine) assemblages also change with succession, but their effects on animal succession remain unexplored. Here we used a large‐scale liana removal experiment across a forest successional chronosequence (7–31 years) to determine the importance of lianas to ant community structure. We conducted 1,088 surveys of ants foraging on and living in trees using tree trunk baiting and hand‐collecting techniques at 34 paired forest plots, half of which had all lianas removed. Ant species composition, β‐diversity, and species richness were not affected by liana removal; however, ant species co‐occurrence (the coexistence of two or more species in a single tree) was more frequent in control plots, where lianas were present, versus removal plots. Forest stand age had a larger effect on ant community structure than the presence of lianas. Mean ant species richness in a forest plot increased by ca. 10% with increasing forest age across the 31‐year chronosequence. Ant surveys from forest >20 years old included more canopy specialists and fewer ground‐nesting ant species versus those from forests <20 years old. Consequently, lianas had a minimal effect on arboreal ant communities in this early successional forest, where rapidly changing tree community structure was more important to ant species richness and composition.     

Effects of Historical Selective Logging on Anuran Communities in a Wet Evergreen Forest,South India

Vast areas of tropical evergreen forests have been selectively logged in the past, and many areas continue to be logged. The impacts of such logging on amphibians are poorly understood. I examined the response of anuran communities to historical selective logging in a wet evergreen forest in south India. Anuran assemblages in unlogged forest were compared with assemblages in selectively logged forest. Forty 10 m × 10 m quadrats in forest, riparian zones, and streams of unlogged and selectively logged forests were searched at night for anurans. Species richness did not appear to be affected by logging. However, anuran density varied significantly and was 42 percent lower in selectively logged forests compared to unlogged forests. Anuran densities also varied significantly across microhabitats, with highest densities in streams of both selectively logged and unlogged forests. Patterns of niche overlap varied with selective logging as niche breadth either expanded, contracted, or remained neutral for different species. Ordination analysis explained 95 percent of the variation in species assemblage across selectively logged and unlogged forests. The assemblage in selectively logged forest was nested within unlogged forest. Among the habitat characteristics, litter thickness and water depth had the highest influence on the assemblage. This was followed by litter/water temperature, air temperature, and lastly relative humidity. It appears that species richness and composition of anurans in selectively logged forests is converging with unlogged forests, but the effects of historical logging seem to persist on anuran densities and their niche characteristics even ca 40 yr since logging ceased.