An ecological study of Hanuman langurs,Presbytis entellus

A troop of 23 Hanuman langurs was studied for a year in the dry deciduous forest at Dharwar, South India. The size of the territory and the home range of the troop was reduced due to a new-group formation during the period of this study, but the area size per each member of the troop did not change much. No distinct seasonal use of different parts of the range was observed. There was a tendency toward increased activities, especially feeding, toward the evening. However, feeding was frequently observed during the daytime. The langurs ate leaves, stalks, shoots, buds, flowers, and the fruit of many plant species, and they well utilized the common and abundant species in the area as food. The langurs spent 20% to 40% of the daytime on the ground. And they moved longer distances on the ground than they did in trees. When feeding on the ground, they changed food plants more frequently, moving more often and longer distances, than when feeding in trees. The home range of the langur troop overlapped with that of a troop of bonnet monkeys, but the relations between the two species were rather peaceful.The field work on which this report is based was financed by a Rockefeller Foundation grant, RF 60229, for the study on the behavior of Indian monkeys.     

Use of leaf resources by howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) and leaf-cutting ants (Atta cephalotes) in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

Use of leaf resources by a troop of howling monkeys and two colonies of leaf cutting ants was studied for an annual cycle in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Howling monkeys spent half their annual foraging time feeding on leaves; leaf-cutting ants spent at least 80% of their recorded foraging time harvesting leaves. Both herbivores preferred young leaves over nature ones, and chemical analysis showed that the protein: fibre ratio of the leaves used was correlated with these preferences. Howling monkeys used 34 tree species as leaf sources. Leaf-cutting ants used 40 plant species of which 38 were trees. Eighteen species used by Alouatta were also used by Atta; species of Moraceae and Lauraceae were among the most important in their foraging preferences. The plant species used by monkeys and ants occurred at low densities (? 4.0 ind/ha). The seasonal production of leaves, the high density of leaf-cutting ant colonies at the study site, and the high amounts of young foliage harvested by the ants from tree species, and individual trees used by howling monkeys as sources of young leaves suggest that the foraging activities of Atta may represent a significant pressure upon leaf resources available to Alouatta.     

Fruit eating and seed dispersal by howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

The frugivory and ranging habits of howling monkeys living in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico, were studied for 5 consecutive years with the aim of investigating the role of seed dispersal agents played by the howling monkeys. The howling monkeys' consumption of fruit occupied half of their feeding time, and 80% of this time was spent feeding on mature fruit. Observations confirmed use of 19 tree species and a preference for a few species of Moraceae and Lauraceae. Fruit exploitation was very seasonal; only two species provided fruit year-round. Home range size was about 60 ha, and animals in the troop (N = 16) showed a day range of 10–893 m. Monthly collection of fecal samples during 2 years indicated that 90% of the seeds (N = 7,928) in the samples belonged to eight tree species and to one liana; the rest belonged to 15 unidentified species of vines. Germination success for the seeds in the feces was about 60% and for control seeds was 35%. Howling monkeys created diverse seed shadows in the vicinity of their leaf and fruit sources, and while they dispersed the seeds of some plant species, they also produced a great deal of fruit and seed waste for others.     

Feeding and general activity patterns of a howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) troop living in a forest fragment at Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

The feeding behavior and general activity patterns of a howler monkey troop living in a 3.6 ha forest fragment were studied at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, for an annual cycle. Monthly samples of their feeding behavior indicated that they used 52 species of 24 plant families as sources of food. Of these, 67% were trees, which accounted for 96% of total feeding time recorded. Ten species of Moraceae, Cecropiaceae, Anacrdiaceae. and Sapotaceae contributed to 70% of the trees used and to almost 90% of feeding time. The number of plant species used per monthly record varied from 7 to 31 with an average of 19.9 species. Young leaves and ripe fruit were the principal items in the monthly diet of howlers and average percent of time spent consuming these plant parts was 46.7% and 34.8%, respectively. The use of tree species was found to be associated to their importance value and to their pattern of spatial dispersal in the study site. Availability of young leaves was fairly constant from month to month, but it presented a seasonal pattern, and there was a significantly lower number of tree species bearing ripe fruit through the year with brief pulses of production. The monthly activity pattern was found to be related to variations in the availability of young leaves and ripe fruit as well as to the values of the intermonthly overlap in plant species used. Resting and feeding presented a bimodal pattern of occurrence throughout the day that seemed to be related to variations in maximum ambient temperatures. Results are discussed in light of the small size and shape of the forest fragment inhabited by the howler troop. Am. J. Primatol. 48:167–183, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Ring-Tailed Lemur Home Ranges Correlate with Food Abundance and Nutritional Content at a Time of Environmental Stress

In order to determine whether ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) adapt their ranging and select an optimal diet at a time of food shortage, we observed two adjacent troops in Berenty Reserve, Madagascar for over 250 h. The troops, created by a recent fission, ranged through closed canopy gallery forest next to a river and open forest away from the river. We conducted the study in September–October, 2000, normally a time of seasonally low resource availability, which was intensified by damage from a previous windstorm and recent drought. To examine the impact of environmental stress, we mapped their ranging patterns, intertroop encounters, feeding patches, siesta trees, and sleeping trees. We then correlated their ranging and feeding behavior with nutritional analyses of leaves and fruit from tamarind trees located in different parts of their ranges. One of the troops, D1A, ranged farther into open forest than previously. However, the range for troop D1B and the closed canopy portion of D1A's range were located in traditional positions for historical troops D and E. Both troops ate significantly more mature leaves from the tamarind trees in the closed canopy forest, where the leaves had significantly higher nutritional content (water and protein) than that of open forest samples. They fed on tamarind fruit significantly more often in the open forest away from the river, where it was more abundant. The lemurs selected a diet that maximized leaf water and protein and ranged where fruit was most abundant but at high energetic costs for troop D1A.     

The diet and feeding behavior of the silver leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in Indonesia

I describe the diet and feeding behavior of silver leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus auratus sondaicus) in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia, and compare a group living in old secondary rain forest with a group living in mixed plantation/secondary forest to determine intraspecific variation in feeding behavior and the importance of the plantation species in the diet of the monkeys. Young leaves and leaf buds made up slightly less than half of their diets, with both groups showing a preference for a few species when seasonally available. Fruits and flowers of a few species were also preferentially selected when available. These included sweet, fleshy fruits, which most other colobines tend to avoid. Young leaf intake was greatest in months when fruit intake was low. Mature leaves were rarely eaten. Both groups spent approximately 20% of feeding time foraging on Moraceae species. Differences in the diet of the two groups were related largely to differences in vegetational composition and the availability and abundance of food items for the species common to both sites. Teak (Tectona grandis) was the top food species of the group living in mixed plantation/secondary forest, with the midribs of young leaves preferentially selected. Young leaves ofT. grandis, available throughout the study, provided a staple food and were eaten when preferred foods were scarce. More favored food items were available to the group living in old secondary forest, though none was a staple food.     

Diversity of flowering and fruiting phenology of trees in a tropical deciduous forest in India

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the dry tropics, vegetative phenology varies widely with tree characteristics and soil conditions. The present work aims to document the phenological diversity of flowering and fruiting with reference to leafing events in Indian dry-tropical tree species. METHODS: Nine tree species, including one leaf-exchanging and eight deciduous showing varying leafless periods, were studied. Monthly counts of leaves, flowers and fruits were made on 160 tagged twigs on ten individuals of each species for initiation, completion and duration of different phenological events through two annual cycles. KEY RESULTS: Variation in flowering relative to leaf flushing (which occurred just prior to or during a hot, dry summer) revealed five flowering types: summer flowering (on foliated shoots), rainy-season flowering (on foliated shoots following significant rains), autumn flowering (on shoots with mature leaves), winter flowering (on shoots undergoing leaf fall) and dry-season flowering (on leafless shoots). Duration of the fruiting phenophase was shortest (3-4 months) in dry-season and winter-flowering species, 6-9 months in rainy-and autumn-flowering species, and maximum (11 months) in summer-flowering species. A wide range of time lag (<1 to >8 months) between the start of vegetative (first-leaf flush) and reproductive (first-visible flower) phases was recorded in deciduous species; this time lag was correlated with the extent of the leafless period. A synthesis of available phenological information on 119 Indian tropical trees showed that summer-flowering species were most abundant (56 % of total species) amongst the five types recognized. CONCLUSIONS: The wide diversity of seasonal flowering and fruiting with linkages to leaf flush time and leafless period reflect the fact that variable reproductive and survival strategies evolved in tree species under a monsoonic bioclimate. Flowering periodicity has evolved as an adaptation to an annual leafless period and the time required for the fruit to develop. The direct relationship between leafless period (inverse of growing period) and time lag between onset of vegetative and reproductive phases reflects the partitioning of resource use for supporting these phases. Predominance of summer flowering coupled with summer leaf flushing seems to be a unique adaptation in trees to survive under a strongly seasonal tropical climate.     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on photosynthesis, growth and reproduction of branches of the tropical canopy tree species, Luehea seemannii Tr. & Planch.

Mature trees have already experienced substantial increases in CO₂ concentrations during their lifetimes, and will experience continuing increases in the future. Small open-top chambers were used to enclose branchlets that were at a height of between 20 and 25 m in the canopy of the tree species Luehea seemannii Tr. & Planch. in a tropical forest in Panamá. Elevated concentrations of CO₂ increased the rate of photosynthetic carbon fixation and decreased stomatal conductance of leaves, but did not influence the growth of leaf area per chamber, the production of flower buds and fruit nor the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates within leaves. The production of flower buds was highly correlated with the leaf area produced in the second flush of leaves, indicating that the branchlets of mature trees of Luehea seemannii are autonomous to a considerable extent. Elevated levels of CO₂ did increase the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates in woody stem tissue. Elevated CO₂ concentration also they increased the ratio of leaf area to total biomass of branchlets, and tended to reduce individual fruit weight. These data suggest that the biomass allocation patterns of mature trees may change under future elevated levels of CO₂. Although there were no effects on growth during the experiment, the possibility of increased growth in the season following CO₂ enrichment due to increased carbohydrate concentrations in woody tissue cannot be excluded.     

Foraging ecology of howler monkeys in a cacao (Theobroma cacao) plantation in Comalcalco, Mexico

Recent evidence indicates that primate populations may persist in neotropical fragmented landscapes by using arboreal agroecosystems, which may provide temporary habitats, increased areas of vegetation, and connectivity, among other benefits. However, limited data are available on how primates are able to sustain themselves in such manmade habitats. We report the results of a 9-month-long investigation of the feeding ecology of a troop of howler monkeys (n = 24) that have lived for the past 25 years in a 12-ha cacao plantation in the lowlands of Tabasco, Mexico. A vegetation census indicated the presence of 630 trees (> or =20 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)) of 32 shade species in the plantation. The howlers used 16 plant species (13 of which were trees) as sources of leaves, fruits, and flowers. Five shade tree species (Ficus cotinifolia, Pithecellobium saman, Gliricidia sepium, F. obtusifolia, and Ficus sp.) accounted for slightly over 80% of the total feeding time and 78% of the total number trees (n = 139) used by the howlers, and were consistently used by the howlers from month to month. The howlers spent an average of 51% of their monthly feeding time exploiting young leaves, 29% exploiting mature fruit, and 20% exploiting flowers and other plant items. Monthly consumption of young leaves varied from 23% to 67%, and monthly consumption of ripe fruit varied from 12% to 64%. Differences in the protein-to-fiber ratio of young vs. mature leaves influenced diet selection by the monkeys. The howlers used 8.3 ha of the plantation area, and on average traveled 388 m per day in each month. The howlers preferred tree species whose contribution to the total tree biomass and density was above average for the shade-tree population in the plantation. Given the right conditions of management and protection, shaded arboreal plantations in fragmented landscapes can sustain segments of howler monkey populations for many decades.     

Leaf domatia and foliar mite abundance in broadleaf deciduous forest of north Asia

Plant morphology may be shaped, in part, by the third trophic level. Leaf domatia, minute enclosures usually in vein axils on the leaf underside, may provide the basis for protective mutualism between plants and mites. Domatia are particularly frequent among species of trees, shrubs, and vines in the temperate broadleaf deciduous forests in north Asia where they may be important in determining the distribution and abundance of mites in the forest canopy. In lowland and montane broadleaf deciduous forests at Kwangn;akung and Chumbongsan in Korea, we found that approximately half of all woody species in all forest strata, including many dominant trees, have leaf domatia. Pooling across 24 plant species at the two sites, mites occupied a mode of 60% (range 20-100%) of domatia and used them for shelter, egg-laying, and development. On average, 70% of all active mites and 85% of mite eggs on leaves were found in domatia; over three-quarters of these were potentially beneficial to their hosts. Further, mite abundance and reproduction (expressed as the proportion of mites at the egg stage) were significantly greater on leaves of species with domatia than those without domatia in both forests. Effects of domatia on mite abundance were significant only for predaceous and fungivorous mite taxa; herbivore numbers did not differ significantly between leaves of species with and without domatia. Comparable patterns in broadleaf deciduous forest in North America and other biogeographic regions suggest that the effect of leaf domatia on foliar mite abundance is general. These results are consistent with several predictions of mutualism between plants and mites, and indicate that protective mutualisms may be frequent in the temperate zone.     

Feeding behavior and diet of the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata yakui) on Yakushima Island,Japan

Feeding behavior in a troop of one subspecies of the Japanese monkey, the Yakuzaru (Macaca fuscata yakui), was observed for 407 hr on Yakushima Island between March and December 1976, after a three-month preliminary survey in 1975. The troop dwells in a mature warm temperate forest at a density of over 30 animals/km². The 5-min scanning technique was employed from August to December 1976, to detect the quantitative features of feeding behavior. The members of this troop fed on 76 plant species: on the leaves of 26, the fruits of 45, and other parts of 12 species. The Yakuzaru is essentially frugivorous. The pattern of food selection is discussed in relation to fruit production. The animals fed much more on the leaves of deciduous than of evergreen woody plants. “Selection ratio” the percentage of time spent feeding on each species to the percentage abundance of each species in the sample strip, was calculated in order to evaluate food selection from the plant community. In addition, the food habits of this subspecies were compared with that of six other populations in various habitats in Japan, by computing the similarity index for the woody plant community, all woody plant food species, and all major woody plant food species.     

Diet of the brown howler monkeyAlouatta fusca in a semi-deciduous forest fragment of southeastern Brazil

The diet of a group of six brown howlers was studied weekly during 12 months in a reserve of 250 ha of secondary, mesophytic, semi-deciduous forest. The phenology of 186 trees of 72 species and 29 families was monitored simultaneously. Scan sampling was used to record the diet from dawn until dusk on a total of 60 days of observation, yielding 718 hr of animal-observer contact and 2,943 feeding scans. The diet was composed of leaves (73%), flowers (12%), and fruits (5%), from 68 identified plant species.Celtis iguanae, Cassia ferruginea, andInga spp. were the main food sources, accounting for approximately 50% of the diet. Young leaves (59%) were preferred to mature leaves (31%), trees contributing 56% and lianas 41% of the leaf diet. The ingestion of young leaves was correlated to the availability of these items, however, the correlations were not significant for flowers and fruits. The diet was poorer in fruits and richer in young leaves of lianas in comparison to other howler monkey species studies, probably as a consequence of the liana abundance in this forest fragment.     

Spatiotemporal changes of beetle communities across a tree diversity gradient

Aim Plant and arthropod diversity are often related, but data on the role of mature tree diversity on canopy insect communities are fragmentary. We compare species richness of canopy beetles across a tree diversity gradient ranging from mono‐dominant beech to mixed stands within a deciduous forest, and analyse community composition changes across space and time. Location Germany’s largest exclusively deciduous forest, the Hainich National Park (Thuringia). Methods We used flight interception traps to assess the beetle fauna of various tree species, and applied additive partitioning to examine spatiotemporal patterns of diversity. Results Species richness of beetle communities increased across the tree diversity gradient from 99 to 181 species per forest stand. Intra‐ and interspecific spatial turnover among trees contributed more than temporal turnover among months to the total γ‐beetle diversity of the sampled stands. However, due to parallel increases in the number of habitat generalists and the number of species in each feeding guild (herbivores, predators and fungivores), no proportional changes in community composition could be observed. If only beech trees were analysed across the gradient, patterns were similar but temporal (monthly) species turnover was higher compared to spatial turnover among trees and not related to tree diversity. Main conclusions The changes in species richness and community composition across the gradient can be explained by habitat heterogeneity, which increased with the mix of tree species. We conclude that understanding temporal and spatial species turnover is the key to understanding biodiversity patterns. Mono‐dominant beech stands are insufficient to conserve fully the regional species richness of the remaining semi‐natural deciduous forest habitats in Central Europe, and analysing beech alone would have resulted in the misleading conclusion that temporal (monthly) turnover contributes more to beetle diversity than spatial turnover among different tree species or tree individuals.     

Himalayan <Emphasis Type="Italic">Semnopithecus entellus</Emphasis> at Langtang National Park,Nepal: Diet,Activity Patterns,and Resources

Though researchers have studied lowland gray langurs extensively, there is little information about the Himalayan populations. We provide foraging data from a field study of Himalayan langurs in Langtang National Park, Nepal at 3000–4000 m elevation. Phenological records show marked seasonality in resource abundance, with extremely low availability in winter, increasing abundance in spring and monsoon, and a reduction in fall. Activity budgets indicated greater time devoted to feeding as total vegetation abundance decreased. Diet included leaf buds, ripe fruit, and evergreen mature leaves in winter; deciduous young leaves in spring; and deciduous mature leaves in the monsoon and fall. Supplemental resources, such as underground storage organs, bark, and herbaceous vegetation, were also seasonally important. Among plant part classes included in the phenological sample, abundance and consumption correlate positively for all primary food resources except evergreen mature leaves and unripe fruit. Daily path lengths varied by season and, when controlled for overall vegetation abundance, positively relate to the consumption of soft underground storage organs, fruits, and deciduous mature leaves. The results contradict the common generalization of leaves as ubiquitous or nonpatchy resources.     

Resource use by howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in the rain forest of Los Tuxtlas,Veracruz, Mexico

The feeding preferences of howler monkeys at their northernmost distribution in the Neotropics are reported for an annual cycle. A remarkable selectivity for 27 species representing 15 families was observed. The Moraceae and Lauraceae plant families were the most important in the diet. The howlers spent an almost equal proportion of their feeding time eating leaves and fruit, and displayed a marked preference for young leaves and mature fruit. The consumption of different plant parts was markedly seasonal and the howlers’ ranging behavior was closely associated with the availability of young leaves and mature fruit. Their home range was unusually large (ca. 60 ha) for howlers and the food species exploited occur at very low densities (93%, ≤ 4 ind/ha). They chose food items richer in protein and energy. Alkaloid compounds, present in some of the leaves, play a secondary role in their dietary selectivity.     

Do holly leaf spines really deter herbivory?

Summary Although spinose teeth of holly leaves have been widely cited as an example of a physical defense against herbivores, this assumption is based largely on circumstantial evidence and on general misinterpretation of a single, earlier experiment. We studied the response of third and fifth instar larvae of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea Drury, a generalist, edge-feeding caterpillar, to intact American holly leaves and to leaves that had been modified by blunting the spines, by removing sections of leaf margin between the spines, or by removing the entire leaf margin. The results suggest that the thick glabrous cuticle and tough leaf margin of Ilex opaca are more important than the spinose teeth in deterring edge-feeding caterpillars. Microscopic examination of mature leaves revealed that the epidermis is thickened at the leaf margin, and that the leaf is cirucumscribed by a pair of fibrous veins. In simple choice tests neither domesticated rabbits nor captive whitetailed deer discriminated between spinescent holly foliage and foliage from which spines were removed. Nevertheless, we found little evidence of herbivory by mammals in the field, either on small experimental trees or in the forest understory. While it is possible that spinose teeth contribute to defense by reducing acceptibility of holly relative to other palatable plant species, we suggest that the high concentrations of saponins and poor nutritional quality of holly foliage may be more important than spines in deterring vertebrate herbivores. The degree of leaf spinescence and herbivory was compared at different heights with the tree canopy to test the prediction that lower leaves should be more spinescent as a deterrent to browsers. Leaves on lower branches of mature forest trees were slightly more spinescent than were upper leaves, and juvenile trees were slightly more spinescent than were mature trees. However, there was no relationship between degree of spinescence and feeding damage. The greater spinescence of holly leaves low in the canopy is probably an ontogenetic phenomenon rather than a facultative defense against browsers.The investigation reported in this paper (No. 87-7-8-77) is in connection with a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the Dirctor     

Ecological distribution of homobaric and heterobaric leaves in tree species of Malaysian lowland tropical rainforest

Tree species can generally be classified into two groups, heterobaric and homobaric leafed species, according to whether bundle-sheath extensions (BSEs) are found in the leaf (heterobaric leaf) or not (homobaric leaf). In this study, we study whether the leaf type is related to the growth environment and/or life form type, even in a tropical rain forest, where most trees have evergreen leaves that are generally homobaric. Accordingly, we investigated the distribution of leaf morphological differences across different life forms of 250 tree species in 45 families in a tropical rainforest. In total, 151 species (60%) in 36 families had homobaric leaves, and 99 species (40%) in 21 families had heterobaric leaves. We found that the proportion of heterobaric and homobaric leaf species differed clearly across taxonomic groups and life form types, which were divided into five life form types by their mature tree heights (understory, subcanopy, canopy, and emergent species) and as canopy gap species. Most understory (94%) and subcanopy (83%) species such as Annonaceae had homobaric leaves. In contrast, heterobaric leaf trees appeared more frequently in the canopy species (43%), the emergent species (96%) (such as Dipterocarpaceae), and the canopy gap species (62%). Our results suggest that tree species in the tropical rainforest adapt to spatial differences in the environmental conditions experienced at the mature height of each tree species, such as light intensity and vapor pressure difference, by having differing leaf types (heterobaric or homobaric) because these types potentially have different physiological and/or mechanical functions.     

Lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) in a disturbed forest fragment: Activity patterns and time budget

We describe the activity patterns and time budget of a feral group of lion-tailed macaques that were confined to a disturbed forest fragment of 65 ha and compare the results with those obtained for groups in protected forests. The degraded nature of the study site was reflected in low tree densities, low specific diversity, gaps in the girth distribution of trees, and frequent disturbance by humans. The study group of 43 subjects was twice as large as lion-tailed macaque groups in protected habitats. They spent the most time ranging (34.0%), followed by foraging (23.7%), feeding (17.9%), resting (16.0%), and other activities such as social interactions (8.4%). Monthly variations are significant for all activity categories except ranging. Times spent resting and foraging are negatively correlated (r = −0.5) and show significant seasonal differences. Foraging time was highest from September to November, when key food sources such asCullenia andArtocarpus were absent or marginally available. The study group spent most time (40.4%) at canopy levels between 21 and 30 m. They spent more time each day ranging than resting or feeding and more time terrestrially compared with groups in protected forests. Large group size, poor habitat quality, and seasonal variation in food availability were the major variables affecting their time budget, and these variables accounted for differences from the time budgets of groups in protected forests.     

Forest fire in the central Himalaya: climate and recovery of trees

 A forest fire event is influenced by climatic conditions and is supported by accumulation of fuel on forest floor. After forest fire, photosynthetically active solar radiation was reduced due to accumulation of ash and dust particles in atmosphere. Post-fire impacts on Quercus leucotrichophora, Rhododendron arboreum and Lyonia ovalifolia in a broadleaf forest were analysed after a wild fire. Bark depth damage was greatest for L. ovalifolia and least for Q. leucotrichophora. Regeneration of saplings was observed for all the tree species through sprouting. Epicormic recovery was observed for the trees of all the species. Young trees of Q. leucotrichophora (<40 cm circumference at breast height) were susceptible to fire as evident by the lack of sprouting. Under-canopy tree species have a high potential for recovery as evident by greater length and diameter of shoots and numbers of buds and leaves per shoot than canopy species. Leaf area, leaf moisture and specific leaf area were greater in the deciduous species, with few exceptions, than in evergreen species. Received: 26 July 1995 / Revised: 1 March 1996 / Accepted: 9 September 1996     

Frost damage and its cascading negative effects on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aesculus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">glabra</Emphasis>

Frost damage and re-foliation are seldom quantified for forest species, but are of ecological and evolutionary importance. This study of Aesculus glabra (Ohio buckeye) in a deciduous forest remnant in Illinois, USA, quantified frost damage to leaves and flowers after sub-freezing temperatures in April 2007. It also documented re-foliation and later growth, reproduction, and survival in 2007–2009 for the 355 study individuals of four life stages growing 0–200 m from the forest edge. Life stages differed in % leaf damage because of differences in phenology during the frost. Large saplings with fully expanded, immature leaves had higher % damage and lower % canopy fullness after re-foliation than smaller saplings with partially or fully mature leaves and canopy trees undergoing shoot expansion with folded leaflets. Percent damage increased for saplings closer to edges. Large saplings with heavier frost damage to leaves had partial re-foliation in deep shade, lower % canopy fullness, earlier senescence, a shorter growing season, and greater death of next year’s buds. By 2008, large saplings with greater damage in 2007 had more dead branches and lower % canopy fullness. By 2009, 11% of large saplings had died. In 2007, frost damaged no flowers, but final fruit crop size was negatively related to % leaf damage. Edge trees with total leaf damage aborted all fruits. The frost event differentially affected individuals in their length and time of growing season, energy budget, and, ultimately, reproduction, and survival. The population’s local-scale demography and spatial pattern also changed as large saplings died.