Detecting successional changes in tropical forest structure using GatorEye drone-borne lidar

Drone-based remote sensing is a promising new technology that combines the benefits of ground-based and satellite-derived forest monitoring by collecting fine-scale data over relatively large areas in a cost-effective manner. Here, we explore the potential of the GatorEye drone-lidar system to monitor tropical forest succession by canopy structural attributes including canopy height, spatial heterogeneity, gap fraction, leaf area density (LAD) vertical distribution, canopy Shannon index (an index of LAD), leaf area index (LAI), and understory LAI. We focus on these variables’ relationship to aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks and species diversity. In the Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica, we analyze nine tropical forests stands (seven second-growth and two old-growth). Stands were relatively homogenous in terms of canopy height and spatial heterogeneity, but not in their gap fraction. Neither species density nor tree community Shannon diversity index was significantly correlated with the canopy Shannon index. Canopy height, LAI, and AGB did not show a clear pattern as a function of forest age. However, gap fraction and spatial heterogeneity increased with forest age, whereas understory LAI decreased with forest age. Canopy height was strongly correlated with AGB. The heterogeneous mosaic created by successional forest patches across human-managed tropical landscapes can now be better characterized. Drone-lidar systems offer the opportunity to improve assessment of forest recovery and develop general mechanistic carbon sequestration models that can be rapidly deployed to specific sites, an essential step for monitoring progress within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.     

Arthropod Abundance,Canopy Structure,and Microclimate in a Bornean Lowland Tropical Rain Forest1

This study applies a novel, vertically stratified fogging protocol to document arthropod abundance, density, and biomass across a vertical gradient in a primary, lowland dipterocarp forest canopy in Borneo. We fogged arthropods at 5 m vertical intervals and 20 m horizontal intervals along six full‐canopy transects and measured leaf surface areas along the same transects. The results show that arthropod biomass in the aboveground regions was 23.6 kg/ha, the abundance was 23.9 million individuals/ha, and the density on leaf surfaces was 280 individuals/m² leaf area. All three numbers are five to ten times higher than estimated by previous surveys of tropical lowland rain forest canopies using mass‐collection techniques. Arthropod abundance and biomass were analyzed in relation to canopy structure, composition, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), and height. Using stepwise regression we found that 13 of 14 arthropod groups had significant positive relationships with one‐sided leaf area, 11 had significant negative relationships with VPD, 3 had significant relationships with height, and none showed positive relationships with light. Classifying the 14 taxa based on their responses to leaf area and VPD created three groups that corresponded roughly to the biology of these taxa. This study suggests that the biomass and abundance, and perhaps therefore—by extrapolation—the biodiversity, of tropical canopy arthropods may be very much higher than previously estimated.     

Foliar and ecosystem respiration in an old-growth tropical rain forest

Foliar respiration is a major component of ecosystem respiration, yet extrapolations are often uncertain in tropical forests because of indirect estimates of leaf area index (LAI). A portable tower was used to directly measure LAI and night-time foliar respiration from 52 vertical transects throughout an old-growth tropical rain forest in Costa Rica. In this study, we (1) explored the effects of structural, functional and environmental variables on foliar respiration; (2) extrapolated foliar respiration to the ecosystem; and (3) estimated ecosystem respiration. Foliar respiration temperature response was constant within plant functional group, and foliar morphology drove much of the within-canopy variability in respiration and foliar nutrients. Foliar respiration per unit ground area was 3.5 ± 0.2  µ mol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹, and ecosystem respiration was 9.4 ± 0.5  µ mol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹[soil = 41%; foliage = 37%; woody = 14%; coarse woody debris (CWD) = 7%]. When modelled with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) year temperatures, foliar respiration was 9% greater than when modelled with temperatures from a normal year, which is in the range of carbon sink versus source behaviour for this forest. Our ecosystem respiration estimate from component fluxes was 33% greater than night-time net ecosystem exchange for the same forest, suggesting that studies reporting a large carbon sink for tropical rain forests based solely on eddy flux measurements may be in error.     

哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林木质藤本植物的多样性与空间分布

木质藤本植物是热带、亚热带山地森林重要的组分之一, 在森林动态、生态系统过程和森林生物多样性形成与维持等方面具有重要作用。本文调查了哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林木质藤本植物的多样性及其在垂直和水平空间上的分布规律。在20个20 m × 50 m的样地中共调查到DBH≥0.2 cm的木质藤本植物1,145株, 隶属于19科25属29种, 其中物种最丰富的科为菝葜科(4种)和蔷薇科(3种), 但多度最高的科为葡萄科(363株, 占总株数的31.7%)。研究发现林下木质藤本(通常DBH < 1 cm)拥有较高的物种丰富度和多度, 对木质藤本植物多样性具有较大的贡献。有55.7%的个体分布在林下层, 林冠层占28.8%, 亚冠层只有15.5%。木质藤本的垂直空间分布在不同径级、不同攀援类型之间具有明显的差异。 从水平空间分布来看, 地形是影响木质藤本的一个重要因素: 沟谷木质藤本的物种丰富度、多度和基面积分别是坡面的171%, 420%和606%; 有12个物种只分布在沟谷生境。这表明哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林木质藤本植物对生境具有偏好性。     

Impact of landscape spatial pattern on liana communities in tropical rainforests at Los Tuxtlas,Mexico

Questions: What are the species composition and species and stem densities of liana communities in tropical landscapes of different deforestation levels? Which spatial attributes (forest cover, patch area, shape and isolation) have the strongest influence on liana communities in these landscapes? Location: Forty‐five rainforest patches in Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Methods: In three landscapes with different deforestation levels (HDL=4%; IDL=11%; and LDL=24% of remaining forest cover) liana communities (DBH ≥2.5 cm) were characterized in 15 randomly selected patches per landscape (10 50 m × 2 m transects per patch=0.1 ha), and evaluated the effects of patch area, shape and isolation on liana species and stem density (number of species and stems per 0.1 ha). Results: A total of 64 taxa and 24 families were sampled. Species composition differed highly among landscapes, with HDL being the most dissimilar landscape. The response of lianas to landscape spatial pattern differed significantly among landscapes. Proximity to villages had a strong positive effect on species and stem densities in LDL and IDL. There was a sharp decrease in liana stem density in HDL, with four patches (27%) found to be unoccupied by lianas. Conclusions: Fragmentation may have a positive effect on lianas, partly because of edge effects. This positive effect seems to be limited by the proportion of remaining forest cover in the landscape, as the liana communities had collapsed in the most deforested landscape.     

The Forest Ecotone Effect on Species Richness in an Arid Trans-Himalayan Landscape of Nepal

Changes in species composition and richness across the sub-alpine forest ecotone are well known phenomena. The total number of species at a regional scale drops substantially above the forest-line in the central Himalayas of Nepal. This study tests the effect of a forest border ecotone on a local scale using a grain size of 100 m². We sampled a set of vertical transects across a sloping sub-alpine forest line where canopy and temperature covary, and a set of horizontal transects across a forest ecotone where there was no altitudinal difference to eliminate the influence of temperature. Detrended correspondence analysis revealed a continuous change in species composition across the forest border ecotone. Species turnover was, in general, low, and species richness did not vary very much between the forest and open landscapes. We attribute this to the grazing and browsing pressure in the area, which may have lowered the tree line. A reduced tree line compared to the climatic limit may facilitate enhanced species richness above the forest line. There was no significant difference in species richness between forest and open landscapes along horizontal transects where temperature variations were minimized. This study exemplifies the difficulties encountered on a local scale when one aims to test diversity hypotheses deduced from general models on forest-ecotone effect and mass effect. The low species turnover and minor differences in alpha diversity may be because the area is a cultural landscape and the homogenizing effect of domestic animals overrides some of the edge effects of the ecotone.     

Complexity of leaf miner–parasitoid food webs declines with canopy height in Patagonian beech forests

1. Consumer–resource species interactions form complex, dynamic networks, which may exhibit structural heterogeneity at various scales. This study set out to address whether host–parasitoid food web size and topology vary across forest canopy strata, and to what extent foliar resources and species abundances account for vertical patterns in network structure. 2. The vertical stratification of leaf miner–parasitoid food webs was examined in two monotypic beech (Nothofagus pumilio) forests in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Quantitative food webs were constructed for separate canopy layers by sampling foliage from three tree‐height classes at 0.5–1, 2–3 and 5–6 m above ground. 3. Leaf miner abundance per unit leaf mass and foliar damage (%) did not differ across strata, although foliage quality and quantity increased from the understorey to the upper canopy. Parasitism rates and food web complexity decreased with canopy height, as reflected by reduced linkage richness, linkage density, mean interaction strength, and host vulnerability. 4. Null model analyses revealed that food web metrics, especially in the upper canopy, were often lower than expected when compared with randomly structured networks. Overall, these patterns held for two forests differing in vertical structure and in dominant miner morphotype and parasitoid species. 5. These results suggest that vertical declines in network complexity may be driven by the parasitoids' limited functional response to host abundance and dispersal from pupation sites in the forest floor. A broader constraint on food web structure seemed to be imposed by host–parasitoid trait matching, a reflection of large‐scale assembly processes.     

暖温带地区3种森林群落叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的季节动态

以辽东栎(Quercus liaotungensis)为主的落叶阔叶林、华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)林和油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)林是暖温带林区具有代表性的森林群落类型。该研究应用国内外流行的半球图方法,通过对这3种森林群落叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的测定和综合比较,分析了叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的季节动态,揭示了暖温带地区不同类型森林群落叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的特征。研究结果表明,落叶阔叶林(优势种为辽东栎、棘皮桦(Betula dahurica)和五角枫(Acer mono))和华北落叶松林两种落叶森林群落的叶面积指数值均随生长季的到来而呈现增长的趋势,最大值出现在8月;林冠开阔度值随着生长季的到来而下降,最大值出现在11月。落叶阔叶林的叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的季节动态较之华北落叶松林明显。油松是常绿树种,其群落叶面积指数和林冠开阔度的变化程度均不明显,但林冠开阔度的变化趋势也是与叶面积指数的变化趋势相反。通过计算得出叶面积指数和林冠开阔度相关显著,并且呈现指数回归的关系。此研究结果为以遥感途径获取暖温带地区叶面积指数提供了地面校正依据,为研究该地区植被林冠的异质性及其造成的影响,以及进一步对该地区林分、景观和区域尺度上碳、水分和通量等方面的模拟提供了基础数据。     

城市森林群落结构特征的降温效应

通过野外样方实测,研究长春城市森林群落结构特征对城市森林降温作用的影响.结果表明:不同郁闭度等级城市森林温度随时间呈现相同的波动上升趋势;群落郁闭度越高,城市森林温度越低;城市森林群落结构特征影响城市森林降温效应的大小,其中,郁闭度、叶面积指数、树高对降温效应的影响最显著,而胸径、密度、树干基部断面积与城市森林降温作用关系不显著;郁闭度及树高与降温强度呈线性正相关,郁闭度每增加10%,降温效应增加0.5 ℃,树高每增加10 cm,降温效应增加0.05 ℃;叶面积指数与降温强度呈非线性正相关,叶面积指数对降温调节功能存在作用阈值,为0.23～2.3,叶面积指数位于该阈值内时,降温强度随叶面积的增加而迅速提高.     

祁连山区青海云杉林冠层叶面积指数的反演方法

叶面积指数(Leaf area index, LAI)是陆地生态系统的一个十分重要的结构参数。随着空间精细化模型的发展和基于过程的分布式模拟技术的应用, 对LAI的区域估算显得越来越重要, 但目前尚缺乏有效的估算手段。该项研究以青海云杉(Picea crassifolia)林为研究对象, 利用LAI-2000冠层分析仪、鱼眼镜头法和经验公式法对林冠层LAI进行了测定, 观测值分别为1.03~3.70、0.48~2.26和2.27~8.20, 显然, 仪器测定值偏低。针对针叶的集聚效应导致仪器测定值偏低的现象, 利用跟踪辐射与冠层结构测量仪(TRAC)测定的青海云杉林聚集系数计算调整系数, 对鱼眼镜头法获取的LAI值进行订正。根据高分辨率的遥感数据反演青海云杉林的植被指数与LAI的关系, 最后获得了较合理的该地区林冠层LAI的空间分布图。     

Tree species distribution in canopy gaps and mature forest in an area of cloud forest of the Ibitipoca Range,south-eastern Brazil

The tree community of both canopy gaps and mature forest was surveyed in a 5 ha plot of cloud forest in the Ibitipoca Range, south-eastern Brazil, aiming at: (a) comparing the tree community structure of canopy gaps with that of three strata of the mature forest, and (b) relating the tree community structure of canopy gaps with environmental and biotic variables. All saplings of canopy trees with 1–5 m of height established in 31 canopy gaps found within the plot were identified and measured. Mature forest trees with dbh 3 cm were sampled in four 40×40 quadrats laid on the four soil sites recognised in the local soil catena. All surveyed trees were identified, measured and distributed into three forest strata: understorey (<5 m of height), sub-canopy (5.1–15 m) and canopy (15.1–30 m). The following variables were obtained for each gap: mode of formation, age, soil site, slope grade, size, canopy openness and abundance of bamboos and lianas. A detrended correspondence analysis indicated that the tree community structure of gaps in all soil sites was more similar to that of the mature forest understorey, suggesting that the bank of immatures plays an important role in rebuilding the forest canopy and that gap phases may be important for understorey shade-tolerant species. There was evidence of gap-dependence for establishment for only one canopy tree species. Both canonical correspondence analysis and correlation analysis demonstrated for a number of tree species that the distribution of their saplings in canopy gaps was significantly correlated with two variables: soil site and canopy openness. The future forest structure at each gap is probably highly influenced by both the present structure of the adjacent mature forest and the gap creation event.     

Species composition,diversity, and abundance of lianas in different secondary and primary forests in a subtropical mountainous area,SW China

The species composition, diversity, and abundance of lianas were studied in four secondary forests (a 100-year-old forest, a middle-aged forest, and two younger secondary forests), and compared with an undisturbed primary forest in the Ailao Mountains of subtropical SW China. The results showed that the species composition of lianas differed greatly from the secondary forests to the primary forest, which exhibit early and late-successional species. The abundance of lianas was relatively higher in the two younger and middle-aged secondary forests than in the old-growth secondary and primary forests. However, liana species richness was very limited in the four secondary forests as compared to the primary forest. Root climbers mainly grew in the primary forest, whereas tendril and hook climbers predominated in the four secondary forests, while stem twiners were common in both. The majority of lianas recorded in this study reproduced by animal dispersal, and there was no variation in dispersal modes across the five forest types. A step-wise regression showed that the abundance of small lianas (dbh <4 cm) was positively correlated with the abundance of small- and medium-sized tree stems and negatively correlated with the abundance of large-sized tree stems, whereas there is a strong positive correlation between the abundance of large lianas (dbh ≥4 cm) and large tree stems. Results from the CCA indicate that canopy openness, soil moisture, and average canopy height were the most important factors that influenced the abundance and distribution of lianas.     

Spatial and temporal variability of canopy structure in a tropical moist forest

Tree fall gaps are widely considered to play a prominent role in the maintenance of species diversity, while the spatiotemporal variability of canopy structure within closed forest stands is largely ignored. In this study we examined the vertical and horizontal components of canopy structure and its seasonal variability in a tropical wet semideciduous rainforest in Panama. Leaf area indices (LAI) were derived from measurements of diffuse radiation and empirically-based leaf angle distribution by mathematical inversion of a light interception model. Vertical distribution of LAI was non-homogeneous with 50% of the leaf area being concentrated in the uppermost 5 m of the canopy. In the wet season, when foliage is most abundant, the horizontal distribution of LAI in a 2100 m² plot ranged widely from 3 to 8, with a mean of 5.41. Changes in mean LAI between wet and dry seasons were small but highly significant. While ca 40% of the area was not affected by local changes in LAI, sizeable small scale changes in LAI did occur between wet and dry season in some locations. Local changes in LAI ranged from –2.3 to 2.4. These changes resulted in a 50% or more increase in light reaching the forest floor at 29% of the measuring locations, and a doubling or more at 13% of the location. Our results imply that structural heterogeneity by simple tree fall gaps do not adequately describe the dynamics of forest canopies.     

Canopy structure and vertical patterns of photosynthesis and related leaf traits in a deciduous forest

Canopy structure and light interception were measured in an 18-m tall, closed canopy deciduous forest of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in southwestern Wisconsin, USA, and related to leaf structural characteristics, N content, and leaf photosynthetic capacity. Light attenuation in the forest occurred primarily in the upper and middle portions of the canopy. Forest stand leaf area index (LAI) and its distribution with respect to canopy height were estimated from canopy transmittance values independently verified with a combined leaf litterfall and point-intersect method. Leaf mass, N and A _max per unit area (LMA, N/area and A _max/area, respectively) all decreased continuously by over two-fold from the upper to lower canopy, and these traits were strongly correlated with cumulative leaf area above the leaf position in the canopy. In contrast, neither N concentration nor A _max per unit mass varied significantly in relation to the vertical canopy gradient. Since leaf N concentration showed no consistent pattern with respect to canopy position, the observed vertical pattern in N/area is a direct consequence of vertical variation of LMA. N/area and LMA were strongly correlated with A _max/area among different canopy positions (r²=0.81 and r²=0.66, respectively), indicating that vertical variation in area-based photosynthetic capacity can also be attributed to variation in LMA. A model of whole-canopy photosynthesis was used to show that observed or hypothetical canopy mass distributions toward higher LMA (and hence higher N/area) in the upper portions of the canopy tended to increase integrated daily canopy photosynthesis over other LMA distribution patterns. Empirical relationships between leaf and canopy-level characteristics may help resolve problems associated with scaling gas exchange measurements made at the leaf level to the individual tree crown and forest canopy-level.     

Crown structure and leaf area of the understorey species Prunus serotina

A detailed biometrical study of the exotic understorey invader Prunus serotina (Ehrh.) was carried out in a mixed coniferous forest stand in northern Belgium. Based on detailed destructive measurements of eight selected model trees, allometric relations of tree height, crown projected area, woody and leaf dry mass and leaf area on tree diameter at breast height (DBH) were derived. The scaling-up procedure from the tree to the stand level was done using the frequency distribution of DBH obtained at the selected experimental plot. The vertical and radial distributions of the tree foliage were estimated by the “cloud” technique. The vertical profile of leaf area showed a bimodal distribution pattern with maxima at heights of 4 and 6 m above the ground. The leaf area index (LAI) of the understorey Prunus serotina as estimated by the described up-scaling procedure (5.1) was significantly higher than the LAI (2.6) as measured by a plant canopy analyser and was also significantly higher than the LAI of the overstorey species Scots pine (1.5–3.0). The LAI of a neighbouring Rhododendron understorey reached only 1.25. This study emphasises the importance of an exotic understorey species in the total leaf area of mixed coniferous forests which might have important implications for the energy and mass exchanges of the entire forest.     

Horizontal and vertical distribution of saproxylic beetles (Col., Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Scolytinae) across sections of forest edges

Abstract:  We evaluated the preferred home ranges of three saproxylic beetle taxa along transects from the open field into the forest interior, and from the forest floor up to the canopy. By means of trap sets on metal scaffolds, vertical and horizontal strata were sampled across two types of forest edges: soft-edge ecotones with a gradual transition from the field into the forest and hard edges with an abrupt transition. The forest edges consisted of different strata such as herbaceous fringe, shrub belt, unmanaged forest and managed forest. The thermophilic buprestids were mainly caught in the open land (herbaceous fringe and agricultural land) and in the upper forest mantle. In general, the cerambycids were most abundant in the open land and the lower forest mantle, but a few species favoured the forest interior. The bark beetles (Scolytinae) were equally distributed in all habitats. These distribution patterns of the taxa were observed in terms of both species numbers and abundances. Each species with at least five collected specimens was assigned to one of the three habitat types: open land, forest mantle and forest interior. Of 74 ranked species, only 16% were prevalent in the forest interior and are thus considered to be true forest species. The other 84% of the species were attributed to open land or the forest mantle and are, therefore, forest edge species. Soft forest edges generally supported a higher species richness than hard edges, particularly as regards Cerambycidae and Scolytinae. In terms of Shannon diversity, soft edges tended to be more diverse in buprestids and cerambycids. Overall, the forest interior showed the least species richness and diversity. Therefore, for the conservation of saproxylic beetles, not only the amount and quality of dead wood is important, but also the presence and design of forest boundary structures.     

Vertical distribution of fruit‐feeding butterflies with evidence of sex‐specific differences in a Tanzanian forest

Tropical forests accommodate rich species diversity, particularly among insects. Habitat heterogeneity along the vertical gradient extending from the forest understorey to the tree canopy influences diversity. The vertical distribution of forest insects is poorly understood across Africa, most especially eastern Africa. Food‐baited traps were used to study the vertical stratification of adult fruit‐feeding nymphalid butterflies in Mtai Forest Reserve, north‐eastern Tanzania. Traps were located in the forest canopy and understorey. A total of 277 individuals of 24 species were captured. Species composition differed by trap locations: 33% of the species captured were found in both the canopy and understorey strata; however, significantly more species were captured in the understorey (54%) than canopy (13%). Males were significantly more abundant than females and captured in both strata. A greater proportion of females were captured in the understorey than the canopy. The time of day affected capture rates, with more individuals caught in the afternoon; however, there was no association between the time period and the sex of individuals captured in canopy versus understorey locations. Understanding how the sexes of butterflies vary in understorey versus canopy offers new biological insights into the vertical stratification of insects.     

Proximity to canopy mediates changes in the defensive chemistry and herbivore loads of an understory tropical shrub,Piper kelleyi

Phytochemical traits are a key component of plant defense theory. Chemical ecology has been biased towards studying effects of individual metabolites even though effective plant defenses are comprised of diverse mixtures of metabolites. We tested the phytochemical landscape hypothesis, positing that trophic interactions are contingent upon their spatial location across a phytochemically diverse landscape. Specifically, intraspecific phytochemical changes associated with vertical strata in forests were hypothesised to affect herbivore communities of the neotropical shrub Piper kelleyi Tepe (Piperaceae). Using a field experiment, we found that phytochemical diversity increased with canopy height, and higher levels of phytochemical diversity located near the canopy were characterised by tradeoffs between photoactive and non‐photoactive biosynthetic pathways. For understory plants closer to the ground, phytochemical diversity increased as direct light transmittance decreased, and these plants were characterised by up to 37% reductions in herbivory. Our results suggest that intraspecific phytochemical diversity structures herbivore communities across the landscape, affecting total herbivory.     

林冠结构和地形对亚热带常绿落叶阔叶林林下幼苗物种多样性和功能多样性的影响

森林结构和地形是森林生态系统最明显的特点,也是影响林下幼苗存活和物种多样性的关键因子。该研究采用半球面摄影方法提取八大公山生长监测样地（共1.2 hm²）林冠结构参数,通过调查地表层木本植物幼苗的组成和多度,获取常见植物幼苗叶片功能性状,结合详细的地形信息,利用空间同步自回归模型探究林冠结构变量及地形因子对幼苗物种多样性及功能多样性的影响。结果表明：（1）八大公山亚热带山地常绿落叶阔叶林林冠结构复杂度较高,最大林冠高的平均值达到19.94 m,叶面积指数、平均叶倾角和林冠覆盖度分别为2.94、30.88°和0.87;（2）林冠结构变量和地形因子能够解释32.6%~48.4%的林下幼苗物种多样性指数变异和28.5%~70.2%的功能多样性变异,但地形因子对幼苗物种多样性的影响很小;（3）预测在亚热带常绿落叶阔叶林高海拔的山坡上,有较低的叶面积指数和平均叶倾角群落有较高的幼苗物种多样性;而在低海拔山脊上,较低的叶面积指数和平均叶倾角群落林下幼苗层有较高的功能多样性。此结果对科研人员和林业工作者开展野外森林更新情况评估和样方调查将有所帮助。     

Liana optical traits increase tropical forest albedo and reduce ecosystem productivity

Lianas are a key growth form in tropical forests. Their lack of self-supporting tissues and their vertical position on top of the canopy make them strong competitors of resources. A few pioneer studies have shown that liana optical traits differ on average from those of colocated trees. Those trait discrepancies were hypothesized to be responsible for the competitive advantage of lianas over trees. Yet, in the absence of reliable modelling tools, it is impossible to unravel their impact on the forest energy balance, light competition, and on the liana success in Neotropical forests. To bridge this gap, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature to gather all published liana leaf optical spectra, as well as all canopy spectra measured over different levels of liana infestation. We then used a Bayesian data assimilation framework applied to two radiative transfer models (RTMs) covering the leaf and canopy scales to derive tropical tree and liana trait distributions, which finally informed a full dynamic vegetation model. According to the RTMs inversion, lianas grew thinner, more horizontal leaves with lower pigment concentrations. Those traits made the lianas very efficient at light interception and significantly modified the forest energy balance and its carbon cycle. While forest albedo increased by 14% in the shortwave, light availability was reduced in the understorey (?30% of the PAR radiation) and soil temperature decreased by 0.5°C. Those liana-specific traits were also responsible for a significant reduction of tree (?19%) and ecosystem (?7%) gross primary productivity (GPP) while lianas benefited from them (their GPP increased by +27%). This study provides a novel mechanistic explanation to the increase in liana abundance, new evidence of the impact of lianas on forest functioning, and paves the way for the evaluation of the large-scale impacts of lianas on forest biogeochemical cycles.