Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest
Abstract In tropical forest communities, seedling recruitment can be limited by the number of fruit produced by adults. Fruit production tends to be highly unequal among trees of the same species, which may be due to environmental factors. We observed fruit production for ~2,000 trees of 17 species...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4867 |
| _version_ | 1819176845445169152 |
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| author | David M. Minor Richard K. Kobe |
| author_facet | David M. Minor Richard K. Kobe |
| author_sort | David M. Minor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In tropical forest communities, seedling recruitment can be limited by the number of fruit produced by adults. Fruit production tends to be highly unequal among trees of the same species, which may be due to environmental factors. We observed fruit production for ~2,000 trees of 17 species across 3 years in a wet tropical forest in Costa Rica. Fruit production was modeled as a function of tree size, nutrient availability, and neighborhood crowding. Following model selection, tree size and neighborhood crowding predicted both the probability of reproduction and the number of fruit produced. Nutrient availability only predicted only the probability of reproduction. In all species, larger trees were more likely to be reproductive and produce more fruit. In addition, number of fruit was strongly negatively related to presence of larger neighboring trees in 13 species; presence of all neighboring trees had a weak‐to‐moderate negative influence on reproductive status in 16 species. Among various metrics of soil nutrient availability, only sum of base cations was positively associated with reproductive status, and for only four species. Synthesis Overall, these results suggest that direct influences on fruit production tend to be mediated through tree size and crowding from neighboring trees, rather than soil nutrients. However, we found variation in the effects of neighbors and nutrients among species; mechanistic studies of allocation to fruit production are needed to explain these differences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:17:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3122d519947240d09045dace4620f97c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:17:14Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-3122d519947240d09045dace4620f97c2022-12-21T18:12:20ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-02-01931458147210.1002/ece3.4867Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forestDavid M. Minor0Richard K. Kobe1Department of Plant Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Michigan State University East Lansing MichiganDepartment of Plant Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Michigan State University East Lansing MichiganAbstract In tropical forest communities, seedling recruitment can be limited by the number of fruit produced by adults. Fruit production tends to be highly unequal among trees of the same species, which may be due to environmental factors. We observed fruit production for ~2,000 trees of 17 species across 3 years in a wet tropical forest in Costa Rica. Fruit production was modeled as a function of tree size, nutrient availability, and neighborhood crowding. Following model selection, tree size and neighborhood crowding predicted both the probability of reproduction and the number of fruit produced. Nutrient availability only predicted only the probability of reproduction. In all species, larger trees were more likely to be reproductive and produce more fruit. In addition, number of fruit was strongly negatively related to presence of larger neighboring trees in 13 species; presence of all neighboring trees had a weak‐to‐moderate negative influence on reproductive status in 16 species. Among various metrics of soil nutrient availability, only sum of base cations was positively associated with reproductive status, and for only four species. Synthesis Overall, these results suggest that direct influences on fruit production tend to be mediated through tree size and crowding from neighboring trees, rather than soil nutrients. However, we found variation in the effects of neighbors and nutrients among species; mechanistic studies of allocation to fruit production are needed to explain these differences.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4867La Selva Biological StationCosta Ricamultinomial analysisneighborhood crowding indexordinal dataplant population and community dynamics |
| spellingShingle | David M. Minor Richard K. Kobe Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest Ecology and Evolution La Selva Biological Station Costa Rica multinomial analysis neighborhood crowding index ordinal data plant population and community dynamics |
| title | Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| title_full | Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| title_fullStr | Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| title_short | Fruit production is influenced by tree size and size‐asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| title_sort | fruit production is influenced by tree size and size asymmetric crowding in a wet tropical forest |
| topic | La Selva Biological Station Costa Rica multinomial analysis neighborhood crowding index ordinal data plant population and community dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4867 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidmminor fruitproductionisinfluencedbytreesizeandsizeasymmetriccrowdinginawettropicalforest AT richardkkobe fruitproductionisinfluencedbytreesizeandsizeasymmetriccrowdinginawettropicalforest |