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Successional status, seed dispersal mode and overstorey species influence tree regeneration in tropical rain-forest fragments in Western Ghats, India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

Anand M. Osuri ,
Dayani Chakravarthy ,
Divya Mudappa ,
T. R. Shankar Raman ,
N. Ayyappan ,
S. Muthuramkumar  and
N. Parthasarathy
Anand M. Osuri*
Affiliation:
Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, Karnataka, India
Dayani Chakravarthy
Affiliation:
Researchers for Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Office, National Centre for Biological Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India
Divya Mudappa
Affiliation:
Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, Karnataka, India
T. R. Shankar Raman
Affiliation:
Nature Conservation Foundation, 3076/5, 4th Cross, Gokulam Park, Mysore 570002, Karnataka, India
N. Ayyappan
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology, French Institute of Pondicherry, 11 Saint Louis Street, Puducherry 605001, India
S. Muthuramkumar
Affiliation:
Department of Botany, V. H. N. S. N. College (Autonomous), 3/151-1 College Road, Virudhunagar 626001, Tamil Nadu, India
N. Parthasarathy
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
*
*Corresponding author. Email: moanand@gmail.com
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Abstract:

The effects of fragmentation and overstorey tree diversity on tree regeneration were assessed in tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats, India. Ninety plots were sampled for saplings (1–5 cm diameter at breast height (dbh); 5×5-m plots) and overstorey trees (>9.55 cm dbh; 20×20-m plots) within two fragments (32 ha and 18 ha) and two continuous forests. We tested the hypotheses that fragmentation and expected seed-dispersal declines (1) reduce sapling densities and species richness of all species and old-growth species, and increase recruitment of early-successional species, (2) reduce the prevalence of dispersed recruits and (3) increase influence of local overstorey on sapling densities and richness. Continuous forests and fragments had similar sapling densities and species richness overall, but density and richness of old-growth species declined by 62% and 48%, respectively, in fragments. Fragments had 39% lower densities and 24% lower richness of immigrant saplings (presumed dispersed into sites as conspecific adults were absent nearby), and immigrant densities of old-growth bird-dispersed species declined by 79%. Sapling species richness (overall and old-growth) increased with overstorey species richness in fragments, but was unrelated to overstorey richness in continuous forests. Our results show that while forest fragments retain significant sapling diversity, losses of immigrant recruits and increased overstorey influence strengthen barriers to natural regeneration of old-growth tropical rain forests.

Keywords

fragmentationold-growth tree speciesregenerationseed dispersaltropical forestsWestern Ghats
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , July 2017 , pp. 270 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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