Life Sciences Commons^™

Liana Diversity, Abundance, And Mortality In A Tropical Wet Forest In Costa Rica, Joseph Mascaro, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Walter P. Carson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Lianas can have a large impact on the diversity, structure, and dynamics of tropical forests, yet they remain essentially unknown even in some of the most intensely studied tropical forests, such as La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. We quantified the diversity, abundance, and mortality of lianas in primary and selectively logged forest at La Selva for over 3 years, from January 1999 until July 2002. We measured, identified, permanently marked, and mapped all lianas ≥1.3 m in length and 2 mm in diameter, whether climbing or free-standing, in nine, m (864 m²) plots. There were no …