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Effects of stochastic herbivory events on population maintenance of an understorey palm species (Geonoma schottiana) in riparian tropical forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2010

Maurício Bonesso Sampaio  and
Aldicir Scariot
Maurício Bonesso Sampaio*
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de Brasília, UnB, Brasília, DF, Brazil
Aldicir Scariot
Affiliation:
Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Parque Estação Biológica – PqEB – Av. W5 Norte (final), Caixa Postal 02372, 70770-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil Programa das Nações Unidas para o Desenvolvimento, PNUD – ONU. EQSW 103/104, lote 01, Bloco D, 70670-350, Brasília, DF, Brazil
*
1Corresponding author. Current address: Departamento de Botânica, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Caixa Postal 6109, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Email: mauriciobonesso@gmail.com
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Abstract:

Plant populations can respond to temporal environmental heterogeneity caused by natural disturbances, such as herbivory. Palm individuals of several species are preyed upon by mammals, but the effects of such herbivory events on population dynamics remain poorly known. To evaluate the effects of environmental stochasticity on a Geonoma schottiana (Arecaceae) population, we surveyed annually 40 permanent 20 × 10-m plots in a riparian tropical forest over 5 y (2000–2004) and results were analysed using matrix models. The population growth rate (λ) was in equilibrium during the study period and only one bad year was identified (2002–2003), which had a higher mortality of juvenile individuals due to herbivory. Additionally, the bad year had a higher mortality of reproductive individuals than the other periods. The stasis matrix elements of the later life stages were the vital rates with highest elasticities. The mortality of juvenile and reproductive individuals had a negative contribution to λ in the bad year. Conversely, the growth of infant and juvenile individuals and the clonal growth of juveniles were the vital rates with highest contribution to stability maintenance of λ in the bad year in a life-table response experiment. The palm population had a high individual density, high proportion of the initial life stages, clonal growth, high fertility, abundant seed bank and high seedling recruitment. Despite these traits, if stochastic herbivory events occur frequently over a long period of time, the population will have a negative growth rate and the probability of local extinction will be very high.

Keywords

clonal growthenvironmental stochasticitygallery forestherbivorynatural disturbancepopulation dynamics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , March 2010 , pp. 151 - 161
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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