Rain-forest fragmentation and the phenology of Amazonian tree communities

Abstract

Habitat fragmentation affects the ecology of tropical rain forests in many ways, such as reducing species diversity of many taxa (Laurance et al. 2002, Lovejoy et al. 1986) and increasing rates of tree mortality and canopy-gap formation near forest edges (Laurance et al. 1997, 1998, 2001). Such obvious alterations have been documented in many fragmented forests, but more subtle changes, such as those affecting plant phenology (the timing and frequency of flower, fruit and leaf production), have received far less attention. Adler & Kiepinski (2000) showed that different populations of the successional tree Spondias mombin on small man-made islands in Panama had highly synchronous flowering and fruiting. In montane forests in Colombia, Restrepo et al. (1999) demonstrated that under-storey fruit abundance was consistently increased over time near forest edges relative to forest interiors. Beyond these and a few other studies (Ackerly et al. 1990, Nason & Hamrick 1997), however, the effects of fragmentation on plant phenology have been inadequately assessed, especially in the tropics.