Dissertation Research: Tropical Monodominance: A Test of Mechanisms Which Promote and Maintain the Dominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei

9717116 Coley单优势林是热带低地罕见的群落，但其起源和维持机制尚不清楚。这项研究测试了一些机制，这些机制可能允许吉尔伯托杜鹃在扎伊尔东部形成单优势森林。第一种假设是，外生菌根（真菌-植物根系共生）对这些广泛的单优势森林的起源和维持很重要。其次，为了验证金牛花通过创造一个不适宜居住的环境来竞争性地排斥其他物种的假设。这项研究将确定混交林物种是否无法在金牛柏林中建立，因为它们没有遇到合适的，囊状丛枝菌根真菌。此外，将测试一些其他机制（例如，深叶凋落物，遮荫和低营养可用性），通过这些机制，吉尔伯伦可以将混交林物种排除在单优势林之外。这项研究将最终测试一些垄断机制，并提供其他潜在机制的初步测试。这项研究很重要，因为了解单优势森林对我们了解控制低地热带树木多样性的过程至关重要。最后，似乎没有一个单一的特征可以解释单性支配。拟议的多方面分析应提供第一个有经验支持的框架，以了解热带单一森林的起源和维持。

9717116 Coley Monodominant forests are unusual communities in the lowland tropics, but their origin and maintenance is not well understood. This study tests a number of mechanisms that may allow Gilbertiodendron dewevrei to form monodominant forests in eastern Zaire. The first hypothesis is that ectomycorrhizae (fungal-plant root symbioses) are important to the origin and maintenance of these extensive, monodominant forests. Secondly, to test the hypothesis that Gilbertiodendron competitively excludes other species by creating an inhospitable environment. This study will determine if mixed-forest species are unable to establish in the Gilbertiodendron forest because they do not encounter their appropriate, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Furthermore, a number of other mechanisms will be tested (e.g. deep leaf litter, shade and low nutrient availability) by which Gilbertiodendron could exclude mixed-forest species from the monodominant forest. This study will conclusively test a number of mechanisms for monodominance and provide preliminary tests of other potential mechanisms. This study is important because an understanding of monodominant forests is essential to our understanding of the processes controlling lowland tropical tree diversity. Finally, it appears likely that no single character will explain monodominance. The proposed multifaceted analysis should provide the first empirically supported framework for understanding the origin and maintenance of tropical monodominant forests.