RUI: Effects of Disturbance and Global Climate Change on Tropical Cloud Forest Canopy Communities: An Experimental Approach

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NadkarniDEB-9974035This project will investigate the effects of short- and long-term disturbances on tropical cloud forest canopy communities building upon 12 years of previous research. It will consider forest-canopy plants and invertebrates while assessing the response of the forest as a whole. It will compare canopy plant and insect communities in a primary forest with those in an adjacent secondary forest. It will conduct transplant and greenhouse experiments that mimic the global change patterns predicted for tropical montane forests. Responses will be assessed for plant leaf mortality and production, non-vascular plants, invertebrate community diversity and trophic structure, and nutrient cycling and conservation. Results will be archived and disseminated widely for researchers, policy makers and the general public.