Effects of an Abrupt Soil Change on the Structure, Composition, and Dynamics of a Species-rich Lowland Tropical Forest in Sarawak, Malaysia

大多数对热带雨林的研究都有意地 在相对均匀的场地上进行。 然而，突然 森林组成、结构和动态可能发生变化 低地热带森林的土壤突然发生变化。 的 这种变化的重要性和当地土壤类型的异质性， 维持热带森林的树种多样性， 未知 沙捞越州的兰比尔国家公园就是一个很好的例子。 这片森林没有受到人类的干扰，也许是最多的物种- 东南亚热带雨林。 建立 永久50公顷地块建议，跨越一个主要的土壤 在Lambir的不连续性，以比较和对比树 人口模式，最终人口和森林 土壤生态交错带的动态 “源-汇”假说， 也就是说，在森林中的一种土壤类型的稀有物种， 另一边则是大量人口的移民 土壤类型也将通过比较初步测试 不同土壤上的种群结构 穿越这个生态交错带 这些测试对于理解 热带树木的专家与通才策略 与土壤有关的物种，用于维护稀有物种 保护热带森林， 生物多样性 本项目由砂拉越森林共同赞助 大坂市植物生态实验室 大学 该项目将培养新一代的居民 和美国专家在世界上最丰富的植物群之一。

Most studies of tropical rain forests have intentionally been conducted on relatively homogeneous sites. However, sudden changes in forest composition, structure, and dynamics can occur with abrupt changes in soils in lowland tropical forests. The importance of such changes and local soil-type heterogeneity for the maintenance of tree species diversity in tropical forests is unknown. A spectacular example is Lambir National Park, Sarawak. This forest, undisturbed by humans, is perhaps the most species- rich tropical forest in Southeast Asia. Establishment of a permanent 50 ha plot is proposed, to straddle a major soil discontinuity at Lambir in order to compare and contrast tree population patterns, and eventually demography and forest dynamics across the soil ecotone. The "source-sink" hypothesis, namely that rare species in the forest on one soil type are sustained by immigration from abundant populations on the other soil type will be also tested initially through comparison of population structure on contrasting soils of species occurring across this ecotone. These tests are important for understanding the specialist vs. generalists strategies of tropical tree species in relation to soils, for the maintenance of rare species in tropical forests, and for the conservation of tropical forest biodiversity. This project is co-sponsored by the Sarawak Forest Department, and by the plant ecology laboratory of Osaka City University. The project will train a new generation of resident and U.S. experts in one of the world's richest floras.