Inter-annual Seed Rain Variability, Dispersal Limitation, Seed/Seedling Mortality in a SE Asian Rainforest: Implications for the Maintenance of Tree Diversity

这项研究将测试在马来西亚半岛帕索研究森林的一个巨大多样性的东南亚雨林中，桅杆果是否对800多种树木的共存很重要。 树干结果是许多树种在相对较短的时间内同时种子脱落。 主果期以3-9年的不规则间隔分开，很少或没有种子生产。 在这些森林中，桅杆果被认为是作为捕食者逃避沉重的哺乳动物种子捕食者的反应而进化的。 这项研究将严格可比的种子雨和幼苗萌发的动态在新热带森林的巴罗科罗拉多岛（BCI），巴拿马，不表现出桅杆果的13年的研究。 种子陷阱和幼苗地块将部署在整个帕索森林。 在5年的时间里，每种树种每周都会量化陷阱中的种子雨。 将在相邻的种子诱捕器和幼苗地块之间比较物种丰度和组成。 这将允许在种子到幼苗过渡期间评估种子和幼苗死亡率因素的强度。 强密度和频率依赖性的种子和幼苗死亡率的特点BCI网站。 虽然这些被认为是共存的主要机制的良好候选者，但尚不清楚这种现象是普遍的还是特定于BCI。 这项研究对于了解不同热带森林中的树木多样性是否由相同的机制维持至关重要。 这些知识对于管理热带森林和保护其生物多样性非常重要。

This research will test whether mast-fruiting is important to the coexistence of over 800 species of trees in a mega-diverse Southeast Asian rainforest at the Pasoh Research Forest in peninsular Malaysia. Mast-fruiting is the simultaneous seed drop of many tree species in a relatively short time. Periods of mast-fruiting are separated by irregular intervals of 3-9 years with little or no seed production. Mast-fruiting is thought to have evolved as a predator escape response to heavy mammalian seed predators in these forests. This study will be strictly comparable to a 13-year study of the dynamics of seed rain and seedling germination in a neotropical forest on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, which does not exhibit mast-fruiting. Seed traps and seedling plots will be deployed throughout the Pasoh Forest. Seed rain in the traps will be quantified each week for each tree species over a 5-year period. Species abundances and composition will be compared between adjacent seed traps and seedling plots. This will allow an evaluation of the strength of seed and seedling mortality factors during the seed to seedling transition. Strong density- and frequency-dependent seed and seedling mortality characterized the BCI site. Although these are considered good candidates as primary mechanisms of coexistence, it is unclear if the phenomenon is general or specific to BCI. The proposed research is critical for understanding if tree diversity in different tropical forests is maintained by the same mechanisms. This knowledge is important for managing tropical forests and preserving their biodiversity.