Physiological ecology of plants of the wet tropics: Proceedings of an International Symposium Held in Oxatepec and Los Tuxtlas, Mexico, June 29 to July 6, 1983

255 Pages·1983·11.08 MB·English

by  E. Medina, H. A. Mooney, C. Vázquez-Yánes (auth.), E. Medina, H. A. Mooney, C. Vázquez-Yánes (eds.)

Tasks for vegetation science 12
Series Editors
HELMUT LIETH HAROLD A. MOONEY
University of Os nab ruck, F.R.G. Stanford University, Stanford CA, U.S.A.
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Physiological ecology of plants of the wet tropics
Physiological ecology of plants
of the wet tropics
PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERNA TIONAL SYMPOSIUM
HELD IN OXATEPEC AND LOS TUXTLAS, MEXICO,
JUNE 29 TO JULY 6,1983
edited by
E. MEDINA, H.A. MOONEY and C. VAZQUEZ-yANES
1984 DR W. JUNK PUBLISHERS
a member of the KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
THE HAGUE / BOSTON / LANCASTER .
IV
Distributors
for the United States and Canada: Kluwer Boston, Inc., 190 Old Derby Street,
Hingham, MA 02043, USA
for all other countries: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, Distribution Center,
P.O.Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 83-25567
ISBN-13: 978-94-009-7301-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-7299-5
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-7299-5
Cover design: Max Velthuijs
Copyright
© 1984 by Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publishers,
Dr W. Junk Publishers, P.O. Box 13713, 2501 ES The Hague, The Netherlands.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1984
IV
Distributors
for the United States and Canada: Kluwer Boston, Inc., 190 Old Derby Street,
Hingham, MA 02043, USA
for all other countries: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, Distribution Center,
P.O.Box 322, 3300 AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 83-25567
ISBN-13: 978-94-009-7301-5 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-7299-5
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-7299-5
Cover design: Max Velthuijs
Copyright
© 1984 by Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
the publishers,
Dr W. Junk Publishers, P.O. Box 13713, 2501 ES The Hague, The Netherlands.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1984
Contents
Introduction by E. Medina, H. A. M:>oney, c. V"azquez-yanes ........................................ l
Part One: Physical Environment
1. NUtrient regime in the wet tropics: physical factors,
by Carl F. Jordan........................................................................ 3
2. Physical aspects of the water regime of wet tropical vegetation,
by J.J. Landsberg........................................................................ 13
3. Light environments of tropical forests,
by R.L. Chazdon and N. Fetcher........................................................... 27
Part Two: Establishment
4. Ecophysiology of seed germination in the tropical humid forests of the world: a review,
by C. V"azquez-Yanes and A. CI-ozco Segovia................................................ 37
Part Three: Leaf-environment Interactions
5. Leaf and Canopy adaptations in tropical forests,
by T..1. Givnish •••.••••.••••.•••••.•••••••••••.••.•••••••••••.••.•••••.••.•••.••••••••••• 51
6. Leaf energy balance in the wet lowland tropics,
by N. Chiariello......................................................................... 85
Part Four: Physiological Processes
7. Tissue water deficits and plant growth in wet tropical environments,
by Robert H. Robichaux, Philip W. Rundel, rani Stemmermann, Joan E. Canfield,
Suzanne R. Morse, and W. Edward Friedman •••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••• 99
8. Photosynthetic characteristics of wet tropical forest plants,
by H.A. Mooney, C. Field, and C. vazque~Yanes ••••••••••••.•••••••.•••••.•.••.••••••••••. 113
9. Measuring gas exchange of plants in the wet tropics,
by C. Field and H.A. Mooney .............................................................. 129
10. NUtrient balance and physiological processes at the leaf level,
by Ernesto Medina ••••••.•••.•••••.•••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••.•.•••.•••. 139
VI
Part Five: Epiphytes and Mycorrhizae
11. Epiphytic vegetation: a profile and suggestions for future inquiries,
by David H. Benzing ...................................................................... 155
12. Methods for vesicular-arbuscular ~corrhiza research in the lowland wet tropics,
by D. P. Janos........................................................................... 173
Part Six: Plant-Herbivore Interactions
13. The roles of plant secondary chemicals in wet tropical ecosystems,
by Jean H. Langenheim •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 189
14. Insect-plant interactions: some ecophysiological consequences of herbivory,
by Rodolfo Dirzo ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 209
15. Assessing the effects of herbivory,
by P.A. Morrow ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 225
Part Seven: Species Function and Fbrest Structure
16. Dynamics of wet tropical forests and their species strategies,
by F.A. Bazzaz ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••. 233
INDEX •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 245
INTRODUCTION
This book contains the results of a Symposium on the physiological ecology of plants of the
lowland wet tropics held in Mexico in June 1983 organized by the Instituto de Biologla of the
National University of M"exico (U.N .A.M.), and sponsored by UNAM, CONACYT, NSF and UNESCO (CIET).
A workshop portion of the Symposium was held at the tropical research station at Los Tuxtlas,
Veracruz. This Symposium originated in response to the increasing interest in the physiological
ecology of tropical plants, because of the potential. of this field to provide a basic
understanding of functioning of tropical plant communities.
The study of physiological ecology of tropical plants has been delayed in some cases by the lack
of conceptual framework, but also by the absence of appropriate instrumentation and techniques
with which to conduct precise measurements under high temperature, high humidity field
conditions. Hypotheses and concepts of the physiological ecology of tropical plants have been
based mainly on observational data and the analysis of growth forms and leaf anatomf. The early
work of A.F.W. Schimper and o. Stocker in Asia, and the extensive surveys made by H. Walter on the
osmotic potentials of plants in the tropics and subtropics, constituted, until relatively
recently, the only available information on the water and carbon relations of tropical plants. The
advent of portable instrumentation which permits the precise measurement of flux density, energy
content of incoming radiation within specified wave lengths, the measurement of water potential
components, and most importantly, the development of field porometers and gas exchange systems
both for H20 and CO2 are revolutionizing the extent of our knowledge of the physiological ecology
of tropical plants.
This volume reviews the available literature as well as providing new information in a number of
areas. Methods for plant physiological ecology in wet tropical areas are discussed, either within
the reviews, or in separate chapters.
We hope that the study of the physiological ecology of tropical plants advances from its current
rather primitive state to an advanced level in a relatively short time because of the great need
for knowledge from this field. We further hope that this book provides, in part, a stimulus for
this advancement.
We wish to dedicate this volume to Dr. Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Garden, who, through
his inspiration and encouragement, has promoted the cooperation of several institutions both
outside and within the United States to develop strong biological research projects in the
tropics.
E. Medina (Caracas)
H. A. Mooney (Stanford)
C. Vazquez-Yanes (Mexico City)
NUTRIENT REGIME IN THE WET TROPICS: PHYSICAL FACTORS
CARL F. JORDAN
Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
ABSTRACT factors which control the nutrient cycles. This
The wet tropics are characterized by year-round review discusses the physical factors which
high temperatures and high humidities, resulting control nutrient cycling and how these factors
in growing seasons which can extend up to are different in wet tropical forests.
12 months per year. Consequently, primary
productivity and nutrient cycling rates are high 2. CLIMATIC FACTORS IN THE WET TROPICS
on an annual basis. However, long periods of 2.1. Temperature
high temperature and high humidity also result Temperature is the most important factor
in high annual rates of soil respiration with responsible for differences in nutrient cycling
consequent high production of carbonic acid in between tropical forests and forests at other
the soil. The acid dissociates and the hydrogen latitudes. However, it is not extremely high
replaces cations exchanged on clay surfaces or temperature which causes the differences in
bound in clay minerals. Cations thus released nutrient cycles in the tropics, because
are quickly leached from the soil by heavy temperatures in tropical regions, including the
rains. The low pH of many tropical soils lowland tropics, are often lower than summertime
resulting from high concentrations of carbonic temperatures in continental temperate regions.
acid also results in binding of phosphorus with It is the distribution of temperatures throughout
iron and aluminum. For these reasons, available the year which causes the difference. In the
nutrients are relatively scarce in soils of the wet tropics high temperatures occur throughout the
tropics compared to ecosystems in other regions. year, and the processes resulting from high
temperatures go on continuously, if moisture is
1. INTRODUCTION not limiting.
Annual rates of net primary productivity are
usually higher in the wet tropics than in any High temperatures have important effects on
other region of the world (Whittaker and Likens, rates of ecosystem processes. Within the
1975) (Table 1). Rates of litter decomposition normal range of temperatures that occur on
too, are higher in the wet tropics (Olson, earth, higher temperatures usually result in
1963) (Table 2). The year-round activity of the higher rates. For example, up to a critical
organisms involved in these processes is both temperature, which is different for each species,
the cause and the effect of a nutrient regime in photosynthesis of plants increases with increasing
the wet tropics which is quantitatively different temperatures. High year-round rates of
from the nutrient regime of other regions. The photosynthesis result in high rates of annual
quantitative difference in cycling rates is primary productivity. High primary productivity
caused by regional differences in the physical results in high rates of nutrient uptake by
TABLE J. Net primary production in ecosystems of the world. (From Whittaker and Likens 1975).
Net Primary Production (Dry Matter)
Normal Range Mean
2 2
(g/m /year) (g/m /year)
Tropical rain forest 1,000 3,500 2,200
Tropical seasonal forest 1,000 - 2,500 1,600
Temperate forest:
evergreen 600 - 2,500 1,300
deciduous 600 - 2,500 1,200
Boreal forest 400 - 2,000 800
Woodland and
shrubland 250 - 1,200 700
Savanna 200 - 2,000 900
Temperate grassland 200 - 1,500 600
Tundra and alpine 10 - 400 140
Desert and semidesert
scrub 10 - 250 90
Extreme desert--
rock, sand, ice o - 10 3
TABLE 2. Decomposition rate factors and turnover times (Olson 1963) for leaf litter from various
ecosystems of the world. (From Swift et al. 1979).
Decomposition rate factor 3/k
-1
Ecosystem "k", yr (years for 95% decomposition)
Tropical forest 6.0 0.5
Savannah 3.2
Temperate grassland 1.5 2
Temperate deciduous forest 0.77 4
Boreal forest 0.21 14
Tundra 0.03 100