Community Ecology
Volume/Issue:
Volume 12: Issue 2
Adult plant abundance, reproductive efficiency, and recruitment patterns in two tropical areas
Author:
N. Ramírez Universidad Central de Venezuela Instituto Biología Experimental, Centro de Botánica Tropical Aptdo. 48312 Caracas 1041A Venezuela

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Pages:
143–152
Online Publication Date:
23 Jun 2011
Publication Date:
01 Dec 2011
Article Category:
Journal Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/comec.12.2011.2.1
Keywords:
Habitat; Life form; Relative abundance; Relative fecundity; Savanna; Seed dispersal; Shrubland
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The recruitment patterns of trees, shrubs and climbers were studied in two contrasting geographical areas in Venezuela: the Venezuelan Central Plain (VCP), and shrubland. The main purpose was to determine whether recruitment was simultaneously affected by adult plant abundance and relative fecundity in two different geographical areas, and if such relationships were influenced by life forms, vegetation types, dispersal syndromes, and within and between habitats in the VCP. Multiple regressions were used to determine the effect of adult plant abundance and relative fecundity on seedling and juvenile plant abundance. The relative abundance of juvenile plants increased significantly with the simultaneous increment of relative adult abundance and relative fecundity. However, the best predictor of plant recruitment was adult plant abundance. The effect of adult abundance and the fecundity of life forms on recruitment varied according to habitat in the VCP. Significant regressions were also found for species with animal dispersed plant species in the VCP and animal and wind dispersed species in the shrubland. This agrees with the associations between shrubs with animals dispersal in the VCP. Although plants tended to recruit mainly in those habitats where the parent plants were found, recruitment also depended upon the fecundity and adult abundance of plants from different habitats. It is suggest that there is a progressive colonization from the forest to the forest border and from the border to the savanna, and that there is a high interdependence between adjacent habitats for recruitment in the VCP.

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Cover Community Ecology
Community Ecology An Interdisciplinary Journal Reporting Progress in Community and Population Studies
Print ISSN:
1585-8553
Online ISSN:
1588-2756

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Community Ecology
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation		 2000
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 3
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 1585-8553 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2756 (Online)

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