LIANA COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTES IN ONE OF THE NORTHERNMOST NEOTROPICAL RAINFORESTS

Abstract

Background: Lianas are an important woody component of tropical rain forests. We described and compared the composition, structure, and diversity of the liana community in one of the northernmost neotropical rain forests. Question: How much does this liana community differ in attributes with global patterns documented in other tropical and subtropical rain forests? Study site and dates: Los Tuxtlas Tropical Biology Station, Veracruz, Mexico. 2015-2018. Methods: We censused all lianas ≥ 1 cm in diameter in a 1-ha plot and determined dominant families and species, diametric distribution, and diversity of order q. Results: We recorded 396 liana individuals, 42 species, and 20 families. Basal area was 6619.2 cm2. Order 1 and 2 diversity was 21.9 and 13.4, respectively. Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae, Celastraceae, and Malpighiaceae accounted for about 60 % of abundance and basal area, and 45.2 % of species richness. The 10 most abundant species included more than 60 % of stems and basal area. Conclusions: Species richness, abundance, and basal area were low compared with other tropical and subtropical sites worldwide. It was noteworthy the coincidence of some dominant species and families across the Neotropics and the absence of Fabaceae among the most important families. Latitudinal location and some key climatic factors such annual average rainfall and dry season length may explain, in part, our findings.