Journal article
Cyclone effects on the structure and production of a tropical upland rainforest: Implications for life-history tradeoffs
SM Gleason, LJ Williams, J Read, DJ Metcalfe, PJ Baker
Ecosystems | SPRINGER | Published : 2008
Abstract
Wind is known to alter the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems. Because the intensity and frequency of severe wind events are likely to increase, it is important to understand the species- and substrate-specific effects of these disturbances. We assessed the structure and production among 63 species of trees in an Australian tropical rainforest before and after Cyclone Larry (March 2006). We assessed forest occurring on two different substrates: nutrient-poor schist and relatively nutrient-rich basalt. Leaf area reduction and stem breakage were markedly variable among species, but were more evident on basalt soils than schist soils, and were positively correlated with leaf N and P..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Kumi Gleason for her help in the field and Andrew Ford for his help with tree identification, leaf collecting, and rewarding discussions. We are grateful to Adrian Ares for his advice on forest growth measurements, Dennis O'Dowd for his critique of the overall study plan, and Aiden Sudbury for statistical advice. We would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Two grants provided funding for this research: The Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, ANZ Charitable Trust, Australia, and the Monash Small Grant Scheme, Monash University, Australia. This study was completed under Queensland EPA permit no. WITK03219805.