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Thomas A Kursar - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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communities of fungal endophytes in tropical forest grasses highly diverse host and habitat generalists characterized by strong spatial structure
Fungal Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Lindsay K Higgins, Phyllis D Coley, Thomas A Kursar, Elizabeth A ArnoldAbstract:Abstract Plant-symbiotic fungi influence the structure and function of all terrestrial ecosystems, but factors shaping their distributions in time and space are rarely well understood. Grasses (Poaceae), which first arose and diversified in tropical Forests, harbor diverse but little-studied endophytes in the Lowland Forests of Panama. We used sequence data for 402 isolates from two sampling years, 11 host species, and 55 microsites at Barro Colorado Island, Panama to investigate the influence of host and habitat (soil type, forest age) in shaping endophyte diversity and composition. In contrast to previous studies, we found no evidence for host- or habitat specificity. Instead, endophytes demonstrated strong spatial structure consistent with dispersal limitation, with community similarity decaying markedly over a scale of hundreds of meters. Spatial structure that is independent of host species and habitat reveals remarkable heterogeneity of endophyte–host associations at small geographic scales and adds an important spatial component to extrapolative estimates of fungal diversity.
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causes and consequences of monodominance in tropical Lowland Forests
The American Naturalist, 2001Co-Authors: Sylvia D Torti, Phyllis D Coley, Thomas A KursarAbstract:abstract: Tropical canopy dominance in Lowland, well‐drained Forests by one plant species is a long‐standing conundrum in tropical biology. Research now shows that dominance is not the result of one trait or mechanism. We suggest that the striking dominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei in the Ituri Forest of northeastern Congo is the result of a number of traits in adult trees that significantly modify the understory environment, making it difficult for other species to regenerate there. Adults cast deep shade that reduces light levels in the understory of the Gilbertiodendron forest to levels significantly lower than in the mixed‐species forest. Moreover, the monodominant forest has deep leaf litter that could inhibit the establishment of small‐seeded species, and the leaf litter is slow to decompose, potentially causing the low availability of nitrogen. We expect that juveniles of Gilbertiodendron may have an advantage in this environment over other species. In general, it appears that all tropical mono...
Francis Q. Brearley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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ectomycorrhizal associations of the dipterocarpaceae
Biotropica, 2012Co-Authors: Francis Q. BrearleyAbstract:Dipterocarps are one of the most important tree families in the Lowland Forests of Southeast Asia and are somewhat unusual among tropical trees in that they form ectomycorrhizal (EcM) symbiotic root-inhabiting fungal associations. It has been hypothesized that dipterocarps have been partnered in this mutualistic association prior to the separation of Gondwana. Under many conditions EcMs form rapidly on dipterocarp seedlings through inocula present in the soil, although few studies have been conducted to provide evidence that they improve seedling establishment and performance. There are hundreds of EcM species associated with dipterocarps. Fungal fruit body surveys suggest that the most important families are Amanitaceae, Boletaceae, and Russulaceae, although Thelephoraceae also become numerically important when root tips are examined. EcM communities are affected by various biotic and abiotic factors, as well as anthropogenic perturbations, and the importance of these in structuring EcM communities is examined herein. © 2012 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2012 by The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation.
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Below-ground secondary succession in tropical Forests of Borneo
Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2011Co-Authors: Francis Q. BrearleyAbstract:As the destruction and severe disturbance of primary tropical forest continues, it is important to understand how these Forests may recover from perturbations. Considerable work has been done on above-ground recovery but below-ground processes are less well understood. To determine changes in root mass during tropical secondary succession in Lowland Forests of Central Borneo, samples were taken from stands of increasing ages since abandonment of agriculture (1, 3, 14 and 31 y) with a primary forest control (six plots from 1-y-old stands and three from all other ages). Root mass and elemental concentrations were determined and soils were chemically analysed. There was no increase in root mass with stand age for fine-root (< 2 mm diameter) or small-root (< 5 mm diameter) mass but there was a trend for coarse-root mass (5-10 mm diameter) to increase with stand age. Negative correlations were shown between root mass and soil nutrient status. Fine-root C concentrations increased with stand age but there was no clear effect of stand age on fine-root N or P. Fine-root mass did not increase significantly with stand age suggesting a rapid recovery; instead, soil nutrient status appeared to be the most important factor controlling root mass. Of the soil nutrients measured in this study, N had a stronger control over root mass than P suggesting that this element may be limiting during secondary succession in tropical Lowland Forests of Borneo. © 2011 Cambridge University Press.
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Below-ground secondary succession in tropical Forests of Borneo
Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2011Co-Authors: Francis Q. BrearleyAbstract:Abstract:As the destruction and severe disturbance of primary tropical forest continues, it is important to understand how these Forests may recover from perturbations. Considerable work has been done on above-ground recovery but below-ground processes are less well understood. To determine changes in root mass during tropical secondary succession in Lowland Forests of Central Borneo, samples were taken from stands of increasing ages since abandonment of agriculture (1, 3, 14 and 31 y) with a primary forest control (six plots from 1-y-old stands and three from all other ages). Root mass and elemental concentrations were determined and soils were chemically analysed. There was no increase in root mass with stand age for fine-root (< 2 mm diameter) or small-root (< 5 mm diameter) mass but there was a trend for coarse-root mass (5–10 mm diameter) to increase with stand age. Negative correlations were shown between root mass and soil nutrient status. Fine-root C concentrations increased with stand age but there was no clear effect of stand age on fine-root N or P. Fine-root mass did not increase significantly with stand age suggesting a rapid recovery; instead, soil nutrient status appeared to be the most important factor controlling root mass. Of the soil nutrients measured in this study, N had a stronger control over root mass than P suggesting that this element may be limiting during secondary succession in tropical Lowland Forests of Borneo.
Phyllis D Coley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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communities of fungal endophytes in tropical forest grasses highly diverse host and habitat generalists characterized by strong spatial structure
Fungal Ecology, 2014Co-Authors: Lindsay K Higgins, Phyllis D Coley, Thomas A Kursar, Elizabeth A ArnoldAbstract:Abstract Plant-symbiotic fungi influence the structure and function of all terrestrial ecosystems, but factors shaping their distributions in time and space are rarely well understood. Grasses (Poaceae), which first arose and diversified in tropical Forests, harbor diverse but little-studied endophytes in the Lowland Forests of Panama. We used sequence data for 402 isolates from two sampling years, 11 host species, and 55 microsites at Barro Colorado Island, Panama to investigate the influence of host and habitat (soil type, forest age) in shaping endophyte diversity and composition. In contrast to previous studies, we found no evidence for host- or habitat specificity. Instead, endophytes demonstrated strong spatial structure consistent with dispersal limitation, with community similarity decaying markedly over a scale of hundreds of meters. Spatial structure that is independent of host species and habitat reveals remarkable heterogeneity of endophyte–host associations at small geographic scales and adds an important spatial component to extrapolative estimates of fungal diversity.
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causes and consequences of monodominance in tropical Lowland Forests
The American Naturalist, 2001Co-Authors: Sylvia D Torti, Phyllis D Coley, Thomas A KursarAbstract:abstract: Tropical canopy dominance in Lowland, well‐drained Forests by one plant species is a long‐standing conundrum in tropical biology. Research now shows that dominance is not the result of one trait or mechanism. We suggest that the striking dominance of Gilbertiodendron dewevrei in the Ituri Forest of northeastern Congo is the result of a number of traits in adult trees that significantly modify the understory environment, making it difficult for other species to regenerate there. Adults cast deep shade that reduces light levels in the understory of the Gilbertiodendron forest to levels significantly lower than in the mixed‐species forest. Moreover, the monodominant forest has deep leaf litter that could inhibit the establishment of small‐seeded species, and the leaf litter is slow to decompose, potentially causing the low availability of nitrogen. We expect that juveniles of Gilbertiodendron may have an advantage in this environment over other species. In general, it appears that all tropical mono...
Kom Sukontason - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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two new species of sarcophaga s lat from thailand with a key to species diptera sarcophagidae
Journal of Medical Entomology, 2009Co-Authors: Tarinee Chaiwong, Kom SukontasonAbstract:ABSTRACT During a distribution survey of flies of medical importance around northern Thailand, we discovered two new species of flesh fly Sarcophaga (s. lat.) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) that also are new to science. The species are Sarcophaga nanensis sp. nov. and Sarcophaga kiyokoae sp. nov. Adults of the former species was recovered from Pua River of Nan province (19° 12′29″ N, 100° 56′ 36″ E) 442 m in northern Thailand, whereas the latter species was collected around Kuang River (19° 0′3″ N, 99° 17′6″ E) 551 m of the Lowland Forests of Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. Although these two sarcophagid flies showed similarity in their male terminalia in having large aedeagi and rounded juxta, illustrations of the sternite 5, cercus, surstylus, and anterolateral margin of the aedeagus allow differentiation between them. A key is provided to the adult males of the flesh flies of medical importance in Thailand.
Budsabong Kanchanasaka - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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colour vision in finlayson s squirrel callosciurus finlaysonii is conspicuous pelage colour useful for species recognition
Tropical Zoology, 2017Co-Authors: Noriko Tamura, Phadet Boonkhaw, Umphornpimon Prayoon, Yukiko Fujii, Budsabong KanchanasakaAbstract:Finlayson’s squirrel, Callosciurus finlaysonii, is distributed in Lowland Forests throughout South-East Asia. Its pelage colour is conspicuous and polymorphic (red, black, white and a mixture of these colours), which is characteristic of the species, with 16 subspecies described based on pelage colour patterns. Two closely related species, the brown C. erythraeus and the orange C. caniceps, are also distributed throughout the region. To examine whether the conspicuous pelage colour is a visual clue for species/subspecies discrimination, we experimentally assessed the colour vision of C. finlaysonii. Optically measured pelage colours of the dorsal body differed greatly among seven subspecies of C. finlaysonii and also differed among the three species of the region. Colour vision tests revealed that C. finlaysonii can discriminate the colour of conspecific white, black, and red pelages from the orange pelages of C. caniceps. They can also discriminate the brown pelages of C. erythraeus and conspecific white...
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Colour vision in Finlayson’s squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii): is conspicuous pelage colour useful for species recognition?
Tropical Zoology, 2017Co-Authors: Noriko Tamura, Phadet Boonkhaw, Umphornpimon Prayoon, Yukiko Fujii, Budsabong KanchanasakaAbstract:Finlayson’s squirrel, Callosciurus finlaysonii, is distributed in Lowland Forests throughout South-East Asia. Its pelage colour is conspicuous and polymorphic (red, black, white and a mixture of these colours), which is characteristic of the species, with 16 subspecies described based on pelage colour patterns. Two closely related species, the brown C. erythraeus and the orange C. caniceps, are also distributed throughout the region. To examine whether the conspicuous pelage colour is a visual clue for species/subspecies discrimination, we experimentally assessed the colour vision of C. finlaysonii. Optically measured pelage colours of the dorsal body differed greatly among seven subspecies of C. finlaysonii and also differed among the three species of the region. Colour vision tests revealed that C. finlaysonii can discriminate the colour of conspecific white, black, and red pelages from the orange pelages of C. caniceps. They can also discriminate the brown pelages of C. erythraeus and conspecific white...
