Wood Anatomical and Demographic Similarities Between Self-Standing Liana and Tree Seedlings in Tropical Dry Forests of Colombia.

ABSTRACT: Canopy lianas differ considerably from trees in terms of wood anatomical structure, and they are suggested to have a demographic advantage-faster growth and higher survival-than trees. However, it remains unclear whether these anatomical and demographic differences persist at the seedling stage, when most liana species are self-standing and, consequently, might be ecologically similar to trees. We assessed how self-standing liana and tree seedlings differ in relation to wood anatomy, growth, and survival. We measured 12 wood traits and monitored seedling growth and survival over one year for 10 self-supporting liana and 10 tree seedling species from three tropical dry forests in Colombia. Liana and tree seedlings exhibited similar survival rates and wood anatomies for traits related to wat

SUBMITTER: Puentes-Marin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11548046 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature