Ecology of tree and seedlings: Implications for tropical forest conservation and restoration

Bangalore

2001

748-756

Sonderdruck

40003292

Seed an seedling traits vary strongly across the tropical forest biome to cope with the variations in the distribution and amount of rainfall, light, temperature and soil nutrient regimes, and the intensity of predation and disturbance. Proportion of species producing dormant seeds increases along a gradient of dryness and unpredictability of rainfall. Seed longevity is generally higher for dry tropical than for wet tropical species. Environmental variables and the disperal syndrome have led to the selection for and production of different seed sizes, with implications for germination and seedling establishment in different situations, and for the build up of persitent soil seed bank.