PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Ferns are an important part of the understory of
many tropic forests, yet nothing is known
about their leaf turnover rates, hence their contribution to the litter layer
and overall functioning of the forest ecosystem. This long-term project addresses
that question by marking and monitoring each leaf produced by over a thousand
individuals representing over 20 different species. Plants and their leaves
were observed at four month intervals for ten years starting in September 1991
(Phase 1) and then at one year intervals for an additional ten years starting
in January 2001. Seasonality in leaf and spore production, as well as effects
of drought and hurricanes are noted. Defoliation experiments with several species
are being conducted to determine the limits of disturbance effects.
| Record_num | Catalog_na | Identifier |
| 75 | LTERDBAS | FERN SPOROPHYTE GROWTH OBSERVATIONS |
| 121 | LTERDBAS | Fern distribution in El Verde MRCE plots |
Created By: Eda C. Melendez-Colom (emelend@lternet.edu
)
Last Modified On:
July 25, 2007