A long-term ontogenetically integrated basin-wide study of forest regeneration in lowland western Amazonia (Varun Swamy & John Terborgh, Duke University, 2008-)
Principal Investigator: Varun Swamy, PhD, Duke University
Center for Tropical Conservation
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Duke University Box 90328, Durham NC 27708, USA.
Web page: http://www.duke.edu/~vs12/
English Version
This research project will implement a long-term basin-wide study of forest
regeneration in the lowland tropical rainforests of the Madre de Dios
river basin in southeastern Peru. The primary goal is to test hypotheses
about the relation between seed fall and sapling establishment in a highly
diverse tropical tree community. Previous research suggests that animal-mediated
processes such as seed dispersal and herbivory can have a profound influence
on the spatial organization of tree communities and favor the maintenance
of high diversity in tropical rainforests. The research efforts proposed
in this study will provide data that will allow a comprehensive evaluation
of the major factors thought to influence regeneration processes in tropical
rainforests, particularly the ecological role of animals.
The project involves the set-up of replicate seed rain grids and sapling
recruitment monitoring efforts in multiple permanently marked tree stands
located in mature floodplain forest habitat across the Madre de Dios river
basin in southeastern Peru. In addition to seed rain and sapling recruitment,
key abiotic variables such as understorey light environment and soil moisture
will also be documented in sufficient detail and resolution.
Broader impacts of this project include the gathering of baseline data
for examining the long-term impacts of climate change and human settlement
on forest structure and composition in lowland rainforests of the Amazon
basin. A deeper understanding of the processes that influence forest regeneration
in lowland Amazonian rainforests will represent a major advance in basic
science that will inform current and future conservation, restoration
and management efforts directed towards these ecosystems. This project
will also help to prepare the next generation of Peruvian ecologists and
conservation scientists - several Peruvian university students will assist
in research efforts and receive hands-on training and mentoring from the
principal investigators.