NCEAS Project 9762

Geographic distribution of neotropical tree species: Pattern and process

  • Condit, Richard

ActivityDatesFurther Information
Sabbatical9th December 2005—14th March 2008Participant List  
Center Associate13th January 2006—12th January 2007Participant List  

Abstract
I propose a sabbatical at NCEAS to study geographic distributions of tree species in Central and South America. My goal is to gain understanding of the factors that limit tree ranges in neotropical forests, both at local scales (hundreds of meters across topographic or moisture gradients) and regional scales (hundreds of kilometers across climatic gradients). I have assembled extensive and precise datasets from tree plots at both scales in Panama and Ecuador, and I will develop novel population models that describe key biological processes: dispersal, reproduction, and survival of individual trees across habitats. The simulations offer predictions on spatial patterns of individuals relative to topography and habitat, and these will be compared with observed spatial patterns to determine which population processes best account for the data. Neotropical forests hold a substantial share of the world?s plant diversity, but our knowledge about species? ranges there is crude. Understanding the processes limiting ranges at local and regional scales is necessary to accurately predict future impact of deforestation and climate change.

TypeProducts of NCEAS Research
PublicationComita, Liza S.; Condit, Richard ; Hubbell, Stephen P.2007. Developmental changes in habitat associations of tropical trees. Journal of Ecology. Vol: 95. Pages 482-492. (Online version)
PublicationCondit, Richard ; Ashton, Peter ; Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh ; Dattaraja, H. S.; Davies, Stuart ; Esufali, Shameema ; Ewango, Corneille E.N.; Foster, Robin ; Gunatilleke, I.A.U.N. ; Gunatilleke, C.V.S. ; Hall, Pamela ; Harms, Kyle ; Hart, Terese ; Hernandez, Consuelo ; Hubbell, Stephen P.; Itoh, Akira ; Kiratiprayoon, Somboon ; LaFrankie, James ; Loo de Lao, Suzanne ; Makana, Jean-Remy ; Supardi Noor, Md. Nur ; Kassim, Abdul Rahman; Russo, Sabrina E.; Sukumar, Raman ; Samper, Cristian ; Suresh, Hebbalalu S.; Tan, Sylvester ; Thomas, Sean ; Valencia, Renato ; Vallejo, Martha ; Villa, Gorky ; Zillio, Tommaso 2006. The importance of demographic niches to tree diversity. Science. Vol: 313. Pages 98-101. (Online version)
PublicationEngelbrecht, Bettina M. J.; Comita, Liza S.; Condit, Richard ; Kursar, Thomas A.; Tyree, Melvin T.; Turner, Benjamin L.; Hubbell, Stephen P.2007. Drought sensitivity shapes species distribution patterns in tropical forests. Nature. Vol: 447. Pages 80-83. (Abstract) (Online version)
PublicationKenfack, David ; Thomas, Duncan ; Chuyong, George ; Condit, Richard 2006. Rarity and abundance in a diverse African forest. Biodiversity and Conservation. Vol: 16. Pages 2045-2074. (Online version)
PublicationMetz, Margaret R.; Comita, Liza S.; Chen, Yu-Yun ; Norden, Natalia ; Condit, Richard ; Hubbell, Stephen P.; Sun, I-Fang ; Md. Noor, Nur Supardi ; Wright, Joseph 2008. Temporal and spatial variability in seedling dynamics: a cross-site comparison in four lowland tropical forests. Journal of Tropical Ecology. Vol: 24. Pages 9-18. (Online version)
PublicationZillio, Tommaso ; Condit, Richard 2007. The impact of neutrality, niche differentiation and species input on diversity and abundance distributions . Oikos. Vol: 116. Pages 931-940. (Online version)
Data setCondit, Richard 2008. Condit et al.: Growth and mortality of tropical tree species in La Planada, Colombia. (Online version)
Data setCondit, Richard ; Gunatilleke, C.V.S. ; Gunatilleke, I.A.U.N. 2008. Condit et al.: Growth and Mortality of tropical tree species in Sinharaja, Sri Lanka. (Online version)
Data setCondit, Richard ; Rahman, Kassim A.; Ashton, Peter ; Supardi Noor, Md. Nur 2008. Condit et al.: Growth and Mortality of tropical tree species in Pasoh, Peninsular Malaysia. (Online version)
Data setCondit, Richard ; Sukumar, Raman 2008. Condit et al.: Growth and Mortality of tropical tree species in Mudumalai, India. (Online version)
Data setCondit, Richard ; Valencia, Renato 2008. Condit et al.: Growth and Mortality of tropical tree species in Yasuni, Ecuador. (Online version)
Data setHubbell, Stephen P.; Foster, Robin ; Condit, Richard 2006. Barro Colorado Island 50 ha forest dynamics plot, Panama. (Abstract) (Online version)