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Conspecific density dependence in seedlings varies with species shade tolerance in a wet tropical forest
Author(s) -
Kobe Richard K.,
Vriesendorp Corine F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01612.x
Subject(s) - abundance (ecology) , biology , ecology , shade tolerance , density dependence , relative species abundance , shading , community , seedling , habitat , botany , demography , canopy , art , population , sociology , visual arts
Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 503–510 Abstract Density‐dependent seedling mortality could increase with a species relative abundance, thereby promoting species coexistence. Differences among species in light‐dependent mortality also could enhance coexistence via resource partitioning. These compatible ideas rarely have been considered simultaneously. We developed models of mortality as functions of irradiance and local conspecific density (LCD) for seedlings of 53 tropical woody species. Species varied in mortality responses to these factors, but mortality consistently increased with shading and LCD. Across species, density‐dependent mortality on a per‐neighbour basis was inversely related to species community abundance, but higher LCD in more common species resulted in a weak relationship between species abundance and density‐dependent mortality scaled to species maximum LCD. Species mortality responses to shading and maximum LCD were strongly and positively correlated. Our results suggest that species differences in density‐dependent mortality are more strongly related to physiologically based life‐history traits than biotic feedbacks related to community abundance.