Impact of El Ni o and Logging on Canopy Tree Recruitment in Borneo

The dominant family of canopy tree in Borneo is the Dipterocarpaceae. Members of this family exhibit the unusual reproductive technique of strict interspecific mast fruiting. Findings from monitoring efforts indicated that during the period 1986-99, over 50 dipterocarp species dispersed seed only wi...

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Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 286; no. 5447; p. 2184
Main Authors Curran, L M, Caniago, I, Paoli, G D, Astianti, D, Kusneti, M, Leighton, M, Nirarita, CE
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 10.12.1999
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Summary:The dominant family of canopy tree in Borneo is the Dipterocarpaceae. Members of this family exhibit the unusual reproductive technique of strict interspecific mast fruiting. Findings from monitoring efforts indicated that during the period 1986-99, over 50 dipterocarp species dispersed seed only within a 1-2 month period every 3-4 years during El Ni o-Southern Oscillation events. Synchronous seed production phenomena occured across broad geographical regions. Such synchronous seed production was critical to the satiation of seed predators. The extent and intensity of seed producing episodes were strongly impacted by logging of dipterocarps. Several pressures have acted to reduce viable seed and seedling establishment, including climate changes, logging, and predation.
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ISSN:0036-8075