Stratification of a Tropical Forest as Seen in Dispersal Types

ISBN-13: 9789401086394 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 324 str.

Ingrid Roth

Opis

Our knowledge of the structure and dispersal of "Plants, seeds and currents" in the Westindies tropical fruits and seeds is very limited up to the and Azores. Van der Pijl with his extensive know- present day, though richness of species and variety ledge of tropical plants offers a great selection of of forms is overwhelming in the tropical forests. detailed information on the subject" Principles of Morphology of tropical fruits and seeds has always dispersal in higher plants" (1972, and earlier pa- of botanists from many pers). The author who has earned most merits in attracted the curiosity countries and information may be obtained from the field of seed and fruit predation, chemical defenses of plants, and animal-plant interactions is books and publications concerned with taxonomy. Ulbrich's "Biologie der Friichte und Samen" Janzen. He and his collaborators have thrown new of tropical fruits and seeds (1928) gives examples light on this subject. Nonetheless, a large unknown and their dispersal methods. The two volumes by field still remains ahead of us, especially regarding Van der Roosmalen (1977) dealing with the de- a detailed knowledge of fruit and seed dispersal of scription of tropical plants were of utmost value to tropical plant species. me, as the area considered, Surinam, is close to The great opportunity for my own studies was Venezuelan Guiana and because both regions have the fruit and seed collection of Dr.

Spis treści

1. Source of the Matertal and Sample Collection.- 2. Introduction.- 3. General Part.- Fruit and seed types.- Factors influencing the presence of plants.- Seasonality of flowering and fruiting.- Dispersal methods.- Hydrochory (rain wash, floating fruits and seeds, submerged transport of diaspores in the water, dispersal by the sea).- Anemochory.- Autochory and explosively dispersed seeds.- Dispersal by fish (ichthyochory).- Dispersal by reptiles (saurochory).- Dispersal by birds (ornithochory).- Dispersal by mammals (mammaliochory except chiropterochory).- Dispersal by bats (chiropterochory).- Dispersal by ants (myrmecochory).- Protection against predation.- Mechanical protection.- Chemical protection.- Nutritional aspects.- Escape in space and time.- Coevolution of plants and animals.- Germination and establishment.- Seed size.- Latency and viability.- Germination.- Vivipary.- 4. Results.- Description of the families studied concerning fruit and seed outer and inner structure, dispersal methods, fruiting time, height of the tree, number of individuals, and special habitat.- Acanthaceae.- Anacardiaceae.- Annonaceae.- Apocynaceae.- Araliaceae.- Bignoniaceae.- Bixaceae.- Bombacaceae.- Boraginaceae.- Burseraceae.- Capparidaceae.- Caryocaraceae.- Celastraceae.- Cochlospermaceae.- Combretaceae.- Dichapetalaceae.- Ebenaceae.- Elaeocarpaceae.- Euphorbiaceae.- Flacourtiaceae.- Guttiferae.- Hernandiaceae.- Hippocrateaceae.- Humiriaceae.- Lacistemaceae.- Lauraceae.- Lecythidaceae.- Leguminosae (Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Papilionaceae).- Linaceae.- Malpighiaceae.- Melastomaceae.- Meliaceae.- Moraceae.- Myristicaceae.- Myrtaceae.- Nyctaginaceae.- Ochnaceae.- Olacaceae.- Opiliaceae.- Palmae.- Polygonaceae.- Quiinaceae.- Rhamnaceae.- Rhizophoraceae.- Rosaceae.- Rubiaceae.- Rutaceae.- Sabiaceae.- Sapindaceae.- Sapotaceae.- Simaroubaceae.- Sterculiaceae.- Tiliaceae.- Verbenaceae.- Violaceae.- Vochysiaceae.- Unidentified species without family.- Number of species and individuals studied and their height categories.- Number of species and individuals studied and their dispersal methods.- Plant families and their dispersal methods related to the height categories.- Important characteristics of certain families, genera or species and their number of individuals.- Fruiting times and dispersal mechanisms.- Anemochory.- Autochory.- Auto-zoochory.- Zoochory.- Fruiting times at different heights (A-a-aa) of the forest.- Families, dispersal types and fruiting times.- Geographical distribution, habitats and fruiting times.- Animal life and forest layering (Ground animals, tree animals, aquatic animals).- Seasonality of animal life in the forest.- Dispersal methods in dry and humid regions.- Forest layering and dispersal strategies.- Proportion of fleshy to dry fruits in the different strata.- Monochory and polychory.- Species diversity and series of species.- Refuge theory.- Number of individuals and height categories in homogeneous groups.- Evolutionary considerations.- Forest stratification and the evolution of the heightening forest.- Comparison of bark, leaf and fruit structure in the families studied.- Usefulness of tropical fruits and seeds.- Final Conclusions.- Index of Vernacular Plant and Animal Names.- Index of Scientific Plant and Animal Names.- General Index.

O autorze

Ingrid Roth, geb. 1920, Tochter von Hans Roth. Studium der Biologie, Promotion 1945. Lebte und lehrte als Professorin u. a. am Botanischen Institut der Universität München, in Montreal und an der Universität in Caracas (Venezuela). Zahlreiche Veröffentlichungen u. a. über Morphologie der Pflanzen.