The Importance of Demographic Niches to Tree Diversity

Authors

• Richard Condit, Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteFollow
• Peter Ashton, Harvard University
• Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin, Thai National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department
• H. S. Dattaraja, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
• Stuart J. Davies, Harvard UniversityFollow
• Shameema Esufali, University of Peradeniya
• Corneille Ewango, University of Missouri - St Louis
• Robin Foster, Field Museum
• I. A.U.N. Gunatilleke, University of Peradeniya
• C. V.S. Gunatilleke, University of Peradeniya
• Pamela Hall, Florida State University
• Kyle E. Harms, Louisiana State University
• Terese Hart, Wildlife Conservation Society, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Consuelo Hernandez, Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Ecuador
• Stephen Hubbell, University of Georgia
• Akira Ito, Osaka City University
• Somboon Kiratiprayoon, Thammasat University
• James LaFrankie, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Suzanne Loo de Lao, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
• Jean-Remy Makana, Wildlife Conservation Society, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Md. Nur Supardi Noor, Forest Research Institute, Malaysia
• Abdul Rahman Kassim, Forest Research Institute, Malaysia
• Sabrina E. Russo, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
• Raman Sukumar, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
• Cristián Samper, Smithsonian Institution
• Hebbalulu S. Suresh, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
• Sylvester Tan, Sarawak Forest Department
• Sean Thomas, University of Toronto
• Renato Valencia, Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Ecuador
• Martha Vallejo, Instituto Alexander von Humboldt
• Gorky Villa, Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Ecuador
• Tommaso Zillio, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

7-7-2006

Citation

Science (July 7, 2006) 313: 98-101.

Comments

Copyright 2006, AAAS. Used by permission. Online supplemental materials may be accessed at: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5783/98/rel-suppl/cec70a7fe7f3f3ab/suppl/DC1

Abstract

Most ecological hypotheses about species coexistence hinge on species differences, but quantifying trait differences across species in diverse communities is often unfeasible. We examined the variation of demographic traits using a global tropical forest data set covering 4,500 species in 10 large-scale tree inventories. With a hierarchical Bayesian approach, we quantified the distribution of mortality and growth rates of all tree species at each site. This allowed us to test the prediction that demographic differences facilitate species richness, as suggested by the theory that a tradeoff between high growth and high survival allows species to coexist. Contrary to the prediction, the most diverse forests had the least demographic variation. Although demographic differences may foster coexistence, they do not explain any of the 16-fold variation in tree species richness observed across the tropics.