Thursday, August 6, 2009: 1:30 PM-5:00 PM
San Miguel, Albuquerque Convention Center
OOS 40 - Ecological Insights from Long-Term Research Plots in Tropical and Temperate Forests
Investigations of tropical and temperate forest ecology typically have had different objectives due to extreme differences in tree diversity. Tropical studies have emphasized diversity and rarity, whereas temperate work often has focused on growth, succession, and prescribed management. In order to unify forest ecology from disparate forest types, we have created a network of large-scale intensive monitoring plots across both tropical and temperate regions, allowing us to answer similar questions with strictly comparable data. Beginning with groundbreaking studies of a 50 ha forest dynamics plot at Barro Colorado Island in Panama, ecologists across the tropics have established a network of large, intensive plots for studying forest demography and ecological processes. More recently, a complementary network of forest dynamics plots has been developed in temperate regions, providing unprecedented opportunities for comparisons between tropical and temperate forest systems. For example, core data from these plots enables direct comparisons of relative species abundances, forest size structure, spatial patterns of juveniles, microhabitat specificity of common vs. rare species, and other fundamental attributes of forest communities. These results provide a framework for more detailed investigations of plant-pathogen interactions, effects of herbivory, patterns of seed dispersal, tree recruitment strategies, causes of rarity, and many other important issues in forest ecology. This symposium will present new findings from the global network of forest dynamics plots, with some of the first comparisons between the tropical and temperate study areas. An underlying objective of these papers will be to illustrate how an understanding of forest dynamics can contribute to long-term strategies of sustainable forest management in a changing global environment. Invited presenters will describe findings from forest research sites in Central America, Brazil, Africa, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, China, Europe, and North America.
Organizer:	Amy T. Wolf, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Co-organizers:	Richard Condit, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Stuart J. Davies, Center for Tropical Forest Science
Moderator:	Amy T. Wolf, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
1:30 PM	OOS 40-1		The Global Forest Observatory Network: Broad patterns and future directions Stuart J. Davies, Arnold Arboretum Harvard University/Smithsonian Institution
1:50 PM	OOS 40-2		Tropical forest dynamics and the causes of tree species commonness and rarity in tropical forests Stephen P. Hubbell, University of California, Los Angeles
2:10 PM	OOS 40-3		A critical window on reality: Long-term forest plots Jerry F. Franklin, University of Washington, James A. Lutz, University of Washington, Andrew J. Larson, University of Washington, James A. Freund, University of Washington, Mark E. Harmon, Oregon State University, Robert Van Pelt, University of Washington, Kenneth Bible, University of Washington, Mark Swanson, Washington State University, Keala Hagmann, University of Washington
2:30 PM	OOS 40-4		Spatial structure and dynamics of a temperate deciduous forest in northern Wisconsin, USA Robert W. Howe, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Amy T. Wolf, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Richard Condit, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
2:50 PM	OOS 40-5		Latitudinal gradients in forest structure and diversity in China Keping Ma, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiangcheng Mi, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Haibao Ren, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiangshan Lai, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiaojun Du, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Minli Chun, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhanqing Hao, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, CAS, Xugao Wang, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, CAS, Jian Zhang, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, CAS, Ji Ye, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, CAS, Wanhui Ye, South China Botanical Garden, CAS, Honglin Cao, South China Botanical Garden, CAS, Zhongliang Huang, South China Botanical Garden, CAS, Min Cao, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS, Hua Zhu, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS, Yong Tang, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS, Mingjian Yu, Zhejiang University, Jianhua Chen, Zhejiang Normal University
3:10 PM			Break
3:20 PM	OOS 40-6		Mites, tree senescence, disturbance dynamics, and the scientific rationale for temperate forest mega-plots Sean C. Thomas, University of Toronto, Michael Drescher, University of Toronto, Rajit Patankar, University of Toronto
3:40 PM	OOS 40-7		Large forest plots, climate change, and the global carbon cycle:  Linking forest carbon dynamics to their drivers via forest structure and composition Helene C. Muller-Landau, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Markku Larjavaara, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Renato Valencia R., Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Muhammad Firdaus, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Somboon Kiratiprayoon, Thammasat University, Nur Supardi M. N., Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, Sarayudh Bunyavejchewin, Royal Forest Department, Sylvester Tan, Sarawak Forestry Corporation
4:00 PM	OOS 40-8		New theories of diversity variation in tropical to temperate forests Richard Condit, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
4:20 PM	OOS 40-9		CANCELLED - Diversity-invasibility relationship: Temporal variability in the relationship between exotic plant invasion and species richness over 35 years in mountain beech forest, New Zealand Laura A. Spence, University of Cambridge, David A. Coomes, University of Cambridge, Susan K. Wiser, Landcare Research, Robert B. Allen, Landcare Research
4:40 PM	OOS 40-10		Dynamism and stability in a tropical dry forest: Results from a 20-year study of a 50-ha forest dynamics plot at mudumalai, southern India R. Sukumar, Indian Institute of Science, H. S. Suresh, Indian Institute of Science, H. S. Dattaraja, Indian Institute of Science

See more of Organized Oral Session

See more of The 94th ESA Annual Meeting (August 2 -- 7, 2009)