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Plant species persistence and turnover on small Bahamian islands

  • Population Ecology
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Abstract

I conducted surveys of the plant species occupying 136 small islands in the Exuma Cays and 58 small islands near Andros, Bahamas. Most species occurred on relatively few islands, and most islands contained relatively few species. Identities of the most common species differed between the two archipelagos. Comparisons with earlier surveys revealed species extinctions and immigrations. Turnover was relatively low on both a per island and a per species basis on both archipelagos, although significant spatial variation in turnover rates between archipelagos was found. Most islands experienced no turnover; islands on which turnover did occur were larger and had higher species richness. Likewise, most species did not turnover, although much variation existed in turnover rates among those that did. Experimental introductions of two species to very small islands naturally devoid of vegetation revealed that these islands could support plant life. One species survived on eight of ten islands for >9 years, including the effects of a moderate (class 2) hurricane. This hurricane caused substantial damage and loss of plant biomass, but resulted in no species extinctions on 30 small islands. Data for the small islands in this region, now spanning almost a decade, reveal that most populations are persistent over periods of years to decades, rarely going extinct or immigrating. Even moderate hurricanes seem to have little impact on species compositions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a National Geographic Society grant (6145–98) to the author, and NSF grants to T. W. Schoener and D.A. Spiller. I thank Desire E. Sasko of the Perry Institute for Marine Science Caribbean Marine Research Center for providing rainfall data. T.W. Schoener and G.J. Russell provided helpful comments on a previous version of the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Lloyd W. Morrison

    Present address: Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 14565, Gainesville, FL 32604, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Evolution and Ecology, Division of Biological Sciences and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA

    Lloyd W. Morrison

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  1. Lloyd W. Morrison
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Correspondence to Lloyd W. Morrison.

Appendix

Appendix

Plant species found on small islands in the Exumas and near Androsa. P Proportion of islands on which each species was present in 1998 (Exumas) or 1999 (Andros)b; T relative turnover (% year−1), calculated on a per species basis

Species

Exumas

Andros

P

T

P

T

AIZOACEAE

  Sesuvium portulacastrum L.

53.8

0

28.3

20

AMARANTHACEAE

  Caraxeron vermicularis (L.)

2.2

0

AMARYLLIDACEAE

  Hymenocallis arenicola Northrop

2.2

33.33

ANACARDIACEAE

  Metopium toxiferum (L.) King & Urb.

4.7

0

APOCYNACEAE

  Echites umbellata Jacq.

2.2

0

ASTERACEAE

  Borrichia aborescens (L.) DC.

67.0

0

34.8

0

  Salmea petrobioides Griseb.

0.9

0

4.3

0

AVICENNIACEAE

  Avicennia germinans (L.) L.

10.4

0

73.9

1.45

BATACEAE

  Batis maritima L.

2.2

0

BORAGINACEAE

  Bourreria ovata Miers

0.9

0

  Cordia sebestena L.

6.6

0

  Mallotonia gnaphalodes (L.) Britt.

7.5

5.88

CACTACEAE

  Cephalocereus millspaughii Britt.

0

100.00

  Opuntia stricta Haw.

0

100.00

CAPPARACEAE

  Capparis flexuosa (L.) L.

4.7

0

CASUARINACEAE

  Casuarina equisetifolia L.

1.9

0

8.7

0

CELASTRACEAE

  Cassine xylocarpa Vent.

0

100.00

  Crossopetalum rhacoma Crantz

0.9

0

CHENOPODIACEAE

  Salicornia virginica L.

0.9

0

2.2

33.33

COMBRETACEAE

  Conocarpus erectus L.

67.0

0

45.6

0

  Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. f.

3.8

0

69.9

0

CONVOLVULACEAE

  Ipomoea violacea L.

3.8

0

  Jaquemontia havanensis (Jacq.) Urb.

1.9

50

CYPERACEAE

  Cyperus sp.

0.9

0

  Cyperus planifolius Rich.

8.5

0

  Fimbristylis spadicea (L.) Vahl

0.9

0

EUPHORBIACEAE

  Ateramnus lucidus (Sw.) Rothm.

1.9

20.00

0

100.00

  Drypetes diversifolia Krug & Urb.

2.8

0

  Euphorbia boddgettii Englem. ex. Hitchc.

0.9

0

  Euphorbia mesembrianthemifolia Jacq.

1.9

0

GOODENIACEAE

  Scaevola plumieri (L.) Vahl

10.4

0

GRAMINEAE

  Eustachys petraea (Sw.) Desv.

0.9

0

  Paspalum blodgettii Chapm.

0.9

0

  Paspalum distichum L.

2.8

0

28.3

3.70

  Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl.

10.4

0

28.3

0

  Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth

8.5

0

  Uniola paniculata L.

1.9

0

LEGUMINOSAE

  Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC.

0.9

0

  Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth.

0.9

0

  Pithecellobium keyense Britt. ex Britt. & Rose

15.1

0

17.4

0

  Sophora tomentosa L.

10.4

0

13.0

14.29

MALVACEAE

  Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland. ex Correa

2.2

0

NYCTAGINACEAE

  Guapira discolor (Spreng.) Little

8.5

5.88

4.3

0

OLEACEAE

  Forestiera segregata (Jacq.) Krug & Urb.

10.9

0

PALMAE

  Coccothrinax argentata (Jacq.) L. H. Bailey

7.5

0

  Cocos nucifera L.

2.2

100.00

POLYGONACEAE

  Coccoloba diversifolia Jacq.

9.4

5.26

2.2

0

  Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L

9.4

5.26

20.0

5.27

RHAMNACEAE

  Reynosia septentrionalis Urb.

15.1

0

13.0

0

RHIZOPHORACEAE

  Rhizophora mangle L.

10.4

23.81

80.4

8.57

RUBIACEAE

  Antirhea myrtifolia (Griseb.) Urb.

0.9

0

  Casasia clusiifolia (Jacq.) Urb.

23.6

0

8.7

14.29

  Erithalis fruticosa L.

15.1

6.66

8.7

0

  Ernodea littoralis Sw.

1.9

0

  Neolaugeria densiflora (Griseb.) Nicholson

6.5

20

  Rhachicallis americana (Jacq.) O. Ktze.

91.5

0

30.4

0

  Strumpfia maritima Jacq.

14.2

0

4.3

0

SAPOTACEAE

  Bumelia americana (Mill.) Stearn

8.5

5.88

10.9

0

  Manilkara bahamensis (Baker) Lam. & Meeuse

17.0

0

15.2

0

SMILACACEAE

  Smilax auriculata Walt.

5.7

9.09

  Smilax havanensis Jacq.

2.8

0

2.2

0

SOLANACEAE

  Solanum bahamense L.

0.9

0

SURIANACEAE

  Suriana maritima L.

42.5

2.27

21.7

0

THEOPHRASTACEAE

  Jacquinia keyensis Mez

8.5

11.11

2.2

0

  1. aExcludes three unidentified species in the Exumas and four unidentified species at Andros. All occurred on only one island during one survey and thus had absolute turnover of 100%. Six of the seven species were present during the most recent surveys, but were too immature to be identified. One species (at Andros) was present in the 1990 survey but was too immature to be identified.
  2. b 0 indicates that species was present at an earlier date. Exumas, 106 total islands were surveyed in 1998 that had been surveyed previously in 1993 or 1994; Andros, 46 total islands were surveyed in 1999 that had been surveyed previously in 1990

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Morrison, L.W. Plant species persistence and turnover on small Bahamian islands. Oecologia 136, 51–62 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1252-1

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