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Effects of herbivory and patch size on tree seedling survivorship in a fog-dependent coastal rainforest in semiarid Chile

  • Plant Animal Interactios
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Abstract

The landscape (matrix) surrounding habitat fragments critically affects the biodiversity of those fragments due to biotic interchange and physical effects. However, to date, there have been only a limited number of studies on plant–animal interactions in fragmented landscapes, particularly on how tree seedling herbivory is affected by fragmentation. We have examined this question in a fog-dependent mosaic of rainforest fragments located on coastal mountaintops of semiarid Chile (30°S), where the effects of the surrounding semiarid matrix and forest patch size (0.1–22 ha) on tree seedling survival were simultaneously addressed. The rainforest is strongly dominated by the endemic evergreen tree species Aextoxicon punctatum (Olivillo, approx. 80% of basal area). To assess the magnitudes and causes of Olivillo seedling mortality, we set up a field experiment where 512 tree seedlings of known age were transplanted into four forest fragments of different sizes in four 1.5 × 3-m plots per patch; one-half of each plot was fenced off with chicken wire to exclude small mammals. The plots were monitored for 22 months. Overall, 50% of the plants died during the experiment. The exclusion of small mammals from the plots increased seedling survival by 25%, with the effect being greater in smaller patches where matrix-dwelling herbivores are more abundant. This experiment highlights the important role of the surrounding matrix in affecting the persistence of trees in forest fragments. Because herbivores from the matrix cause greater tree seedling mortality in small patches, their effects must be taken into account in forest conservation–restoration plans.

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Acknowledgements

The Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF, IV Región, Chile) kindly gave permission to work at Fray Jorge National Park. We thank J. Monardes, N. Davies, V. Matus, B. González, A. Gutiérrez and P. Chacón for assistance in the field and F. Matus, J. Larco and C. Tejo for the laboratory work. We especially thank C. Garín and Y. Hussein for small mammal trapping. Pablo Necochea kindly drew the Fray Jorge map. We thank K. Boege, J. Benítez-Malvido and two anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier versions. This work was supported by FONDAP–FONDECYT 1501-0001 (CASEB), Biocores Project funded by EC under INCO IV programme (Contract ICA 4-CT-2001–10095), CMEB (PO2-051-F), ICM (P05-002) and Project P02-051-F ICM (IEB). O. Barbosa thanks the A. Mellon foundation for a doctoral fellowship. Part of this work was conducted while PAM was a Sabbatical Fellow at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a Center funded by NSF (Grant no. DEB-0072909), the University of California and the Santa Barbara campus. The experiments performed for this investigation comply with the current laws of Chile.

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Author notes

  1. Ek del-Val

    Present address: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 27-3 (Xangari), Santa Maria Guido, Morelia, Michoacán, 58089, Mexico

  2. Olga Barbosa

    Present address: BIOME, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (CASEB), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile

    Ek del-Val, Juan J. Armesto, Olga Barbosa & Pablo A. Marquet

  2. Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile

    Juan J. Armesto & Pablo A. Marquet

  3. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA

    Pablo A. Marquet

Authors
  1. Ek del-Val
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  2. Juan J. Armesto
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  3. Olga Barbosa
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  4. Pablo A. Marquet
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Correspondence to Ek del-Val.

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Communicated by Colin Orians.

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del-Val, E., Armesto, J.J., Barbosa, O. et al. Effects of herbivory and patch size on tree seedling survivorship in a fog-dependent coastal rainforest in semiarid Chile. Oecologia 153, 625–632 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-007-0778-z

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