Tropical Forest Ecology A View from Barro

In Tropical Forest Ecology, Egbert G. Leigh, Jr., one of the world'sforemost tropical ecologists, introduces the reader to the tropical forest, anddescribes the intricate web of interdependence among the great diversity oftropical plants and animals. Focusing on the tropical forest on Barro ColoradoIsland, Panama, Leigh shows us what Barro Colorado can tell us about othertropical forests--and what tropical forests can tell us about Barro Colorado.The book considers three essential questions for understanding the ecologicalorganization of tropical forest: How does tropical forest stay green with itsabundance of herbivores; Why does tropical forest have such a diversity ofplants and animals? And what role does mutualism play in the ecology of tropicalforest. Beautifully written and abundantly illustrated, Tropical Forest Ecology,will appeal to a wide variety of scientists in the fields of evolution, tropicalbiology, botany, zoology, and natural history.

Egbert G. Leigh, Jr., is a biologist at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Introduction	p. xiii
References	p. xvi
Barro Colorado Island: The Background	p. 3
The Study Area	p. 3
The History of Barro Colorado's Biota	p. 3
Concluding Remarks	p. 12
References	p. 12
Dramatis Personae	p. 15
Principal Plants of Barro Colorado	p. 15
Principal Animals of Barro Colorado	p. 27
Concluding Remarks	p. 39
References	p. 39
Tropical Climates	p. 46
Climate and Vegetation Type	p. 46
Rainfall	p. 46
Factors Affecting Evapotranspiration	p. 53
Evapotranspiration in Montane Forests	p. 59
Concluding Remarks	p. 59
Estimating Evapotranspiration	p. 59
References	p. 63
Runoff, Erosion, and Soil Formation	p. 67
Modes of Runoff	p. 67
Runoff and Weathering	p. 70
Soil and Vegetation	p. 75
Concluding Remarks	p. 77
References	p. 77
Telling the Trees from the Forest: Tree Shapes and Leaf Arrangement	p. 79
Different Architectures of Tropical Trees	p. 80
Designing Trees: Goals and Constraints	p. 85
Comparing Leaf Arrangements, Tree Architectures, and Forest Structure	p. 94
Concluding Remarks	p. 112
How Tall Can a Tree Be?	p. 113
Collecting the Data for Tables 5.10-5.12	p. 113
References	p. 116
Biomass and Productivity of Tropical Forest	p. 120
The "Constants of Tropical Forest"	p. 120
Leaf Area Index and Leaf Fall in Different Forest Types	p. 122
The Gross Production (Total Photosynthesis) of Tropical Forest	p. 125
How is a Forest's Energy Allocated?	p. 130
Concluding Remarks	p. 139
Basal Area and Litterfall in Different Forests	p. 139
References	p. 142
The Seasonal Rhythms of Fruiting and Leaf Flush and the Regulation of Animal Populations	p. 149
The Seasonal Rhythm of the Forest's Food Production	p. 149
The Timing of Leaf Flush, Flowering, and Fruiting	p. 152
What the Forest Makes and Who Eats It	p. 156
Regulation of Populations of Vertebrate Folivores and Frugivores	p. 156
Insects of Tree Crowns	p. 163
Concluding Remarks	p. 169
Number of Species of Plants of Different Categories Dropping Fruit Into Traps Each Week on the Central Plateau of Barro Colorado, 1992-1995	p. 170
The Mammals of BCI and Manu	p. 172
References	p. 173
Tropical Diversity	p. 179
Documenting Tree Diversity	p. 179
Necessary Conditions for Tropical Diversity	p. 184
Explaining the Diversity of Tropical Trees	p. 185
Consequences of Tree Diversity	p. 195
Concluding Remarks	p. 197
Diversity in Different Forest Plots	p. 198
The Distribution of Tree Abundances	p. 204
References	p. 205
The Role of Mutualism in Tropical Forest	p. 211
Mutualism in a Competitive World	p. 211
Ecosystems as Commonwealths	p. 219
Concluding Remarks	p. 223
The Varieties of Group Selection	p. 223
References	p. 226
The Rainforest Endangered	p. 232
References	p. 234
Name Index	p. 237
Subject Index	p. 239
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Tropical Forest Ecology A View from Barro Colorado Island

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