Plant Community Structure, Fire Disturbance, and Recovery in ...

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Thomas H. Hollowell, Smithsonian Institution. Plant Community Structure, Fire Disturbance, and Recovery in Mangrove Swamps of the Waini Peninsula, Guyana. Contributions to the Study of Biological Diversity, volume 3: 166 pages.- Soil fires during the 1997 to 1998 El Niño caused high mortality among mangroves of Waini Peninsula, a potential protected area. Impacts and early recovery were investigated, with baseline floristic and ecological analyses. Plant species and communities were surveyed. 118 species were documented. Approximately 64.6 km 2 of swampland were burned, 26.6 km 2 classified as mangrove, the largest reported mangrove fire. Regional, continental, and global floral affinities are explored. Of 240 species in five Waini and two inland communities, 79% occurred in only one; coastal vegetation exhibited high beta diversity. The Waini held many species with Neotropical (33%) and Pantropical (27%) distributions but few Guiana Shield endemics (1.6%). The presence of the Asian mangrove palm, Nypa fruticans, in the study area is examined, including extent, possible sources, potential spread, and reported dispersal to Trinidad. Six 0.1-hectare Avicennia swamp vegetation plots were sampled over four years. Unburned swamp basal area was 21.25 m 2 /ha, increasing 2.5% to 3.5% annually. Burned swamp basal area was at least 20.43 m 2 /ha before fires, with estimated biomass greater than unburned swamp. Sapling, seedling, and herbaceous cover in the unburned swamp was low, and variable in the burned swamp, with probable hydrology links. Spatial patterns of Avicennia trees were generally overdispersed. Waini mangrove basal area and height approached worldwide medians; stem density was much lower. Unburned swamps near Waini Point are apparently younger than to the southeast, with irregular seedling recruitment. In burned swamp regeneration, establishment distances of seedlings from parents had a mean of 24.2 meters for Laguncularia, 4.8 meters for Avicennia, and 8.9 meters for Rhizophora. Mangrove plantings explored restoration potentials. Rhizophora plantings were successful in burned swamp, given sufficient elevation. After 10.5 months, Rhizophora racemosa in unburned swamp was about half the height of those in burned areas (56 cm vs 129 cm); wet condition plantings outsurvived and outgrew drought plantings. No Laguncularia or Avicennia plantings survived, suggesting narrow hydrological requirements. Geomorphology influences mangrove dispersal, establishment, population structure, and disturbance on the Waini Peninsula. Its mangrove swamps are unique in the Neotropics and valuable biologically and culturally. Results here suggesting that the Waini flora is essentially separate from the Guiana Shield flora and bears more affinity to the Caribbean region are not surprising, but lends support to the idea that biodiversity studies and conservation efforts should be pursued with an awareness of that distinction. DATE OF PUBLICATION: February 2009 Cover: Keith David measuring a large Avicennia germinans tree encountered near the Waini River, along transect A. Photo Tom Hollowell, Smithsonian Institution. Contributions from the Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Turkeyen Campus, Georgretown, Guyana, South America. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Editor, Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Turkeyen Campus, Georgretown, Guyana, South America.
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. CHAPTER 1. THE WAINI PENINSULA ENVIRONMENT AND ITS FLORA INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... Study Site .......................................................................................................................... Climate ............................................................................................................................. Geomorphology ................................................................................................................ Soils .................................................................................................................................. The Waini Peninsula Fires of 1997-1998 .......................................................................... MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................. Plant Collection Field Work .............................................................................................. Plant Identification, Classification and Distribution ....................................................... Plant Species List .............................................................................................................. Plant Communities ........................................................................................................... Burned Area Delineation .................................................................................................. RESULTS ................................................................................................................................ Plants of the Waini Peninsula ............................................................................................ Plant Communities on the Waini Peninsula ...................................................................... Beaches ............................................................................................................................. Coastal Mangrove Swamps .............................................................................................. Mixed Freshwater Swamps .............................................................................................. The Riverine Mangrove Swamps ..................................................................................... Burned Areas .................................................................................................................... Plant Collections of Interest .............................................................................................. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................... CHAPTER 2. PLANTS OF THE WAINI PENINSULA IN REGIONAL AND GLOBAL CONTEXT INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... Study Sites and Background ............................................................................................. Quackal and Manicole Plant Communities ...................................................................... The Northwest District ..................................................................................................... Delta Amacuro .................................................................................................................. Regional and Global Affinities of the Waini Peninsula Flora ........................................... METHODS .............................................................................................................................. Comparison of the Waini Flora with Quackal and Manicole Plant Communities ............ Northwest District ............................................................................................................ Delta Amacuro .................................................................................................................. Regional and Global Affinities ......................................................................................... RESULTS ................................................................................................................................ Quackal and Manicole Communities ............................................................................... Northwest District ............................................................................................................ Delta Amacuro .................................................................................................................. Regional and Global Affinities ......................................................................................... DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................... Quackal and Manicole Communities ............................................................................... Northwest District ............................................................................................................ 7 8 9 9 10 11 14 15 16 16 17 17 17 17 20 20 20 22 23 24 26 27 29 31 33 33 34 34 35 36 36 36 37 38 38 39 39 41 43 43 44 44 45
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158 Asplundia glandulosa (Gleason)
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160 Bellucia grossularioides (L.) T
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162 Psychotria wessels-boeri Steyer
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164 Celastraceae Elaeodendron xyloc
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