¿ Shade tolerance is the central paradigm for understanding forest succession and dynamics, but there is considerable debate as to what the salient features of shade tolerance are, whether adult...
Water availability is the main determinant of species' distribution in lowland tropical forests. Species' occurrence along water availability gradients depends on their ability to tolerate drought....
Causes and consequences of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA): a meta-analysis (2009)
Poorter, H., Niinemets, Ü, Poorter, L., Wright, I.J., Villar, H.
Here, we analysed a wide range of literature data on the leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA). In nature, LMA varies more than 100-fold among species. Part of this variation (c. 35%) can be ascribed to...
Water availability is the main determinant of species' distribution in lowland tropical forests. Species' occurrence along water availability gradients depends on their ability to tolerate drought....
Powers, J.S., Montgomery, R.A., Adair, C., Brearley, F.Q., DeWalt, S.J., Poorter, L.
1. Litter decomposition recycles nutrients and causes large fluxes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is typically assumed that climate, litter quality and decomposer communities determine...
Bongers, F., Poorter, L., Hawthorne, W.D., Sheil, D.
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) predicts local species diversity to be maximal at an intermediate level of disturbance. Developed to explain species maintenance and diversity patterns...
Effects of exotic invasive trees on nitrogen cycling: a case study in Central Spain (2009)
Castro-Diez, P., González-Muñoz, N., Alonso, A., Gallardo, A., Poorter, L.
We assess the hypothesis that rates of nitrogen transformations in the soil are altered upon replacement of native by exotic trees, differing in litter properties. Ailanthus altissima and Robinia...
Poorter, L., Hawthorne, W.D., Sheil, D.
The diversity and structure of communities are partly determined by how species partition resource gradients. Plant size is an important indicator of species position along the vertical light...
Effects of light and nutrients on seedlings of tropical Bauhinia lianas and trees (2008)
Cai, Z.Q., Poorter, L., Han, Q.
Lianas differ from trees in many life history characteristics, and we predicted that they are phenotypically more responsive to environmental variation than trees. We analyzed responsiveness to light...
Seedling traits determine drought tolerance of tropical tree species (2008)
Water availability is the most important factor determining tree species distribution in the tropics, but the underlying mechanisms are still not clear. In this study, we compared functional traits...
Poorter, L., Paz, H., Wright, S.J., Ackerly, D.D., Condit, R., Ibarra-Manríquez, G., ...
A central goal of comparative plant ecology is to understand how functional traits vary among species and to what extent this variation has adaptive value. Here we evaluate relationships between four...
Background and Aims: The volume of tree stems is made up of three components: solid wood, gas and water. These components have important consequences for the construction costs, strength and...
Leaf size and leaf display of thirty-eight tropical tree species (2008)
Poorter, L., Rozendaal, D.M.A.
Trees forage for light through optimal leaf display. Effective leaf display is determined by metamer traits (i.e., the internode, petiole, and corresponding leaf), and thus these traits strongly...
Rainfall as a driving factor for species distribution and richness in West African forests (2008)
Poorter, L., Holmgren, M., Bongers, F., Wieringa, J.J., Siepel, A.
Are Species Adapted to Their Regeneration Niche, Adult Niche, or Both? (2007)
Functional traits are important drivers of successional processes and the assembly of plant communities. It is generally assumed that functional traits are closely linked to the regeneration niche...
Light-dependent leaf trait variation in 43 tropical dry forest tree species (2007)
Our understanding of leaf acclimation in relation to irradiance of fully grown or juvenile trees is mainly based on research involving tropical wet forest species. We studied sun¿shade plasticity of...
Carbohydrate storage and light requirements of tropical moist and dry forest tree species (2007)
In many plant communities, there is a negative interspecific correlation between relative growth rates and survival of juveniles. This negative correlation is most likely caused by a trade-off...
Light dependent leaf trait variation in 43 ropical dry forest tree species (2007)
Our understanding of leaf acclimation in relation to irradiance of fully grown or juvenile trees is mainly based on research involving tropical wet forest species. We studied sun¿shade plasticity of...
Does a ruderal strategy dominate the endemic flora of the West African forests? (2007)
Aim To understand the distribution pattern of endemic plant species in West African rain forests, one of the global priority areas for biodiversity conservation. Location Upper Guinean forests, West...
Seedling growth strategies in Bauhinia species: comparing lianas and trees (2007)
Cai, Z.Q., Poorter, L., Cao, K.F.
Background and Aims: Lianas are expected to differ from trees in their growth strategies. As a result these two groups of woody species will have different spatial distributions: lianas are more...
Diversity of seedling responses to drought (2007)
Drought is an important seedling mortality agent in dry and moist tropical forests, and more severe and frequent droughts are predicted in the future. The effect of drought on leaf gas exchange and...
Quero, J.L., Villar, R., Marañon, T., Zamora, R., Poorter, L.
Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the functional relationship between seed mass and seedling performance: the reserve effect (larger seeds retain a larger proportion of reserves after...
Leaf traits determine the growth-survival trade-off across rain forest tree species (2006)
Sterck, F.J., Poorter, L., Schieving, F.
A dominant hypothesis explaining tree species coexistence in tropical forest is that trade-offs in characters allow species to adapt to different light environments, but tests for this hypothesis are...
Architecture of 54 moist forest species: traits, trade-offs, and functional groups (2006)
Tree architecture is an important determinant of the height extension, light capture, and mechanical stability of trees, and it allows species to exploit the vertical height gradient in the forest...
Architecture of 54 moist-forest species: traits, trade-offs, and functional groups (2006)
Tree architecture is an important determinant of the height extension, light capture, and mechanical stability of trees, and it allows species to exploit the vertical height gradient in the forest...
Rozendaal, D.M.A., Hurtado, V.H., Poorter, L.
1. The sun¿shade acclimation and plasticity of 16 functional leaf traits of 38 tropical tree species were studied in relation to their light demand, maximum adult stature and ontogenetic changes in...
¿ Wood density plays a central role in the life-history variation of trees, and has important consequences for mechanical properties of wood, stem and branches, and tree architecture. ¿ Wood...
Rozendaal, D.M.A., Hurtado, V.H., Poorter, L.
1. The sun¿shade acclimation and plasticity of 16 functional leaf traits of 38 tropical tree species were studied in relation to their light demand, maximum adult stature and ontogenetic changes in...
Leaf traits are good predictors of plant performance across 53 rain forest species (2006)
We compared the leaf traits and plant performance of 53 co-occurring tree species in a semi-evergreen tropical moist forest community. The species differed in all leaf traits analyzed: leaf life span...
1 Trade-offs among plant traits may contribute to specialization for different environments and coexistence of plant species. This may be the first study that shows how trade-offs among branch traits...
Poorter, L., Zuidema, P., Peña-Claros, M., Boot, R.
1. Although monocarpy is rare among long-lived plant species that grow in stable habitats, one monocarpic species, Tachigali vasquezii, is extremely abundant in the rain forests of the Bolivian...
Poorter, L., Sterck, F.J., Wöll, H-J.
1 A heightlight trajectory (HLT, a fitted curve relating canopy exposure to tree height) was determined for populations of individuals of each of 47 tree species in a Liberian lowland rainforest. The...
Seed mass is considered to be an important attribute for the establishment success of plant species being linked with their seed production, establishment, and survival. This meta-analysis shows that...
Poorter, L., Sterck, F.J., Wöll, H-J.
1 A heightlight trajectory (HLT, a fitted curve relating canopy exposure to tree height) was determined for populations of individuals of each of 47 tree species in a Liberian lowland rainforest. The...
Implications for conservation and management (2004)
Poorter, L., Beligne, V., Hawthorne, W.D., Kouame, F.N., Parren, M.P.E., ...
Ecological profiles of rare and endemic species (2004)
Holmgren, M., Poorter, L., Siepel, A., Buitelaar, M., Chatelain, C., ...
Leaf traits and herbivory rates of tropical tree species differing in successional status. (2004)
Poorter, L., Willems, S., Boot, R.G.A.
We evaluated leaf characteristics and herbivory intensities for saplings of fifteen tropical tree species differing in their successional position. Eight leaf traits were selected, related to the...
Climbers and logging in the Forêt Classée du Haut Sassandra, Côte d'Ivoire. (2004)
Kouamé, F.N., Poorter, L., Traoré, D.
In this study we compare climber abundance and size in centres of post-logging skid tracks and log loading areas to their adjacent relatively undisturbed border zones, in a selectively logged forest...
Architecture of 53 rain forest tree species differing in adult stature and shade tolerance (2003)
Poorter, L., Sterck, F.J., Wöll, H.
Tree architecture determines a tree's light capture, stability, and efficiency of crown growth. The hypothesis that light demand and adult stature of tree species within a community, independently of...
Light partitioning is thought to contribute to the coexistence of rain forest tree species. This study evaluates the three premises underlying the light partitioning hypothesis; 1) there is a...
Sterck, F.J., Martinez-Ramos, M., Dryer-Leal, G., Rodriguez-Velazquez, J., Poorter, L.
1. Many studies discuss the adaptive value of plant architecture, but few have actually measured architectural effects on plant growth and survival. In this study, sapling growth and survival are...
1. Sapling growth of six rain forest tree species was compared to evaluate whether species respond in a similar way to a natural light gradient. Saplings were measured non-destructively; production...
Estructura y dinámica de un bosque húmedo tropical en el norte de la Amazonía boliviana (2001)
Poorter, L., Boot, R.G.A., Hayashida, Y., Leigue, J., Peña-Claros, M., Zuidema, P.
Leaf optical properties in Venezuelan cloud forest trees (2000)
Poorter, L., Kwant, R., Hernandez, S., Medina, E., Werger, M.J.A.
1. Growth of seedlings of 15 rain-forest tree species was compared under controlled conditions, at six different light levels (3, 6, 12, 25, 50 and 100aylight). 2. Most plant variables showed strong...
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Universiteit Utrecht, 1998.
Photosynthetic induction of in situ saplings of two Costa Rican rainforest tree species wre compared in relation to their light environment, using infrared gas analysis and hemispherical photography....