(52) Preferential Use of a Spiny-Stemmed Palm Species by Epiphytic Vines in a Belizean Rainforest

     In a tropical rainforest community, epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) obtain a position in the canopy either by arriving there by seed dispersal or by growing up from the forest floor by using trees as... [ view full abstract ]

     In a tropical rainforest community, epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants) obtain a position in the canopy either by arriving there by seed dispersal or by growing up from the forest floor by using trees as climbing support. Members of the aroid family (Araceae) in particular utilize the later strategy. Our observations in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve in Belize suggest that the give-and-take palm (Cryosophila stauracantha) with its characteristic spine-covered stem may be a prefered support tree to aroids and other climbing vines. Using twenty, 100m² rainforest plots, we tested whether aroids and climbing vines were more likely to occupy give-and-take palms compared to other trees species of equivalent size that did not have spines. We found that give-and-take palms represented 42% of total number of trees observed in all plots but represented more than 50% of all trees with epiphytic vines growing up them. Not only did the give-and-take palms have a higher likelihood of a vine association as compared to all other trees, but they were also more likely than not to have climbers present within their own population. Recent studies show that epiphytic vine abundance in rainforest communities has increased in recent decades. Understanding the establishment behavior and support preferences of epiphytic vines can help predict the future distribution and abundance of vines in tropical rainforest communities.