Liana diversity, abundance, and mortality in a tropical wet forest in Costa Rica

Lianas can have a large impact on the diversity, structure, and dynamics of tropical forests, yet they remain essentially unknown even in some of the most intensely studied tropical forests, such as La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. We quantified the diversity, abundance, and mortality of lianas in primary and selectively logged forest at La Selva for over 3 years, from January 1999 until July 2002. We measured, identified, permanently marked, and mapped all lianas ≥1.3 m in length and 2 mm in diameter, whether climbing or free-standing, in nine, 24 m×36 m (864 m 2) plots. There were no significant differences in density, diversity, or mortality between primary forest and areas that were selectively logged approximately 50 years prior to our study. We found a mean density of 1493 lianas ha −1 and a mean species richness of 23 species per 864 m 2 plot. Annual mortality was 9.4% over all size-classes, but was the highest for the smallest individuals (