The vertical stratification of bat communities in primary forests of the Central Amazon (80 km north of Manaus, Brazil) was investigated using capture nets in the canopy (17 to 30 m high) and in the understorey (from 0-2.5 m). Seventeen sites were sampled during one year (3398.5 mistnet-hours) and 936 individuals captured, belonging to 6 families, 29 genera and 51 species. Utilizing Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMMDS), a well-marked vertical stratification between the communities was verified, the canopy being the more utilized region. Fifteen species were exclusively captured in the canopy, 10 were predominantly captured in the canopy, and 12 species were exclus ively captured in ground nets. Species recorded and the communities they form were analysed using a matrix of guilds. The matrix obtained had 24 cells. A guild composed by background cluttered/gleaning frugivores was the richest in species (19), followed by background cluttered/gleaning insectivores (12 species). The results illustrate that when studying tropical forests it is highly desirable to involve both the lower and the upper part of the forests; otherwise the fauna would be merely subsampled, thus under-estimating the status and abundance of some species.

Woodpeckers (Picidae) are a group of birds particularly sensitive to logging and deforestation because they nest in cavities located in large trees and often forage on large trunks or standing dead trees. The diverse woodpecker community of lowland dipterocarp forests in Peninsular Malaysia was investigated in a forest selectively logged 40 y ago and in adjacent primary forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve (PFR). Line transects were conducted at dawn and dusk in each forest type to document potential differences in the woodpecker communities in logged vs. unlogged forest. A total of 121 woodpeckers were recorded along transects, including 14 of the 15 species known to occur at PFR. Eleven species were encountered in logged forest, 12 species were encountered in primary forest, and nine species were found at both sites. A significant difference in the overall woodpecker community between the two forest types was found. Of the most common species, Meiglyptes tristis, Reinwardtipicus validus and Dryocopus javensis were significantly more common in primary forest. Only one species, Picus mentalis, was significantly more abundant in logged forest. Possible causes for the differences observed are discussed.

The influence of gamma- (γ) and beta- (β) diversity on modern pollen rain is assessed using data from three Amazonian forests. Pollen rain of 79 forest locations was collected in modified Oldfield pollen traps between 1991 and 1993. Pollen diversity in the traps was high with > 280 palynomorph types recognized. Gamma diversity was assessed by comparing lowland terra firme forests in Cuyabeno, Ecuador, with two terra firme forests near Manaus, Brazil. The influence of β-diversity on local pollen rain was investigated using samples collected from neighbouring terra firme forests, seasonally flooded forests, and Mauritia-rich forests at Cuyabeno, Ecuador. Multivariate analyses revealed that γ-diversity produces a stronger signal in the pollen rain than β-diversity. However, β-diversity is accurately reflected in the pollen rain when the diversity is an expression of strong environmental gradients.

Patterns of insect herbivore and leaf pathogen attack are described for 25 plant species (10 trees, 10 shrubs and five herbs) at a Brazilian savanna (cerrado) site. Plant and leaf traits were correlated with interspecific variation in attack by herbivores and pathogens in order to account for differences among plant species. Across all species, pathogen damage was 1.5 times higher than insect damage (17.3% vs. 6.8%, respectively). Most insect damage occurred to young leaves while they were expanding (end of the dry season). In contrast, pathogen attack was low on young expanding leaves at the end of the dry season, increased as those leaves matured in the wet season, but continued to increase through the next dry season. Protein-binding capacity was negatively associated with interspecific differences in insect damage to mature leaves. Protein availability and plant height were positive predictors of pathogen attack among plant species, while leaf expansion rate was a significant negative predictor. Interspecific differences in leaf phenology had little effect on the amount of damage caused by either insects or pathogens. However, new leaves produced during the wet season suffered less insect damage than leaves produced during the dry season, the time of greatest leaf production. Timing of young leaf production affected pathogen attack but the season of escape depended on plant species. In contrast, there was no evidence for escape in space as common species were less likely to suffer high pathogen attack than rare species. New and mature leaf toughness, and time for a leaf to reach full expansion all increased from herbs to shrub to trees, while mature leaf nitrogen decreased in that order.

Growth, photosynthesis and carbon allocation pattern were studied in four dry afromontane forest tree species (Olea europea subspecies cuspidata, Podocarpus falcatus, Hagenia abyssinica and Juniperus procera) under varied light regimes in a greenhouse. The objective of the study was to assess the potential of the species for growth under forest canopies and to identify their habitat preferences. The light regimes were created using shade cloth and they corresponded with deep forest understoreys (2% of the light in the open gap); moderate shade (10%), slight shade as is found in edges of forest gaps (20%) and 100% representing open gaps.

Seedling biomass was significantly influenced by light regimes for all species as were total leaf area and relative growth rate. H. abyssinica had the highest growth rate but the lowest survival rate in shade. There was a consistent trend for higher specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf area ratio (LAR) at lower growth light regimes in O. europea and P. falcatus. O. europea and P. falcatus had similar allocation patterns whereby between 20-40% of the total biomass was allocated to stem, 20-30% to roots and 50-60% to leaves. In H. abyssinica up to 80% was allocated to leaves and only a small percentage to stem and to roots.

Within species there were significant differences in the light saturated rate of photosynthesis (Amax) per unit area among the plants grown at the lowest light level and in the open. For plants grown in the open there were very little among species differences in Amax per unit area. However, there were significant differences in the Amax of the different species grown at the lowest light level. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that open-grown P. falcatus and O. europea experienced moderate photoinhibition. From the growth and photosynthesis results P. falcatus and O. europea appeared to be non-pioneer, shade-tolerant species, while J. procera and to a larger extent H. abyssinica showed pioneer, light-demanding characteristics. The results are discussed in terms of the occurrence of the species in the mosaic climaxes of afromontane forests.

A pollination and breeding system study was conducted on a neotropical palm, Astrocaryum vulgare, in Guyana, South America, to better understand its reproductive character evolution, and test the predictability of pollination syndromes. The pollination syndrome approach was used because it integrates characteristics of flowers and their pollinators into an evolutionary framework that allowed experimental testing of predictions. The flowers of A. vulgare displayed traits that were typical of both beetle and wind pollination syndromes. The protogynous inflorescences produced heat and odour during nocturnal anthesis, had numerous stamens with copious, light pollen, and were visited by hordes of beetles that used the inflorescences as feeding, mating and oviposition sites. In contrast, some of these features, such as numerous stamens with copious, light pollen, a high pollen to ovule ratio, and no obvious production of visitor rewards, were also typical of the wind pollination syndrome. However, floral rewards appeared to be tissues of the fleshy staminate petals and pollen that were readily devoured by the beetles. In addition to the Coleoptera, insect visitors to A. vulgare inflorescences included several species of Hymenoptera, Diptera and Orthoptera. However, only Nitidulidae and Curculionidae beetles were effective insect pollinators. Pollination treatments showed that wind pollination was possible, but fruit set was significantly higher for female flowers visited by beetles. Although a pollen/ovule ratio of 50 000:1 and outcrossing index confirmed an outcrossing breeding system, pollination experiments suggested that A. vulgare had the potential for self pollination. Therefore, the breeding system might be best classified as facultatively xenogamous (cross fertilizing). The predictive value of potential pollinator agents for A. vulgare was inadequate because its floral traits were indicative of both cantharophilous and anemophilous pollination syndromes.

The dispersal system of Palicourea rigida (Rubiaceae), a common woody species of neotropical savannas, was studied in a seasonal Venezuelan savanna. Production and consumption of fruits, dispersal agents, feeding behaviour, transport and effects on seed viability, were investigated by field observations, cage experiments and viability tests. To compare different dispersers, quantitative and qualitative dispersal parameters were calculated. About 59% of the fruit crop was dispersed successfully by birds. Although 10 different bird species consumed the fruits of Palicourea rigida, three bird species dispersed 79% of the fruits (Tyrannus melancholicus, Molothrus bonariensis and Elaenia chiriquensis). T. melancholicus (Tyrannidae) was the most important dispersal agent, with more than 39% of dispersed seeds. In contrast to the predictions of the specialization vs. generalization paradigm, this system achieves high effectiveness by means of predominantly unspecialized traits in both the plant and the dispersers.

Se estudió el sistema de dispersión de Palicourea rigida (Rubiaceae), una leñosa común de las sabanas neotropicales, en una sabana estacional de Venezuela. Mediante observaciones de campo y experimentos en jaulas y en el laboratorio, se estudiaron paramétros tales como producción, transporte y consumo de frutos, los agentes dispersores y su comportamiento y los efectos sobre la viabilidad de las semillas. Para comparar los agentes de dispersión se estimaron paramétros cualitativos y cuantitativos. Cerca del 59% de la cosecha total de frutos fue dispersada existosamente por pájaros. Aunque los frutos fueron consumidos por diez especies de aves, el 79% de los frutos fueron dispersados por solamente tres especies (Tyrannus melancholicus, Molothrus bonariensis y Elaenia chiriquensis). T. melancholicus (Tyrannidae) fue el más importante agente dispersor con más del 39% del total de semillas dispersadas. En contraste con el paradigma de especialización vs. generalización, este sistema alcanza alta efectividad pero se caracteriza por rasgos poco especializados, tanto en la planta como en los dispersores.

Isolated canopy gaps involving one to several trees occur continuously and frequently in many moist and wet neotropical forests (sensu Holdridge et al.1971), shaping tree community structure through a shifting mosaic of patches of high resource availability for small and young trees (Denslow 1980). Though there are few relevant data (Jans et al. 1993), forests with significant seasonal drought are expected to have lower rates of canopy-gap formation (gaps ha-1 γ-1), smaller gap sizes, and, thus, lower rates of canopy disturbance (%γ-1, see review in Whigham et al. 1999). At the extreme, very dry tropical forests do not appear to fit the gap-phase dynamics concept (Swaine et al. 1990).

Leaf defences, leaf nutritional quality and leaf expansion rates may vary with resource availabilities to plants. Such variation could affect rates of leaf loss to herbivores, particularly along the steep resource gradients in disturbed forests. Intraspecific and interspecific variation in leaf damage and leaf expansion rates were measured on dipterocarp seedlings planted into secondary forests 1, 5 and 15 y after logging, and in adjacent primary forest of Sabah, Malaysia. Herbivory rates or amounts of leaf damage were compared across habitats and species for expanding, recently expanded, and mature leaves of Shorea leprosula and Dryobalanops lanceolata (Dipterocarpaceae). In all four habitats, leaves of the faster growing S. leprosula sustained higher rates and amounts of leaf-area loss than did the tougher leaves of slower growing D. lanceolata. Expanding leaves accumulated more leaf-area loss per week than did mature leaves. In all habitats and in both species, more than 25% of expanding leaves disappeared entirely. Rates of leaf-area loss per week differed among habitats for expanding leaves but not for mature leaves. In a relatively open, 1-y-old logged forest, faster leaf expansion reduced the time leaves spent in the most vulnerable stage; however, in S. leprosula a greater rate of leaf area loss countered the shorter expansion time. Thus, leaves accumulated similar total damages across habitats, and herbivory did not produce differences among habitats in seedling growth or mortality. High levels of resources may increase both leaf palatability and leaf expansion rates, with counteracting effects on herbivory.

Maintenance of high plant diversity in tropical rain forests has been hypothesized to be related to intense seed predation, and studies have shown that the impact of seed-eaters varies according to seed size, forest type and level of disturbance. The hypothesis that seed survival and seedling recruitment depending on seed size, are related to forest type and the intensity of harvesting and stand refinement was therefore tested at Paracou, French Guiana, for three animal-dispersed tree species. Two forest areas, corresponding to two forest types, were selected based on the occurrence of a dominant species, Eperua falcata (Caesalpiniaceae). Two factors were tested: forest type (E. falcata-rich and E. falcata-poor) and level of harvesting (unlogged, low intensity of logging, low intensity of logging and thinning liberation by tree-poison girdling) within each forest type. Overall, there was no effect of species nor of logging treatment within forest type after 6 wk. There was only a significant effect of forest type on seed survival in the large-seeded Carapa procera, a rodent-dispersed species in the Meliaceae. In the two medium-sized seed species, Pradosia cochlearia and Manilkara bidentata, two frugivore-dispersed Sapotaceae, the effect of treatment was overall significant but was also highly variable between plots within treatments. After 1 y, C. procera showed little seedling recruitment due to low seed removal and dispersal, and high seed-seedling predation under all conditions. Neither forest type, nor treatment nested within forest type, affected seedling recruitment in P. cochlearia whereas M. bidentata seedlings were favoured in unlogged conditions at the E. falcata-poor forest type. These results suggest that species characteristics (such as seed size and palatability), or local tree diversity and resources for granivores select for contrasting patterns in tree recruitment between forest type in the rodent-dispersed tree species, and these interact with level of tree harvesting and stand refinement in the other frugivore-dispersed tree species.

The pollination ecology and reproductive phenology of a dioecious palm, Chamaedorea alternans were studied at Los Tuxtlas Biological Station in Veracruz state, Mexico during the 1995-96 flowering season. The sexes flower synchronously from October to January. Field observations investigated reproductive phenology, flower visitors and inflorescence and fruit production. Males produce more flowers and inflorescences than females. Seed-set was 13%, indicating low reproductive efficiency. Individual plants showed a great variation in number of inflorescences produced. Five female and eight male plants (out of 25 and 37 plants, respectively) produced 45% of all inflorescences in the population studied. These five females also produced c. 75% of all fruits. Seed production did not show significant differences between insect-excluded and open-pollinated inflorescences, in experiments to test the efficiency of wind pollination. Flowers of this species are wind-pollinated but a great activity of undetermined species of thrips (Thysanoptera) was observed in male inflorescences.

Further studies on growth and reproduction of many tree species are needed to know the regeneration patterns of tropical forests (Clark & Clark 1987, Heideman 1989). Thus, the need for studies on the c. 3% of Atlantic forest that remains in Brazil is acute, particularly in the rarely studied swamp habitats (Scarano et al. 1997). We studied the canopy tree species Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. (Clusiaceae) in flooded and unflooded habitats of a coastal lowland rain forest, in order to describe demography, sexual expression, phenology and flower and fruit production. We report the differences of such traits among three contiguous habitats found in the lowlands - unflooded forest, freshwater-flooded forest and mangrove.

The development of a given species in a natural forest depends on a multitude of factors. Insects are one of the factors that have an important impact. We would like to present initial observations about the behaviour of longicorns of the Onciderini tribe and their impact on the development of Dicorynia guianensis.

A study of the development of D. guianensis was conducted in French Guiana (5°18'N, 5°48'W), at the Paracou silvicultural facility. We studied plots where the Dicorynia inventory was extended to trees 1 m tall or over. In order to describe the impact of longicorn activity on a Dicorynia stand in which spatial distribution is aggregative (Kokou 1992), we chose trees (156 observed trees) in a control plot (plot 11, area: 17 500 m2). Height, trunk basal diameter and DBH were measured on each tree. A precise morphological description was established for each tree. It was during morphological description that the signs of longicorn attacks were sought. In all the species of the genus Oncideres, the female girdles the tree by removing the bark and some of the wood using its mandibles. It then digs deep into the wood above the cut and lays its eggs. The branch then breaks and falls to the ground (Hequet 1996). All that is left on the tree is a stump with characteristic signs of insect activity (Figure 1a). When such signs were seen on a plant, the type of structure (trunk, branch) was noted.

Primary flower resources to bees, i.e. those that satisfy basic needs, such as feeding and reproduction (Faegri & van der Pijl 1979), include pollen, nectar, oil, resin and gums. Resins are used in nest construction as a waterproof and structural material (Simpson & Neff 1981). It is also excellent antimicrobial compound, and a sticky defence against ant attacks (Armbruster 1984, Dressler 1982, Lokvam & Braddock 1999, Michener 1990, Roubik 1989, Sakagami et al. 1989). Plant species with flowers which produce terpenoid resins are rare (Armbruster & Webster 1979). Clusia L. (Clusiaceae), Clusiella Planch. & Triana (Clusiaceae), and Dalechampia L. (Euphorbiaceae) are the only known plants that secrete resins from floral structures (Armbruster 1984, Armbruster & Webster 1979, Bittrich & Amaral 1996). Although resin-producing plants provide an essential resource for a large number of bees in tropical communities, there are few studies about resin-collecting bees on Clusia spp. Skutch (1971) was the first to report visits on Clusia by stingless bees to collect floral resin. Other reports include observations on C. odorata Seem. (Croat 1978, Ramirez & Gomez 1978), C. alata Pl. & Tr. (Ramirez & Gomez 1978), and C. nemorosa G. F. W. Meyer (Armbruster 1984, Bittrich & Amaral 1996, Lopes & Machado 1998, Mesquita & Fransciscon 1995). Recently, Bittrich & Amaral (1996, 1997) have described the flower morphology and pollination biology of other Clusia species from Central America and Venezuela.

Seed dispersal is the predominant mobile stage for sessile plants, and critically affects the distribution patterns of the species (Nathan & Muller-Landau 2000). Thus, seed dispersal patterns are important in understanding the population dynamics of the species.

This study describes the fruiting phenology of woody plants and their dispersal syndromes in caatinga (semi-arid region in the northeast of Brazil). The fruiting phenology of 42 species with different dispersal modes and life-forms was followed over a period of 1 y. Animal dispersal was the most commonly observed dispersal mode (36%), followed by anemochory (33%), ballistic dispersal (19%) and barochory (12%). Overall, a greater number of species fruited during the rainy season. Zoochorous species were the most representative in the rainy season, whereas anemochorous species predominated during the dry season. Five different life-forms were observed, and the occurrence of dispersal modes was discussed for each of them. In the caatinga plant community studied the patterns of life-forms, fruiting phenology and seed dispersal syndromes were similar to other tropical seasonal ecosystems.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo principal descrever como se comportam as espécies de caatinga (região semi-árida do Nordeste brasileiro) com relação ao modo de dispersão durante as estações seca e chuvosa. Foram observados também os modos de dispersão apresentados em cada forma de vida. A fenofase de frutificação foi acompanhada em 10 indivíduos de 42 espécies durante um intervalo de um ano. A zoocoria representou o modo de dispersão mais observado (36%), seguido da anemocoria (33%), balística (19%) e barocoria (12%). Um maior número de espécies frutificou durante a estação de chuvas, sendo a zoocoria mais representativa nesta estação, enquanto que a anemocoria foi mais representativa na época de estiagem. Foram observadas várias formas de vida, discutindo-se o modo de dispersão em cada uma delas. Constatou-se que as espécies de caatinga estudadas encontram-se dentro dos padrões gerais de época de dispersão dos diásporos e representatividade das síndromes de dispersão observados em outros ecossistemas com sazonalidade.

Lizards mainly eat arthropods, fruit, nectar, pollen and animal scats (Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997, Whitaker 1987), using their sense of smell and good colour vision while foraging (Vinson & Vinson 1969). Although several papers have contributed to the knowledge on the relationship between lizards and floral resources, this topic is often still regarded as anecdotal. However, a few detailed ecological studies on lizard and flower interactions have been conducted, e.g. in New Zealand and the Balearic Isles (Eifler 1995, Sáez & Traveset 1995, Traveset & Sáez 1997,Whitaker 1987). Pollination by lizards was rendered likely by the following findings: first, Mediterranean lacertid lizards and New Zealand geckos have pollen adhering to their belly, throat and labium; second, they may carry pollen for several hours, and thus also transport pollen some distance away from a pollen donor plant. New Zealand geckos carry pollen up to 72 m away from donors. Good experimental evidence of lizard pollination was produced by Pérez-Mellado & Casas (1997). They showed that an umbellifer species produced less viable seeds if Podarcis lilfordi lizards were excluded from flowers.

Rodents in tropical Africa have been recognized for decades both as important pests of agriculture and as reservoirs of numerous diseases that affect humans and livestock (Keesing 2000). Despite this recognition, however, little is known about the ecology and behaviour of these abundant and widespread animals. Because the impacts of small mammals as pests are expected to be some function of their population density, most ecological research on African rodents has focused on their population dynamics (Delany 1972, 1986; Leirs et al. 1994, 1996a).

Bromeliads are common as epiphytes in warm neotropical forests (Benzing 1990). Species native to relatively wet forests impound water in a central cup and/or in seperate leaf axils. These tanks receive enough leaf litter and rainwater to support aquatic life (Maguire 1971). In these complex microcosms many groups of freshwater organisms ranging from algae, fungi, bacteria and protozoa through insects to frogs are represented and constitute considerable animal populations (Frank 1983, Laessle 1961, Maguire 1971, Picado 1913, Richardson 1999). Nutrients originating from the decomposition of litter and animal waste are absorbed by specialized trichomes on the bases of the leaves which form the tanks (Benzing 1980, 1990).

Although the pollination biology of many individual plant species has been investigated in the Oriental region, there have been very few community-level studies. The two most comprehensive of these were in the primary mixed dipterocarp forest of Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak (4°20′N: Momose et al. 1998, Sakai et al. 1999) and in the warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest and cool temperate mixed forest on Yakushima Island (30°N: Yumoto 1987, 1988). Hong Kong (22°17′N) lies midway between these sites, at the northern margin of the tropics, where winter temperatures fall below 10 °C at sea-level for a few days every year and there are occasional frosts above 400 m (Dudgeon & Corlett 1994). Latitudinal effects, however, are compounded in comparisons with other well-studied East Asian sites, by centuries of massive human impact, leaving a degraded landscape of steep, eroded hillsides, covered in fire-maintained grassland, secondary shrublands and, locally, secondary forests (Zhuang & Corlett 1997). This history has left a relatively impoverished fauna but a surprisingly diverse flora, including 400 native tree species (Corlett & Turner 1997). In these circumstances, failures of pollination and dispersal mutualisms might be expected to accelerate the loss of plant species from the landscape (Bond 1994, Kearns & Inouye 1997). Previous studies have shown that most woody vegetation in Hong Kong is dominated by species whose seeds can be dispersed by the commonest avian frugivores, the light-vented and red-whiskered bulbuls (Pycnonotus sinensis (Gmelin) and P. jocosus (Linn.)) and the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus Swinhoe) (Corlett 1996, 1998), but there is no equivalent information available on pollination biology.