ForestGEO presents a new field guide, Lianas y Enredaderas
de la Isla de Barro Colorado, Panamá (Lianas and Vines of Barro
Colorado Island, Panama) published by the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (STRI). The Spanish-language field guide is written by
STRI’s Rolando Pérez, Salomón Aguilar, Nefertaris Daguerre, and Andrés
Hernández, and STRI Research Associate Stefan Schnitzer with Marquette University.
The field book is a guide to identifying 124 common species of
lianas and vines with descriptions, uses, and mapped distributions in the
tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island (BCI) Forest Dynamics Plot. BCI is a major focus of intensive research on lowland tropical
moist forest and its flora is better known than any comparably sized site in
the world. BCI has almost 1,500 vascular plant species, including 276 species
of lianas and vines
Lianas and vines are difficult to track and measure across
ForestGEO plots, including BCI. Both individuals and species are difficult to
identify as they spiral up into the tree canopy. Vine and woody climbing lianas can inhibit the growth of tropical trees due to competition for light and other resources. However, the biology and ecological roles of these climbing plants is scarcely known. Therefore, the field book serves as an invaluable resource for studying the
ecological roles of lianas and vines in tropical forests, and includes vibrant,
color photographs of leaves, flowers, fruits, and vines, as well as a pictorial
glossary of botanical terms.
For more
information on the field book, click here for the announcement by STRI.
(from left to right) Leaves,
fruits, flowers, ribs, and vines of Abuta
racemosa (p.189) and Bignonia
aequinoctialis (p. 55). Photos by Rolando Pérez.