Patterns and drivers of liana community structure across five forest ecosystem types in Ghana

Abstract

Abstract In the past four decades, tropical ecologists have been puzzled by the question of the factors that determine the distribution and ecology of lianas. The objective of this study was to investigate how liana species richness, abundance and basal area were affected by climatic, edaphic and physiognomic factors across a rainfall gradient in Ghana. Seventy‐five (75) 40 m × 40 m plots were evenly distributed among five forest ecosystem types in Ghana from dry to wet forests. In each plot, lianas with diameter at breast height (dbh) >1 cm and trees with dbh > 10 cm were identified and enumerated. In each plot, canopy cover and slope were measured. Soil samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters, and climate data were obtained from Ghana Meteorological Agency. Liana species richness, abundance and basal area were supported by tree species richness but not tree abundance. Mean annual precipitation positively influenced liana community attributes (species richness, abundance relative to trees and basal area). Sodium and organic matter positively affected liana species richness, and total exchangeable bases and exchangeable acidity positively predicted liana abundance. Liana species composition varied significantly among most forest ecosystems. Synthesis . Overall, our findings show that liana diversity, abundance and basal area were influenced mainly by tree species richness, precipitation and soil nutrients. Liana diversity and density were positively associated with precipitation, precisely opposite to pantropical trends.