The lianas of Barro Colorado Island, Panama

This chapter summarizes the knowledge of liana ecology that has been gained from studies on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) and the adjacent forests of the Barro Colorado Nature Monument (BCNM), located in central Panama. It synthesizes some of the early groundbreaking studies of lianas of BCI and the BCNM. The chapter also summarizes other studies that have applied the BCI 50-ha plot liana data to test whether liana distribution patterns are consistent with one or more mechanisms thought to maintain liana species diversity, and how the patterns for lianas differ from those of trees. Finally, it reviews four recent studies that document and confirm that, over the past 40 years, lianas on and near the BCI 50-ha plot have increased in density and productivity, thereby increasing the percentage of trees that they infest and the intensity of tree infestation.