ECOLOGY:
Tropical Forest Synergies
Gary Hartshorn and Nora Bynum
The effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation on weather are well
documented, but ENSO also influences flowering and fruiting of trees in tropical forests. In a Perspective, Hartshorn and Bynum describe new findings (Curran et al.) showing that mass seed production by dipterocarp canopy trees in the Bornean rainforest is dependent on ENSO. They further discuss the negative synergy between logging and dipterocarp recruitment both in and outside of protected areas.
The authors are with the Organization for Tropical Studies, Post Office Box 90630, Durham, NC 27708-0630, USA. E-mail: ghartsho{at}duke.edu; elb{at}duke.edu