Liana Ecology in Tropical Forests

Lianas, or woody vines, are integral to the structure and function of tropical forests worldwide. Their specialised growth form enables them to climb host trees and access the canopy, intensifying competition for light and other resources. Lianas influence forest dynamics by reducing tree growth and survival, altering patterns of biomass accumulation and carbon storage, and reshaping successional trajectories after disturbance. Climatic factors—such as temperature, rainfall and water deficit—interact with disturbance regimes to determine liana abundance and competitive success. Moreover, diversity in climbing mechanisms, from tendrils to twining stems, underpins variation in resource‐use strategies and ecological roles. A comprehensive grasp of liana ecology is essential for accurate carbon sink assessments, for guiding restoration in degraded forests and for predicting forest responses under global environmental change.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A study of fragmented tropical forests found that tree‐based surveys accurately identify broad community types across vascular plants but fail to represent liana richness, density and fragmentation responses. While tree presence-absence data generate community clusters reflecting overall vegetation structure, liana diversity and abundance diverge markedly in response to edge disturbance. This mismatch underscores the need for direct liana monitoring to inform conservation and management in fragmented landscapes.

Liana Ecology in Tropical Forests publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in liana ecology in tropical forests across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Liana: A woody vine that uses trees for physical support to reach the forest canopy.

Liana-to-tree ratio: The relative abundance of lianas compared with trees in a given area, used to assess competitive balance.

Climbing mechanism: The morphological method by which a liana ascends its host (e.g. tendrils, hooks, twining stems).

Functional diversity: The range and distribution of species’ traits that influence ecosystem processes.

Above-ground biomass: The total mass of living plant material above the soil surface, serving as a proxy for carbon storage.

References

1. Global dominance of lianas over trees is driven by forest disturbance, climate and topography. Global Change Biology (2024).
2. Climbing mechanisms as a central trait to understand the ecology of lianas across the tropics. Global Ecology and Biogeography (2024).
3. Dynamics of tree stems and biomass in old‐growth and secondary forests along gradients in liana dominance, elevation and soil. Journal of Ecology (2024).
4. Trees represent community composition of other plant life-forms, but not their diversity, abundance or responses to fragmentation. Scientific Reports (2018).
5. Conceptualising the Global Forest Response to Liana Proliferation. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (2020).