Seminar abstract: Rainforest canopies harbor the bulk of terrestrial photosynthetic biomass in the tropics, and famously support diverse arthropod communities, yet our understanding of canopy ecology remains scattered and incomplete. This presentation will summarize recent and ongoing research in the Yanoviak lab concerning two major questions. First, how have canopy-specific selection pressures shaped the traits of cursorial arboreal animals? Characteristics associated with an arboreal lifestyle (e.g., prehensile tails) are well documented for flightless vertebrates, but are poorly known for canopy arthropods. Our recent discoveries of remarkable aerial gliding behavior in wingless arthropods and the parallel evolu-tion of neustonic locomotion (i.e., swimming) behavior in canopy ants, suggest that falling into the understory presents a significant hazard for these taxa. Second, what kills canopy trees? Quantification of the principal agents of tree mortality is essential for the development of accurate forest dynamics and carbon cycling models. Lightning damages millions of tropical trees annually, but its role as an agent of canopy tree death is difficult to quantify. We are using a network of surveillance cameras in Panama to document the ecological consequences of lightning strikes to tropical trees in real time. Preliminary results suggest that lianas provide passive lightning protection for trees, and that extensive crown damage from lightning is easily overlooked in ground-based surveys. Research related to these questions is advancing our broader understanding of the ecology of tropical forest canopies, and provides a framework for predicting the consequences of increased lightning frequency as a result of climatic change.

NGRREC Seminar SeriesBig questions in tropical rainforest canopy ecology

Dr. Steve YanoviakDepartment of Biology, University of Louisville

3 p.m. Wednesday, April 19Riverview Conference Room

NGRREC Jerry F. Costello Confluence Field Station One Confluence Way, East Alton, Illinois

This seminar is open to the public, please check in at the NGRREC front desk on arrival.

NGRREC Host: Dr. Anthony Dell (adell@lc.edu)Please email the NGRREC host to schedule a meeting with the speaker.