Dendroecology of two liana species in an old-growth floodplain forest in South Carolina, USA

Radial increment data from lianas can provide insight into long-term trends in diameter growth, response to disturbance, and longevity.  Increases in liana density, proportions of stems, and size in temperate and tropical forests may indicate shifts in functional composition of forests.  Floodplains of the southeastern United States are species rich and include a dense and diverse liana community.  The Congaree National Park provides the ideal location to apply dendroecological techniques in a temperate floodplain forest where lianas reach a sufficient size for core extraction.  One hundred radial cores were collected from two species with distinct annual rings: Toxicodendron radicans and Campsis radicans.  Samples were collected across the range of environments and disturbance histories, from relatively undisturbed old-growth floodplain forests to areas clear cut in the 1970’s.  Ring width data suggest that liana species respond differently to the extent of canopy disturbance.  Campsis consistently grew faster than Toxicodendron, with one exception being the five years following Hurricane Hugo in areas that suffered severe damage.  Toxicodendron diameter growth rates increased through time starting in the 1970’s in areas than were not heavily damaged.  Distinct patterns of release and suppression emerge that reflect colonization pattern and the extent of disturbance.