Abstract
Fungal pathogens are implicated in driving tropical plant diversity by facilitating strong, negative density‐dependent mortality of conspecific seedlings (C‐NDD). Assessment of the role of fungal pathogens in mediating coexistence derives from relatively few tree species and predominantly the Neotropics, limiting our understanding of their role in maintaining hyper‐diversity in many tropical forests. A key question is whether fungal pathogen‐mediated C‐NDD seedling mortality is ubiquitous across diverse plant communities. Using a manipulative shadehouse experiment, we tested the role of fungal pathogens in mediating C‐NDD seedling mortality of eight mast fruiting Bornean trees, typical of the species‐rich forests of South East Asia. We demonstrate species‐specific responses of seedlings to fungicide and density treatments, generating weak negative density‐dependent mortality. Overall seedling mortality was low and likely insufficient to promote overall community diversity. Although conducted in the same way as previous studies, we find little evidence that fungal pathogens play a substantial role in determining patterns of seedling mortality in a SE Asian mast fruiting forest, questioning our understanding of how Janzen‐Connell mechanisms structure the plant communities of this globally important forest type.
Highlights
The same way as previous studies, we find little evidence that fungal pathogens play a substantial role in determining patterns of seedling mortality in a SE Asian mast fruiting forest, questioning our understanding of how Janzen-Connell mechanisms structure the plant communities of this globally important forest type
The reservoir of host-specific fungal ror-prone predictors when quantifying C-NDD (Detto et al, 2019), pathogens will be greatest in soils under adult trees and greater still resulting in the erroneous detection and overestimation of the in areas of high adu t density Liang et a strength of density dependence in many studies
Forests of the YSFMA were (Comita et al, 2014), finding greater mortality of individuals planted selectively logged during the 1970s and 1980s, with much re-logged at higher density; (b) C-NDD is driven by fungal pathogens, with
Summary
Be et a Carson et a Comita ment and plant community composition in both the New- and Oldet al., 2014; McCarthy-Neumann & Kobe, 2008; Pillay et al, 2018; World (Granados et al, 2017; Villar et al, 2019), whether their effects. Segnitz et al, 2020) encompassing variation in species life-history are sufficient to drive C-NDD remains unclear Kurten & Carson, 2015). Host-specific impacts of funthe majority of species are locally rare
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
