Lianas are taking over tropical forests, a story that has become impossible to ignore in the last three decades. These climbing plants are collectively called tapeworms, for their parasitic ways. They are rapidly colonizing new territories, girdling and eventually killing trees in the process. Lianas are booming, climbing by 10% to 24% per decade. This booming growth is driving major ecological shifts that may permanently alter the fate of these diverse and complex ecosystems.
Naturally visible from space, the spread of lianas can be an astonishing sight of change over the rainforest treetops. These alien vines have a nasty habit of rapidly blanketing tree canopies. They create a dense leafy mat, depriving native plants of life-giving sunshine. As they thrive, these species increasingly wipe out tree growth in some of our natural areas. This disruption stops natural forest regeneration and threatens the incredible biodiversity found in tropical forests.
The Impact of Lianas on Forest Ecosystems
Given that tropical forests account for roughly half of all species on Earth, the health of these forests is vital for maintaining global ecological balance. However, lianas have become a significant threat to this biodiversity. In areas where lianas run rampant, trees’ potential to regrow is drastically undermined. This phenomenon ratchets down in a deadly chain reaction threatening millions of bird, fish and insect species dependent on these environments.
Additionally, as lianas spread, they can lower the ability of forests to store carbon by up to 95%. This dramatic loss of carbon absorption is shockingly similar to the impacts of deforestation. As it stands today, tropical forests sequester more CO₂ than all of Europe produces in one year. This indicates that, beyond local ecological consequences, liana proliferation has important ramifications for global climate change.
Scientists have recently started to model liana spread like an infectious disease. This strategy, the first of its kind nationally, underscores the need to rein in and reverse their unsustainable growth. The massive uninhibited spread of these plants threatens individual tree species. It further jeopardizes entire forest ecosystems and the wildlife that relies on them.
Visual Indicators of Change
Their visibility from space serves as a vivid reminder of liana’s increasing impacts on tropical ecosystems. Satellite imagery reveals millions of acres where lianas have taken over. They form massive, dense, green canopies that mask the extinction of dozens of non-invasive plant species underneath. This phenomenon has Environmental Scientists and Conservationists alarmed, fearful for the long term survivorship of these forests.
Lianas coil and choke around tree trunks, and snare themselves like nooses across canopy treetops. This leads to intense competition and lets them grow more aggressively, often choking out other plants. Lianas commandeer their neighbors’ sunshine, often putting them at a competitive advantage. This conferred advantage is detrimental to tree health and drives a loss in overall forest diversity. The aesthetic transformations within these environments have been compelling catalysts for protective policy initiatives and therefore scientific research of ecological systems.
Addressing the Challenge
Equally daunting is the prospect of conservationists trying to combat the spread of lianas. Efforts to restore forest health must consider the role of these climbing plants and find ways to mitigate their impact. Innovative adaptive management strategies will be key in fostering tree development and plant and animal biodiversity in liana-prone areas.
Beyond the important work of ecological restoration, educating the public about ramifications of liana proliferation is an important step forward. Targeted public education campaigns can play an important role in mobilizing public support for these conservation initiatives and promote more sustainable land management practices. By learning about the overall effects of lianas on tropical forests, advocates in communities big and small can take action to save these essential wilderness areas.
