Lianas reduce tree growth, reproduction, and survival in tropical forests. Liana competition can be particularly intense in isolated forest fragments, where liana densities are high, and thus, host tree infestation is common. Furthermore, lianas appear to grow particularly well during seasonal drought, when they may compete particularly intensely with trees. Few studies, however, have experimentally quantified the seasonal effects of liana competition on multiple tree species in tropical forests. We used a liana removal experiment in a forest fragment in southeastern Brazil to test whether the effects of lianas on tree growth vary with season and tree species identity. We conducted monthly diameter measurements using dendrometer bands on 88 individuals of five tree species for 24 months. We found that lianas had a stronger negative effect on some tree species during the wet season compared to the dry season. Furthermore, lianas significantly reduced the diameter growth of two tree species but had no effect on the other three tree species. The strong negative effect of lianas on some trees, particularly during the wet season, indicates that the effect of lianas on trees varies both seasonally and with tree species identity.

中文翻译：

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藤本植物对树木生长的负面影响因树木种类和季节而异

藤本植物会减少树木在热带森林中的生长，繁殖和生存。藤本植物的竞争在藤本植物密度高的孤立的森林碎片中可能尤其激烈，因此，寄主树侵扰很普遍。此外，藤本植物在季节性干旱期间生长特别好，这时它们可能与树木竞争特别激烈。然而，很少有研究通过实验量化藤本植物竞争对热带森林中多种树种的季节影响。我们在巴西东南部的一片森林碎片中使用了藤本植物清除实验，以测试藤本植物对树木生长的影响是否随季节和树木种类的不同而变化。我们使用测树仪带对五个树种的88个个体进行了24个月的每月直径测量。我们发现藤本植物在干燥季节对某些树木的负面影响要比干燥季节强。此外，藤本植物显着降低了两种树种的直径生长，但对其他三种树种没有影响。藤本植物对某些树木的强烈负面影响，特别是在雨季，表明藤本植物对树木的影响随季节和树木种类的不同而变化。