Prioria copaifera: A Conspicuous Monodominant Tropical Tree Species from Seasonally Flooded Forests

Monodominant tropical forests, in which one tree species dominates most of the canopy, provide a strong contrast to the exuberant diversity of most tropical forests. In Neotropical lowlands, most such low-diversity forests occur under seasonally flooded conditions. Prioria copaifera Griseb., an economically important timber tree species, forms monodominant stands in seasonally flooded conditions and is also frequent in well-drained sites, including Barro Colorado Island (BCI). Research on BCI has contributed to a better understanding of the demography and physiology of this species, and the mechanisms underlying its monodominance. Long-standing hypotheses explaining monodominance in flooded forests have been based on species’ ability to withstand anoxic conditions during inundation. Monodominance by Prioria, however, is achieved by its ability to withstand alternating flooding and drought conditions. Prioria’s large seeds may provide the resources to construct deep roots, and Prioria seedlings are able to maintain root growth and depth during flooding at early establishment, thus enabling better water access during dry conditions.