Lianas of the Guianas: Guide to the Woody Climbers in the Tropical Forests of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana

Lianas (woody vines) are iconic symbols of tropical forests around the world. These plants use the energetically expensive investment of trees in woody stems to gain relatively inexpensive access to the light-rich canopy. Lianas contribute significantly to tropical forest diversity (25-40 percent of species), carbon sequestration, biomass, plant-animal interactions, and forest gap dynamics. Although they are often considered pests in commercial forestry, woody climbers are important to many...