History

S. Joseph Wright

Staff Scientist

S. Joseph Wright

e-mail: wrightj@si.edu

Address: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
ATT: S. Joseph Wright
9100 PANAMA CITY PL
Washington DC 20521-9100

Telephone: +507 212-8132

FAX: +507 212-8148

 

Publications

LinkPublications by S. Joseph Wright in STRI Bibliography

LinkPublications in PDF

Bio

S. Joseph Wright is Senior Scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. He received his B.A. from Princeton University (1974) and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles (1980). He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, which have been cited more than 12,000 times. He served as President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. His research interests include forest ecology, plant phenology and conservation biology. He developed protocols to study flower and seed production and seedling biology that have been replicated in 14 forests in eight tropical countries. His work on the future of tropical forests concerns nutrient deposition, global atmospheric and climate change, the consequences of overhunting (the ‘bushmeat crisis’) for plant species composition, the second chance abandoned lands and secondary forests present for tropical conservation, and evidence for successful strategies for the conservation of tropical forests. A full list of publications is available.

Research Interests

Forest Ecology, Plant Ecology, Plant Phenology

Current Research

Education and Degrees

B.A., Princeton University, 1974.
Ph. D., University of California at Los Angeles, 1980.

Selected Bibliography

Wright, SJ. In press. The future of tropical forests. Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology.

Jansen, PA, K Elschot, PJ Verkerk and SJ Wright. In press. Seed predation in the palm Astrocaryum standleyanum: effects of seed cleaning by scatter-hoarding agoutis. Journal of Tropical Ecology

Corre, MD, E Veldkamp, J Arnold and SJ Wright. In press. Impact of elevated N input on soil N cycling and losses in old-growth lowland and montane forests in Panama. Ecology

Sanchez-Azofeifa, GA, B Rivard, SJ Wright, J Feng, P Li. In press. Estimation of the distribution of Tabebuia guayacan from high resolution remote sensing. International Journal of Remote Sensing.

Wright, SJ, HC Muller-Landau, GA Sanchez-Azofeifa, C Portillo-Quintero and D Davies. 2010. The future of Southeast Asian forests and their species. Pages xxx-xxx in N. Stacey, B. Campbell, G. Boggs and W. Steffen, editors. Prepare for impact: When people and the environment collide in the tropics. Australian National University E Press - Asia-Pacific Environment Monographs.

Jansen, PA, HC Muller-Landau and SJ Wright. 2010. Bushmeat hunting and climate: an indirect link. Science 327: 30. DOI: 10.1126/science.327.5961.30-a

Brooks, TM, SJ Wright and D Sheil. 2009. Conserving tropical forest biodiversity: evidence for what works. Conservation Biology 23: 1448–1457

Laurance, WF and SJ Wright. 2009. New insights into the tropical biodiversity crisis. Conservation Biology 23: 1382–1385

Yavitt, JB, KE Harms, MN Garcia, SJ Wright, F. He and MJ Mirabelo. 2009. Spatial heterogeneity of soil chemical properties in a lowland tropical moist forest, Panama. Australian Journal of Soil Research 47: 674-687.

Sanchez-Azofeifa, GA, K Castro, SJ Wright, J Gamon, M Kalacska, B Rivard, SA Schnitzer, JL Feng. 2009. Differences in leaf traits, leaf internal structure, and spectral reflectance between two communities of lianas and trees: Implications for remote sensing in tropical regions. Remote Sensing of Environment.113: 2076-2088.

Barron, AR, N Wurzburger, JP Bellenger, SJ Wright, AML Kraepiel, LO Hedin. 2009. Asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in tropical soils stimulated by molybdenum addition Nature Geoscience 2: 42-45.

Koehler, B, MD Corre, E Veldkamp, H Wullaert, SJ Wright. 2009. Immediate and long-term nitrogen oxide emissions from tropical forest soils exposed to elevated nitrogen input. Global Change Biology 15:2049–2066.

Wright, SJ, HC Muller-Landau and J Schipper. 2009. The future of tropical species on a warmer planet. Conservation Biology 23: 1418–1426

Dent, DH and SJ Wright. 2009. The future of tropical species in secondary forests: a quantitative review. Biological Conservation. 142: 2833-2843.

Wright, SJ and MJ Samaniego. 2008. Historical, demographic and economic correlates of land use change in the Republic of Panama. Ecology and Society 13: Online

Wright, SJ, A Trakhtenbrot, G Bohrer, M Detto, GG Katul, N Horvitz, HC Muller-Landau, FA Jones, R Nathan. 2008. Understanding strategies for seed dispersal by wind under contrasting atmospheric conditions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA) 105: 19084-19089.

Kaspari M, SJ Wright, JB Yavitt, KE Harms, M Garcia, M Santana. 2008. Multiple nutrients limit litterfall and decomposition in a tropical forest Ecology Letters 11: 35-43

Muller-Landau, HC, SJ Wright, O Calderon, R Condit and SP Hubbell. 2008. Interspecific variation in primary seed dispersal in a tropical forest. Journal of Ecology 96: 653–667.

Poorter, L, SJ Wright, H Paz, DD Ackerly, R Condit, G Ibarra-Manríquez, KE Harms, JC Licona, M Martínez-Ramos, SJ Mazer, HC Muller-Landau, M Peña-Claros, CO Webb, IJ Wright. 2008. Are functional traits good predictors of demographic rates? Evidence from five Neotropical forests. Ecology 89:1908-1920.

Wright, SJ, GA. Sanchez-Azofeifa, C Portillo-Quintero and D Davies. 2007. Poverty and corruption compromise tropical forest reserves. Ecological Applications 17: 1259–1266.

Feeley, KJ, SJ Wright, MN Nur Supardi, Abd. Rahman Kassim, SJ Davies. 2007. Decelerating growth in tropical forest trees. Ecology Letters 10: 461-469.

Wright, SJ, A Hernandéz and R Condit. 2007. The bush meat harvest alters seedling banks by favoring lianas, large seeds and seeds dispersed by bats, birds and wind. Biotropica, 39: 363–371.

Wright, SJ, KE Stoner, N Beckman, RT Corlett, R Dirzo, HC Muller-Landau, G Nuñez-Iturri, CA Peres and BC Wang. 2007. The plight of large animals in tropical forests and the consequences for plant regeneration. Biotropica, 39: 289–291.

Zimmerman, JK, SJ Wright, O Calderón, M Aponte Pagan, S Paton. 2007. Flowering and fruiting phenologies of seasonal and aseasonal neotropical forests: the role of irradiance. Journal of Tropical Ecology 23: 231–251.

Wright, IJ, DD Ackerly, F Bongers, KE Harms, G Ibarra-Manriquez, M Martinez-Ramos, SJ Mazer, HC Muller-Landau, H Paz, NCA Pitman, L Poorter, MR Silman, CF Vriesendorp, CO Webb, M Westoby and SJ Wright. 2007. Relationships among key dimensions of plant trait variation in seven neotropical forests. Annals of Botany 99: 1003–1015

Santiago, LS and SJ Wright. 2006. Leaf functional traits of tropical forest plants in relation to growth form. Functional Ecology 21: 19-27.

Wright, SJ and HC Muller-Landau. 2006. The future of tropical forest species. Biotropica 38: 287-301.

Gilbert, B, SJ Wright, K Kitajima, HC Muller-Landau and A Hernandéz. 2006. Life history trade-offs in tropical trees and lianas. Ecology 87: 1281-1288.

King, DA, SJ Wright and JH Connell. 2006. The distribution of maximum tree heights in tropical vs. temperate forests: cause or consequence of tropical diversity? Journal of Tropical Ecology 22: 11-24.

Wright, SJ and O Calderón. 2006. Seasonal, El Niño and longer term changes in flower and seed production in a moist tropical forest. Ecology Letters 9: 35-44.

Wright, SJ 2005. Tropical forests in a changing environment. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 20: 553-560.

Svenning, J.-C. and SJ Wright. 2005. Seed limitation in a Panamanian forest. Journal of Ecology 93: 853-862.

Wright, SJ, M. A. Jaramillo, J. Pavon, R. Condit, S. P. Hubbell and R. B. Foster. 2005. Reproductive size thresholds in tropical trees: variation among individuals, species and forests. Journal of Tropical Ecology 21: 307–315.

Wright, SJ, H. C. Muller-Landau, O. Calderón and A. Hernandéz. 2005. Annual and spatial variation in seedfall and seedling recruitment in a Neotropical forest. Ecology 86: 848-860.

Wright, SJ, O. Calderón, A. Hernandéz and S. Paton. 2004. Are lianas increasing in importance in tropical forests? A 17-year record from Panamá. Ecology 85: 484-489.

Wright, SJ, H. C. Muller-Landau, R. Condit and S. P. Hubbell. 2003. Gap-dependent recruitment, realized vital rates, and size distributions of tropical trees. Ecology 84: 3174-3185.

Wright, SJ 2003. The myriad effects of hunting for vertebrates and plants in tropical forests. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 6: 73-86.

Graham, E. A., S. S. Mulkey, K. Kitajima, N. G. Phillips and SJ Wright. 2003. Cloud cover limits net CO2 uptake and growth of a rainforest tree during tropical rainy seasons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 100: 572-576.

DeSteven, D. and SJ Wright. 2002. Consequences of variable reproduction for seedling recruitment in three neotropical tree species. Ecology 83: 2315-2327.

Dalling, J. W., H. C. Muller-Landau, SJ Wright and S. P. Hubbell. 2002. Role of dispersal in the recruitment limitation of neotropical pioneer species. Journal of Ecology 90: 714-727.

Wright, SJ 2002. Plant diversity in tropical forests: a review of mechanisms of species coexistence. Oecologia 130: 1-14.

Wright, SJ and H. C. Duber. 2001. Poachers and forest fragmentation alter seed dispersal, seed survival, and seedling recruitment in the palm Attalea butyraceae, with implications for tropical tree diversity. Biotropica 33: 583-595.

Valladares, F., SJ Wright, E. Lasso and R. W. Pearcy. 2000. Phenotypic plasticity in response to light environment in 16 species of tropical rainforest shrubs (Psychotria) with different leaf longevities and shade and drought tolerances. Ecology 81: 1925-1936.

Harms, K.E., S.J. Wright, O. Calderón, A. Hernandéz and E. A. Herre. 2000. Pervasive density-dependent recruitment enhances seedling diversity in a tropical forest. Nature 404: 493-495.

Wright, SJ, H. Zeballos, I. Domínguez, M. M. Gallardo, M. C. Moreno and R. Ibáñez. 2000. Poachers alter mammal abundance, seed dispersal and seed predation in a Neotropical forest. Conservation Biology 14: 227-239.

Wright, SJ, C. Carrasco, O. Calderón and S. Paton. 1999. The El Niño Southern Oscillation, variable fruit production and famine in a tropical forest. Ecology 80: 1632-1647.

Poulin, B., SJ Wright, G. Lefebvre and O. Calderón. 1999. Interspecific synchrony and asynchrony in the fruiting phenologies of congeneric bird-dispersed plants in Panama. Journal of Tropical Ecology 15: 213-227.

Hubbell, S. P., R. B. Foster, S. T. O'Brien, K. E. Harms, R. Condit, B. Weschler, SJ Wright and S. Loo de Lao. 1999. Light gap disturbances, recruitment limitation, and tree diversity in a neotropical forest. Science 283: 554-557.