Lianas (woody vines) contribute substantially to the diversity of woodyplants in Yasuní National Park, Eastern Ecuador. In total 606individuals, belonging to 138 species, were found in two 20-m × 100-mplots. The liana diversity was higher than in any comparable study, but thedensity was relatively low. Sapindaceae and Leguminosae were the mostspecies-rich families, whereas Leguminosae and Celastraceae were the mostabundant families. The number of liana individuals as well as the number ofliana species was partially explained by forest structure, but 92% of thevariation in number of liana species depended on the number of lianaindividuals. Areas with high density of small trees had high liana density,and areas with a high number of tree saplings had a relatively high diversityof climbing lianas. The probability of trees being colonized by lianasincreased with tree diameter. The presence of one liana on a tree increasedits risk of being colonized by additional lianas.
