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Zhang-Zheng H, Adu-Bredu S, Duah-Gyamfi A, Moore S, Addo-Danso SD, Amissah L, Valentini R, Djagbletey G, Anim-Adjei K, Quansah J, Sarpong B, Owusu-Afriyie K, Gvozdevaite A, Tang M, Ruiz-Jaen MC, Ibrahim F, Girardin CAJ, Rifai S, Dahlsjö CAL, Riutta T, Deng X, Sun Y, Prentice IC, Oliveras Menor I, Malhi Y. Contrasting carbon cycle along tropical forest aridity gradients in West Africa and Amazonia. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3158. [PMID: 38605006 PMCID: PMC11009382 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47202-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests cover large areas of equatorial Africa and play a substantial role in the global carbon cycle. However, there has been a lack of biometric measurements to understand the forests' gross and net primary productivity (GPP, NPP) and their allocation. Here we present a detailed field assessment of the carbon budget of multiple forest sites in Africa, by monitoring 14 one-hectare plots along an aridity gradient in Ghana, West Africa. When compared with an equivalent aridity gradient in Amazonia, the studied West African forests generally had higher productivity and lower carbon use efficiency (CUE). The West African aridity gradient consistently shows the highest NPP, CUE, GPP, and autotrophic respiration at a medium-aridity site, Bobiri. Notably, NPP and GPP of the site are the highest yet reported anywhere for intact forests. Widely used data products substantially underestimate productivity when compared to biometric measurements in Amazonia and Africa. Our analysis suggests that the high productivity of the African forests is linked to their large GPP allocation to canopy and semi-deciduous characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
- Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Stephen Adu-Bredu
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Natural Resources Management, CSIR College of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Sam Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shalom D Addo-Danso
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lucy Amissah
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Gloria Djagbletey
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kelvin Anim-Adjei
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - John Quansah
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Bernice Sarpong
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kennedy Owusu-Afriyie
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Agne Gvozdevaite
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Minxue Tang
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Maria C Ruiz-Jaen
- Forestry Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Panama City, Panama
| | - Forzia Ibrahim
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sami Rifai
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Cecilia A L Dahlsjö
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xiongjie Deng
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yuheng Sun
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Iain Colin Prentice
- Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, United Kingdom
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Imma Oliveras Menor
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- AMAP (Botanique et Modelisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations), CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, IRD,Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
- Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Bartholomew DC, Hayward R, Burslem DFRP, Bittencourt PRL, Chapman D, Bin Suis MAF, Nilus R, O'Brien MJ, Reynolds G, Rowland L, Banin LF, Dent D. Bornean tropical forests recovering from logging at risk of regeneration failure. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17209. [PMID: 38469989 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Active restoration through silvicultural treatments (enrichment planting, cutting climbers and liberation thinning) is considered an important intervention in logged forests. However, its ability to enhance regeneration is key for long-term recovery of logged forests, which remains poorly understood, particularly for the production and survival of seedlings in subsequent generations. To understand the long-term impacts of logging and restoration we tracked the diversity, survival and traits of seedlings that germinated immediately after a mast fruiting in North Borneo in unlogged and logged forests 30-35 years after logging. We monitored 5119 seedlings from germination for ~1.5 years across a mixed landscape of unlogged forests (ULs), naturally regenerating logged forests (NR) and actively restored logged forests via rehabilitative silvicultural treatments (AR), 15-27 years after restoration. We measured 14 leaf, root and biomass allocation traits on 399 seedlings from 15 species. Soon after fruiting, UL and AR forests had higher seedling densities than NR forest, but survival was the lowest in AR forests in the first 6 months. Community composition differed among forest types; AR and NR forests had lower species richness and lower evenness than UL forests by 5-6 months post-mast but did not differ between them. Differences in community composition altered community-weighted mean trait values across forest types, with higher root biomass allocation in NR relative to UL forest. Traits influenced mortality ~3 months post-mast, with more acquisitive traits and relative aboveground investment favoured in AR forests relative to UL forests. Our findings of reduced seedling survival and diversity suggest long time lags in post-logging recruitment, particularly for some taxa. Active restoration of logged forests recovers initial seedling production, but elevated mortality in AR forests lowers the efficacy of active restoration to enhance recruitment or diversity of seedling communities. This suggests current active restoration practices may fail to overcome barriers to regeneration in logged forests, which may drive long-term changes in future forest plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Bartholomew
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | - Robin Hayward
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Chapman
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | | | - Reuben Nilus
- Forest Research Centre Sepilok, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Michael J O'Brien
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Glen Reynolds
- SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Lucy Rowland
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Daisy Dent
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
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3
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Song Z, Liu H, Hou J, Liu Y, Li Y, Shi L, Cao J. Shifting of nutrient limitation dominates the recovery of aboveground net primary productivity of mixed forests in northeastern China after selective logging. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 897:165378. [PMID: 37422232 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
The primary productivity of temperate forests is commonly limited by nitrogen (N) supply, which may be aggravated by the removal of trees. After selective logging, whether and the mechanism by which the N limitation can be alleviated by the rapidly increasing nutrient turnover during the recovery processes, which is important for improving carbon sequestration in temperate forests, remain unclear. We investigated the effect of nutrient limitation (leaf N:Pcom: the leaf N:P ratio at the community level) on plant community productivity by selecting 28 forest plots including seven forest recovery periods (at the sites logged 6, 14, 25, 36, 45, 55, and 100 years ago) following low-intensity selective logging (13-14 m3/ha) and one unlogged treatment by measuring the soil N concentration, soil phosphorus (P) concentration, leaf N concentration, leaf P concentration, and the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of 234 plant species. The plant growth in temperate forests was limited by N, but the P limitation was observed at the sites logged 36 years ago, which showed a transition pattern of plant growth from N limitation to P limitation during the forest recovery process. Meanwhile, a robust linear trend in the community ANPP was observed with the increase in the community leaf N:P ratio, which suggests the enhancement in community ANPP with the release of N limitation after selective logging. Nutrient limitation (leaf N:Pcom) had a significant direct effect (56.0 %) on the community ANPP and showed a higher independent contribution (25.6 %) to the variation in the community ANPP than the soil nutrient supply and even the changes in species richness. Our results suggested that selective logging alleviated the N limitation, but a shift toward P limitation should also be highly regarded in learning the changes in carbon sequestration during the recovery processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaopeng Song
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Jihua Hou
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yanhong Liu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ying Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Liang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
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4
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Zhang B, Fischer FJ, Coomes DA, Jucker T. Logging leaves a fingerprint on the number, size, spatial configuration and geometry of tropical forest canopy gaps. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | | | - David A. Coomes
- Conservation Research Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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5
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Bukombe B, Bauters M, Boeckx P, Cizungu LN, Cooper M, Fiener P, Kidinda LK, Makelele I, Muhindo DI, Rewald B, Verheyen K, Doetterl S. Soil geochemistry - and not topography - as a major driver of carbon allocation, stocks, and dynamics in forests and soils of African tropical montane ecosystems. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1676-1690. [PMID: 36089827 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The lack of field-based data in the tropics limits our mechanistic understanding of the drivers of net primary productivity (NPP) and allocation. Specifically, the role of local edaphic factors - such as soil parent material and topography controlling soil fertility as well as water and nutrient fluxes - remains unclear and introduces substantial uncertainty in understanding net ecosystem productivity and carbon (C) stocks. Using a combination of vegetation growth monitoring and soil geochemical properties, we found that soil fertility parameters reflecting the local parent material are the main drivers of NPP and C allocation patterns in tropical montane forests, resulting in significant differences in below- to aboveground biomass components across geochemical (soil) regions. Topography did not constrain the variability in C allocation and NPP. Soil organic C stocks showed no relation to C input in tropical forests. Instead, plant C input seemingly exceeded the maximum potential of these soils to stabilize C. We conclude that, even after many millennia of weathering and the presence of deeply developed soils, above- and belowground C allocation in tropical forests, as well as soil C stocks, vary substantially due to the geochemical properties that soils inherit from parent material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Bukombe
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
| | - Marijn Bauters
- Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Landry Ntaboba Cizungu
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bugabo 02, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Matthew Cooper
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Peter Fiener
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
| | - Laurent Kidinda Kidinda
- Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Technische Universität Dresden, Tharandt, 01737, Germany
| | - Isaac Makelele
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Daniel Iragi Muhindo
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bugabo 02, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Boris Rewald
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Sebastian Doetterl
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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6
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Malhi Y, Riutta T, Wearn OR, Deere NJ, Mitchell SL, Bernard H, Majalap N, Nilus R, Davies ZG, Ewers RM, Struebig MJ. Logged tropical forests have amplified and diverse ecosystem energetics. Nature 2022; 612:707-713. [PMID: 36517596 PMCID: PMC9771799 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05523-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Old-growth tropical forests are widely recognized as being immensely important for their biodiversity and high biomass1. Conversely, logged tropical forests are usually characterized as degraded ecosystems2. However, whether logging results in a degradation in ecosystem functions is less clear: shifts in the strength and resilience of key ecosystem processes in large suites of species have rarely been assessed in an ecologically integrated and quantitative framework. Here we adopt an ecosystem energetics lens to gain new insight into the impacts of tropical forest disturbance on a key integrative aspect of ecological function: food pathways and community structure of birds and mammals. We focus on a gradient spanning old-growth and logged forests and oil palm plantations in Borneo. In logged forest there is a 2.5-fold increase in total resource consumption by both birds and mammals compared to that in old-growth forests, probably driven by greater resource accessibility and vegetation palatability. Most principal energetic pathways maintain high species diversity and redundancy, implying maintained resilience. Conversion of logged forest into oil palm plantation results in the collapse of most energetic pathways. Far from being degraded ecosystems, even heavily logged forests can be vibrant and diverse ecosystems with enhanced levels of ecological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Oliver R Wearn
- Fauna & Flora International, Vietnam Programme, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nicolas J Deere
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Simon L Mitchell
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Reuben Nilus
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Zoe G Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Georgina Mace Centre, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Matthew J Struebig
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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7
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Sayadat Pitol N, Bachchu Mian M. High carbon storage and oxygen (O2) release potential of Mahagony (Swietenia macrophylla) woodlot plantation in Bangladesh. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 30:103498. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.103498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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8
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Zhao B, Ballantyne AP, Meng S, Zhao G, Zheng Z, Zhu J, Cao J, Zhang Y, Zhao X. Understory plant removal counteracts tree thinning effect on soil respiration in a temperate forest. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6102-6113. [PMID: 35833875 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the response mechanism of soil respiration (Rs) to silvicultural practices is pivotal to evaluating the effects of management practices on soil carbon cycling in planted forest ecosystems. However, as common management practices, how thinning, understory plant removal, and their interactions affect Rs and its autotrophic and heterotrophic components (Ra and Rh) remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated Rs, Ra and Rh by the trenching method from 2011 to 2015 in a Pinus tabuliformis plantation in northern China, subjecting to four treatments (intact control plots [CK], thinning [T], understory removal [UR], and thinning with understory removal [TUR]). Mean annual Rs was significantly increased by thinning (by 15.3%), whereas decreased by UR (by 17.4%), compared with CK. These variations in Rs were mainly attributed to changes in Ra. The increments of Ra were caused by the enhanced growth of fine root biomass after thinning. However, UR led to lower Ra compared with CK (p < .05), indicating that understory growth is inadequate to compensate for the decreased respiring root biomass induced by understory removal. Rs was unchanged between TUR and the intact control plot due to the opposite effects of thinning and UR on the Ra. Changes in Rh exhibited no significant differences among the treatments, partly because of the stable microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and forest floor mass (litter and fine woody debris). No interaction effect between thinning and understory removal was detected on Rs, Ra, and Rh. The lowest temperature sensitivity (Q10 ) value of Ra was found in CK. This study highlights the necessity of incorporating understory plant effects on soil CO2 efflux in assessing forest management practices on soil carbon cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhao
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ashley P Ballantyne
- College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Shengwang Meng
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guang Zhao
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhoutao Zheng
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juntao Zhu
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Cao
- College of Urban and Environmental Science and MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yangjian Zhang
- Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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9
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Gea‐Izquierdo G, Sánchez‐González M. Forest disturbances and climate constrain carbon allocation dynamics in trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4342-4358. [PMID: 35322511 PMCID: PMC9541293 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Forest disturbances such as drought, fire, and logging affect the forest carbon dynamics and the terrestrial carbon sink. Forest mortality after disturbances creates uncertainties that need to be accounted for to understand forest dynamics and their associated C-sink. We combined data from permanent resampling plots and biomass oriented dendroecological plots to estimate time series of annual woody biomass growth (ABI) in several forests. ABI time series were used to benchmark a vegetation model to analyze dynamics in forest productivity and carbon allocation forced by environmental variability. The model implements source and sink limitations explicitly by dynamically constraining carbon allocation of assimilated photosynthates as a function of temperature and moisture. Bias in tree-ring reconstructed ABI increased back in time from data collection and with increasing disturbance intensity. ABI bias ranged from zero, in open stands without recorded mortality, to over 100% in stands with major disturbances such as thinning or snowstorms. Stand leaf area was still lower than in control plots decades after heavy thinning. Disturbances, species life-history strategy and climatic variability affected carbon-partitioning patterns in trees. Resprouting broadleaves reached maximum biomass growth at earlier ages than nonresprouting conifers. Environmental variability and leaf area explained much variability in woody biomass allocation. Effects of stand competition on C-allocation were mediated by changes in stand leaf area except after major disturbances. Divergence between tree-ring estimated and simulated ABI were caused by unaccounted changes in allocation or misrepresentation of some functional process independently of the model calibration approach. Higher disturbance intensity produced greater modifications of the C-allocation pattern, increasing error in reconstructed biomass dynamics. Legacy effects from disturbances decreased model performance and reduce the potential use of ABI as a proxy to net primary productivity. Trait-based dynamics of C-allocation in response to environmental variability need to be refined in vegetation models.
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10
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Bauters M, Grau O, Doetterl S, Heineman KD, Dalling JW, Prada CM, Griepentrog M, Malhi Y, Riutta T, Scalon M, Oliveras I, Inagawa T, Majalap N, Beeckman H, Van den Bulcke J, Perring MP, Dourdain A, Hérault B, Vermeir P, Makelele IA, Fernández PR, Sardans J, Peñuelas J, Janssens IA. Tropical wood stores substantial amounts of nutrients, but we have limited understanding why. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marijn Bauters
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory – ISOFYS Department of Green Chemistry and Technology Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Gent Belgium
- Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology – CAVElab Department of Environment Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Gent Belgium
- Research Group of Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO) Department of Biology University of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Oriol Grau
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Bellaterra Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola Catalonia Spain
| | - Sebastian Doetterl
- Soil Resources Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Katherine D. Heineman
- Center for Plant Conservation Escondido California USA
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Escondido California USA
| | - James W. Dalling
- Department of Plant Biology and Program for Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Ancon Panama
| | - Cecilia M. Prada
- Department of Plant Biology and Program for Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Marco Griepentrog
- Soil Resources Department of Environmental Systems Science ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Biogeoscience Department of Earth Sciences ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Marina Scalon
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Imma Oliveras
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Takeshi Inagawa
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Sabah Forestry Department Forest Research Centre Sabah Malaysia
| | | | - Jan Van den Bulcke
- UGent‐Woodlab ‐ Laboratory of Wood Technology Department of Environment Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Gent Belgium
| | - Michael P. Perring
- Forest & Nature Lab Department of Environment Ghent University Melle‐Gontrode Belgium
- Ecosystem Restoration and Intervention Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
- UKCEH (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) Environment Centre Wales Bangor Gwynedd UK
| | - Aurélie Dourdain
- CIRAD UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane Kourou French Guiana France
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD UPR Forêts et Sociétés Yamoussoukro Côte d’Ivoire
- Forêts et Sociétés Univ Montpellier, CIRAD Montpellier France
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët‐Boigny, INP‐HB Yamoussoukro Côte d’Ivoire
| | - Pieter Vermeir
- Laboratory for Chemical Analyses – LCA Department of Green Chemistry and Technology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Isaac A. Makelele
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory – ISOFYS Department of Green Chemistry and Technology Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Gent Belgium
| | - Pere R. Fernández
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Bellaterra Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola Catalonia Spain
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Bellaterra Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola Catalonia Spain
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Bellaterra Catalonia Spain
- CREAF Cerdanyola Catalonia Spain
| | - Ivan A. Janssens
- Research Group of Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO) Department of Biology University of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
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11
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Sethi SS, Ewers RM, Jones NS, Sleutel J, Shabrani A, Zulkifli N, Picinali L. Soundscapes predict species occurrence in tropical forests. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarab S. Sethi
- Norwegian Inst. for Nature Research Trondheim Norway
- Dept of Mathematics, Imperial College London London UK
| | | | - Nick S. Jones
- Dept of Mathematics, Imperial College London London UK
| | - Jani Sleutel
- Southeast Asia Rainforest Research Partnership Lahad Datu Malaysia
- Dept of Biology, Vrije Univ. Brussel Brussels Belgium
| | - Adi Shabrani
- WWF‐Malaysia, Sabah Office Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | | | - Lorenzo Picinali
- Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London London UK
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12
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Huaraca Huasco W, Riutta T, Girardin CAJ, Hancco Pacha F, Puma Vilca BL, Moore S, Rifai SW, Del Aguila-Pasquel J, Araujo Murakami A, Freitag R, Morel AC, Demissie S, Doughty CE, Oliveras I, Galiano Cabrera DF, Durand Baca L, Farfán Amézquita F, Silva Espejo JE, da Costa ACL, Oblitas Mendoza E, Quesada CA, Evouna Ondo F, Edzang Ndong J, Jeffery KJ, Mihindou V, White LJT, N'ssi Bengone N, Ibrahim F, Addo-Danso SD, Duah-Gyamfi A, Djaney Djagbletey G, Owusu-Afriyie K, Amissah L, Mbou AT, Marthews TR, Metcalfe DB, Aragão LEO, Marimon-Junior BH, Marimon BS, Majalap N, Adu-Bredu S, Abernethy KA, Silman M, Ewers RM, Meir P, Malhi Y. Fine root dynamics across pantropical rainforest ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3657-3680. [PMID: 33982340 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fine roots constitute a significant component of the net primary productivity (NPP) of forest ecosystems but are much less studied than aboveground NPP. Comparisons across sites and regions are also hampered by inconsistent methodologies, especially in tropical areas. Here, we present a novel dataset of fine root biomass, productivity, residence time, and allocation in tropical old-growth rainforest sites worldwide, measured using consistent methods, and examine how these variables are related to consistently determined soil and climatic characteristics. Our pantropical dataset spans intensive monitoring plots in lowland (wet, semi-deciduous, and deciduous) and montane tropical forests in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia (n = 47). Large spatial variation in fine root dynamics was observed across montane and lowland forest types. In lowland forests, we found a strong positive linear relationship between fine root productivity and sand content, this relationship was even stronger when we considered the fractional allocation of total NPP to fine roots, demonstrating that understanding allocation adds explanatory power to understanding fine root productivity and total NPP. Fine root residence time was a function of multiple factors: soil sand content, soil pH, and maximum water deficit, with longest residence times in acidic, sandy, and water-stressed soils. In tropical montane forests, on the other hand, a different set of relationships prevailed, highlighting the very different nature of montane and lowland forest biomes. Root productivity was a strong positive linear function of mean annual temperature, root residence time was a strong positive function of soil nitrogen content in montane forests, and lastly decreasing soil P content increased allocation of productivity to fine roots. In contrast to the lowlands, environmental conditions were a better predictor for fine root productivity than for fractional allocation of total NPP to fine roots, suggesting that root productivity is a particularly strong driver of NPP allocation in tropical mountain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Huaraca Huasco
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Sam Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sami W Rifai
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Alejandro Araujo Murakami
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Universidad Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
| | - Renata Freitag
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Alexandra C Morel
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | | | - Christopher E Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Imma Oliveras
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vianet Mihindou
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Lee J T White
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Natacha N'ssi Bengone
- Ministère de la Foret, de la Mer, de l'Environnement, Chargé Du Plan Climat, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Forzia Ibrahim
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Shalom D Addo-Danso
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Gloria Djaney Djagbletey
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kennedy Owusu-Afriyie
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lucy Amissah
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Armel T Mbou
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Leece, Italy
| | | | - Daniel B Metcalfe
- Department of Ecology and Environment Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Luiz E O Aragão
- Divisão de Sensoriamento Remoto-DIDSR, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, São Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Ben H Marimon-Junior
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Beatriz S Marimon
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Sabah Forestry Department, Forest Research Centre, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Stephen Adu-Bredu
- Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, University, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Miles Silman
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Science, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Patrick Meir
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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13
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Drewer J, Leduning MM, Purser G, Cash JM, Sentian J, Skiba UM. Monoterpenes from tropical forest and oil palm plantation floor in Malaysian Borneo/Sabah: emission and composition. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:31792-31802. [PMID: 33611733 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13052-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Regional estimates of VOC fluxes focus largely on emissions from the canopy and omit potential contributions from the forest floor including soil, litter and understorey vegetation. Here, we measured monoterpene emissions every 2 months over 2 years from logged tropical forest and oil palm plantation floor in Malaysian Borneo using static flux chambers. The main emitted monoterpenes were α-pinene, β-pinene and d-limonene. The amount of litter present was the strongest indicator for higher monoterpene fluxes. Mean α-pinene fluxes were around 2.5-3.5 μg C m-2 h-1 from the forest floor with occasional fluxes exceeding 100 μg C m-2 h-1. Fluxes from the oil palm plantation, where hardly any litter was present, were lower (on average 0.5-2.9 μg C m-2 h-1) and only higher when litter was present. All other measured monoterpenes were emitted at lower rates. No seasonal trends could be identified for all monoterpenes and mean fluxes from both forest and plantation floor were ~ 100 times smaller than canopy emission rates reported in the literature. Occasional spikes of higher emissions from the forest floor, however, warrant further investigation in terms of underlying processes and their contribution to regional scale atmospheric fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Drewer
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK.
| | - Melissa M Leduning
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 84400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Gemma Purser
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - James M Cash
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Justin Sentian
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 84400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Ute M Skiba
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK
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14
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Milodowski DT, Coomes DA, Swinfield T, Jucker T, Riutta T, Malhi Y, Svátek M, Kvasnica J, Burslem DFRP, Ewers RM, Teh YA, Williams M. The impact of logging on vertical canopy structure across a gradient of tropical forest degradation intensity in Borneo. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David T. Milodowski
- School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- National Centre for Earth Observation University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - David A. Coomes
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute Cambridge UK
| | - Tom Swinfield
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute Cambridge UK
- Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds Cambridge UK
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute Cambridge UK
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Faculty of Natural Sciences Imperial College London UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Martin Svátek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology Mendel University in Brno Brno Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Kvasnica
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology Mendel University in Brno Brno Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Mathew Williams
- School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- National Centre for Earth Observation University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
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15
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Riutta T, Kho LK, Teh YA, Ewers R, Majalap N, Malhi Y. Major and persistent shifts in below-ground carbon dynamics and soil respiration following logging in tropical forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2225-2240. [PMID: 33462919 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Soil respiration is the largest carbon efflux from the terrestrial ecosystem to the atmosphere, and selective logging influences soil respiration via changes in abiotic (temperature, moisture) and biotic (biomass, productivity, quantity and quality of necromass inputs) drivers. Logged forests are a predominant feature of the tropical forest landscape, their area exceeding that of intact forest. We quantified both total and component (root, mycorrhiza, litter, and soil organic matter, SOM) soil respiration in logged (n = 5) and old-growth (n = 6) forest plots in Malaysian Borneo, a region which is a global hotspot for emission from forest degradation. We constructed a detailed below-ground carbon budget including organic carbon inputs into the system via litterfall and root turnover. Total soil respiration was significantly higher in logged forests than in old-growth forests (14.3 ± 0.23 and 12.7 ± 0.60 Mg C ha-1 year-1 , respectively, p = 0.037). This was mainly due to the higher SOM respiration in logged forests (55 ± 3.1% of the total respiration in logged forests vs. 50 ± 3.0% in old-growth forests). In old-growth forests, annual SOM respiration was equal to the organic carbon inputs into the soil (difference between SOM respiration and inputs 0.18 Mg C ha-1 year-1 , with 90% confidence intervals of -0.41 and 0.74 Mg C ha-1 year-1 ), indicating that the system is in equilibrium, while in logged forests SOM respiration exceeded the inputs by 4.2 Mg C ha-1 year-1 (90% CI of 3.6 and 4.9 Mg C ha-1 year-1 ), indicating that the soil is losing carbon. These results contribute towards understanding the impact of logging on below-ground carbon dynamics, which is one of the key uncertainties in estimating emissions from forest degradation. This study demonstrates how significant perturbation of the below-ground carbon balance, and consequent net soil carbon emissions, can persist for decades after a logging event in tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terhi Riutta
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Lip Khoon Kho
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Peat Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Biology and Sustainability Research Division, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Thyne, UK
| | - Robert Ewers
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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16
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Griffiths HM, Eggleton P, Hemming-Schroeder N, Swinfield T, Woon JS, Allison SD, Coomes DA, Ashton LA, Parr CL. Carbon flux and forest dynamics: Increased deadwood decomposition in tropical rainforest tree-fall canopy gaps. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1601-1613. [PMID: 33506557 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Tree mortality rates are increasing within tropical rainforests as a result of global environmental change. When trees die, gaps are created in forest canopies and carbon is transferred from the living to deadwood pools. However, little is known about the effect of tree-fall canopy gaps on the activity of decomposer communities and the rate of deadwood decay in forests. This means that the accuracy of regional and global carbon budgets is uncertain, especially given ongoing changes to the structure of rainforest ecosystems. Therefore, to determine the effect of canopy openings on wood decay rates and regional carbon flux, we carried out the first assessment of deadwood mass loss within canopy gaps in old-growth rainforest. We used replicated canopy gaps paired with closed canopy sites in combination with macroinvertebrate accessible and inaccessible woodblocks to experimentally partition the relative contribution of microbes vs. termites to decomposition within contrasting understorey conditions. We show that over a 12 month period, wood mass loss increased by 63% in canopy gaps compared with closed canopy sites and that this increase was driven by termites. Using LiDAR data to quantify the proportion of canopy openings in the study region, we modelled the effect of observed changes in decomposition within gaps on regional carbon flux. Overall, we estimate that this accelerated decomposition increases regional wood decay rate by up to 18.2%, corresponding to a flux increase of 0.27 Mg C ha-1 year-1 that is not currently accounted for in regional carbon budgets. These results provide the first insights into how small-scale disturbances in rainforests can generate hotspots for decomposer activity and carbon fluxes. In doing so, we show that including canopy gap dynamics and their impacts on wood decomposition in forest ecosystems can help improve the predictive accuracy of the carbon cycle in land surface models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Griffiths
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | - Tom Swinfield
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joel S Woon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Steven D Allison
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - David A Coomes
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Louise A Ashton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
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17
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Nunes MH, Jucker T, Riutta T, Svátek M, Kvasnica J, Rejžek M, Matula R, Majalap N, Ewers RM, Swinfield T, Valbuena R, Vaughn NR, Asner GP, Coomes DA. Recovery of logged forest fragments in a human-modified tropical landscape during the 2015-16 El Niño. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1526. [PMID: 33750781 PMCID: PMC7943823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20811-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The past 40 years in Southeast Asia have seen about 50% of lowland rainforests converted to oil palm and other plantations, and much of the remaining forest heavily logged. Little is known about how fragmentation influences recovery and whether climate change will hamper restoration. Here, we use repeat airborne LiDAR surveys spanning the hot and dry 2015-16 El Niño Southern Oscillation event to measure canopy height growth across 3,300 ha of regenerating tropical forests spanning a logging intensity gradient in Malaysian Borneo. We show that the drought led to increased leaf shedding and branch fall. Short forest, regenerating after heavy logging, continued to grow despite higher evaporative demand, except when it was located close to oil palm plantations. Edge effects from the plantations extended over 300 metres into the forests. Forest growth on hilltops and slopes was particularly impacted by the combination of fragmentation and drought, but even riparian forests located within 40 m of oil palm plantations lost canopy height during the drought. Our results suggest that small patches of logged forest within plantation landscapes will be slow to recover, particularly as ENSO events are becoming more frequent. It is unclear whether tropical forest fragments within plantation landscapes are resilient to drought. Here the authors analyse LiDAR and ground-based data from the 2015-16 El Niño event across a logging intensity gradient in Borneo. Although regenerating forests continued to grow, canopy height near oil palm plantations decreased, and a strong edge effect extended up to at least 300 m away.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Henrique Nunes
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK. .,Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland.
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.,School of Geography and the Environment, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Martin Svátek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Kvasnica
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Rejžek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Matula
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague, 165 00, Czech Republic
| | | | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Tom Swinfield
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Rubén Valbuena
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.,School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Nicholas R Vaughn
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ and Hilo, Tempe, HI, USA
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ and Hilo, Tempe, HI, USA
| | - David A Coomes
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK.
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18
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Abstract
Plant phenology is strongly interlinked with ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Like many other aspects of ecosystem functioning, it is affected by habitat and climate change, with both global change drivers altering the timings and frequency of phenological events. As such, there has been an increased focus in recent years to monitor phenology in different biomes. A range of approaches for monitoring phenology have been developed to increase our understanding on its role in ecosystems, ranging from the use of satellites and drones to collection traps, each with their own merits and limitations. Here, we outline the trade-offs between methods (spatial resolution, temporal resolution, cost, data processing), and discuss how their use can be optimised in different environments and for different goals. We also emphasise emerging technologies that will be the focus of monitoring in the years to follow and the challenges of monitoring phenology that still need to be addressed. We conclude that there is a need to integrate studies that incorporate multiple monitoring methods, allowing the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of another, with a view to developing robust methods for upscaling phenological observations from point locations to biome and global scales and reconciling data from varied sources and environments. Such developments are needed if we are to accurately quantify the impacts of a changing world on plant phenology.
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19
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Key Roles of Dipterocarpaceae, Bark Type Diversity and Tree Size in Lowland Rainforests of Northeast Borneo-Using Functional Traits of Lichens to Distinguish Plots of Old Growth and Regenerating Logged Forests. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030541. [PMID: 33807993 PMCID: PMC7999027 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lowland rainforests in Southeast Asia are severely altered by selective logging and there is a need for rapid assessment methods to identify characteristic communities of old growth forests and to monitor restoration success in regenerating forests. We have studied the effect of logging on the diversity and composition of lichen communities on trunks of trees in lowland rainforests of northeast Borneo dominated by Dipterocarpaceae. Using data from field observations and vouchers collected from plots in disturbed and undisturbed forests, we compared a taxonomy-based and a taxon-free method. Vouchers were identified to genus or genus group and assigned to functional groups based on sets of functional traits. Both datasets allowed the detection of significant differences in lichen communities between disturbed and undisturbed forest plots. Bark type diversity and the proportion of large trees, particularly those belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae, were the main drivers of lichen community structure. Our results confirm the usefulness of a functional groups approach for the rapid assessment of tropical lowland rainforests in Southeast Asia. A high proportion of Dipterocarpaceae trees is revealed as an essential element for the restoration of near natural lichen communities in lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia.
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20
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Xu H, Blonder B, Jodra M, Malhi Y, Fricker M. Automated and accurate segmentation of leaf venation networks via deep learning. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:631-648. [PMID: 32964424 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Leaf vein network geometry can predict levels of resource transport, defence and mechanical support that operate at different spatial scales. However, it is challenging to quantify network architecture across scales due to the difficulties both in segmenting networks from images and in extracting multiscale statistics from subsequent network graph representations. Here we developed deep learning algorithms using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to automatically segment leaf vein networks. Thirty-eight CNNs were trained on subsets of manually defined ground-truth regions from >700 leaves representing 50 southeast Asian plant families. Ensembles of six independently trained CNNs were used to segment networks from larger leaf regions (c. 100 mm2 ). Segmented networks were analysed using hierarchical loop decomposition to extract a range of statistics describing scale transitions in vein and areole geometry. The CNN approach gave a precision-recall harmonic mean of 94.5% ± 6%, outperforming other current network extraction methods, and accurately described the widths, angles and connectivity of veins. Multiscale statistics then enabled the identification of previously undescribed variation in network architecture across species. We provide a LeafVeinCNN software package to enable multiscale quantification of leaf vein networks, facilitating the comparison across species and the exploration of the functional significance of different leaf vein architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xu
- Department of Engineering Science, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Benjamin Blonder
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 120 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Miguel Jodra
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Mark Fricker
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
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21
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Doughty CE, Cheesman AW, Riutta T, Thomson ER, Shenkin A, Nottingham AT, Telford EM, Huaraca Huasco W, Majalap N, Arn Teh Y, Meir P, Malhi Y. Predicting tropical tree mortality with leaf spectroscopy. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E. Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Alexander W. Cheesman
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
- College of Science & Engineering James Cook University Cairns Qld Australia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London Ascot UK
| | - Eleanor R. Thomson
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Alexander Shenkin
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Andrew T. Nottingham
- School of Geography, University of Leeds Leeds UK
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | | | - Walter Huaraca Huasco
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Forest Research Centre Sabah Forestry Department Sandakan Malaysia
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle Upon Tyne UK
| | - Patrick Meir
- School of Geosciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
- Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
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22
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Jackson TD, Shenkin AF, Majalap N, Bin Jami J, Bin Sailim A, Reynolds G, Coomes DA, Chandler CJ, Boyd DS, Burt A, Wilkes P, Disney M, Malhi Y. The mechanical stability of the world’s tallest broadleaf trees. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias D. Jackson
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Alexander F. Shenkin
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Noreen Majalap
- Phytochemistry UnitForest Research Centre Sabah Malaysia
| | | | - Azlin Bin Sailim
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) Sabah Malaysia
| | - Glen Reynolds
- South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) Sabah Malaysia
| | - David A. Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group Department of Plant Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Doreen S. Boyd
- School of Geography University of Nottingham Nottingham UK
| | - Andy Burt
- Department of Geography University College London London UK
| | - Phil Wilkes
- Department of Geography University College London London UK
- NERC National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Leicester UK
| | - Mathias Disney
- Department of Geography University College London London UK
- NERC National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Leicester UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
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23
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Diaz Villa MVE, Cristiano PM, De Diego MS, Rodríguez SA, Bucci SJ, Scholz F, Goldstein G. Primary Productivity Determinants of Different Land Uses in Humid Subtropical Ecosystems: From Native Forests to Tree Plantations. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00529-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Zhao J, Meng Y, Drewer J, Skiba UM, Prosser JI, Gubry-Rangin C. Differential Ecosystem Function Stability of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria following Short-Term Environmental Perturbation. mSystems 2020; 5:e00309-20. [PMID: 32546672 PMCID: PMC7300361 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00309-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly expanding conversion of tropical forests to oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia leads to soil acidification following intensive nitrogen fertilization. Changes in soil pH are predicted to have an impact on archaeal ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and complete (comammox) ammonia oxidizers and, consequently, on nitrification. It is therefore critical to determine whether the predicted effects of pH on ammonia oxidizers and nitrification activity apply in tropical soils subjected to various degrees of anthropogenic activity. This was investigated by experimental manipulation of pH in soil microcosms from a land-use gradient (forest, riparian, and oil palm soils). The nitrification rate was greater in forest soils with native neutral pH than in converted acidic oil palm soils. Ammonia oxidizer activity decreased following acidification of the forest soils but increased after liming of the oil palm soils, leading to a trend of a reversed net nitrification rate after pH modification. AOA and AOB nitrification activity was dependent on pH, but AOB were more sensitive to pH modification than AOA, which demonstrates a greater stability of AOA than AOB under conditions of short-term perturbation. In addition, these results predict AOB to be a good bioindicator of nitrification response following pH perturbation during land-use conversion. AOB and/or comammox species were active in all soils along the land-use gradient, even, unexpectedly, under acidic conditions, suggesting their adaptation to native acidic or acidified soils. The present study therefore provided evidence for limited stability of soil ammonia oxidizer activity following intensive anthropogenic activities, which likely aggravates the vulnerability of nitrogen cycle processes to environmental disturbance.IMPORTANCE Physiological and ecological studies have provided evidence for pH-driven niche specialization of ammonia oxidizers in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the functional stability of ammonia oxidizers following pH change has not been investigated, despite its importance in understanding the maintenance of ecosystem processes following environmental perturbation. This is particularly true after anthropogenic perturbation, such as the conversion of tropical forest to oil palm plantations. This study demonstrated a great impact of land-use conversion on nitrification, which is linked to changes in soil pH due to common agricultural practices (intensive fertilization). In addition, the different communities of ammonia oxidizers were differently affected by short-term pH perturbations, with implications for future land-use conversions but also for increased knowledge of associated global nitrous oxide emissions and current climate change concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhao
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Yiyu Meng
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Drewer
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, United Kingdom
| | - Ute M Skiba
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, United Kingdom
| | - James I Prosser
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Gubry-Rangin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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25
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Swinfield T, Both S, Riutta T, Bongalov B, Elias D, Majalap‐Lee N, Ostle N, Svátek M, Kvasnica J, Milodowski D, Jucker T, Ewers RM, Zhang Y, Johnson D, Teh YA, Burslem DFRP, Malhi Y, Coomes D. Imaging spectroscopy reveals the effects of topography and logging on the leaf chemistry of tropical forest canopy trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:989-1002. [PMID: 31845482 PMCID: PMC7027875 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Logging, pervasive across the lowland tropics, affects millions of hectares of forest, yet its influence on nutrient cycling remains poorly understood. One hypothesis is that logging influences phosphorus (P) cycling, because this scarce nutrient is removed in extracted timber and eroded soil, leading to shifts in ecosystem functioning and community composition. However, testing this is challenging because P varies within landscapes as a function of geology, topography and climate. Superimposed upon these trends are compositional changes in logged forests, with species with more acquisitive traits, characterized by higher foliar P concentrations, more dominant. It is difficult to resolve these patterns using traditional field approaches alone. Here, we use airborne light detection and ranging-guided hyperspectral imagery to map foliar nutrient (i.e. P, nitrogen [N]) concentrations, calibrated using field measured traits, over 400 km2 of northeastern Borneo, including a landscape-level disturbance gradient spanning old-growth to repeatedly logged forests. The maps reveal that canopy foliar P and N concentrations decrease with elevation. These relationships were not identified using traditional field measurements of leaf and soil nutrients. After controlling for topography, canopy foliar nutrient concentrations were lower in logged forest than in old-growth areas, reflecting decreased nutrient availability. However, foliar nutrient concentrations and specific leaf area were greatest in relatively short patches in logged areas, reflecting a shift in composition to pioneer species with acquisitive traits. N:P ratio increased in logged forest, suggesting reduced soil P availability through disturbance. Through the first landscape scale assessment of how functional leaf traits change in response to logging, we find that differences from old-growth forest become more pronounced as logged forests increase in stature over time, suggesting exacerbated phosphorus limitation as forests recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Swinfield
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsCambridgeUK
| | - Sabine Both
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSWAustralia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Boris Bongalov
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Dafydd Elias
- Centre for Ecology & HydrologyLancaster Environment CentreLancasterUK
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | | | - Nicholas Ostle
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - Martin Svátek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Kvasnica
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - David Milodowski
- School of GeoSciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- National Centre for Earth ObservationUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | | | - Yi Zhang
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - David Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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26
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Daba DE, Soromessa T. The accuracy of species-specific allometric equations for estimating aboveground biomass in tropical moist montane forests: case study of Albizia grandibracteata and Trichilia dregeana. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2019; 14:18. [PMID: 31858282 PMCID: PMC7227094 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-019-0134-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Application of allometric equations for quantifying forests aboveground biomass is a crucial step related to efforts of climate change mitigation. Generalized allometric equations have been applied for estimating biomass and carbon storage of forests. However, adopting a generalized allometric equation to estimate the biomass of different forests generates uncertainty due to environmental variation. Therefore, formulating species-specific allometric equations is important to accurately quantify the biomass. Montane moist forest ecosystem comprises high forest type which is mainly found in the southwestern part of Ethiopia. Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve is categorized into Afromontane Rainforest vegetation types in this ecosystem. This study was aimed to formulate species-specific allometric equations for Albizia grandibracteata Tuab. and Trichilia dregeana Sond. using the semi-destructive method. RESULTS Allometric equations in form of power models were developed for each tree species by evaluating the statistical relationships of total aboveground biomass (TAGB) and dendrometric variables. TAGB was regressed against diameter at breast height (D), total height (H), and wood density (ρ) individually and in a combination. The allometric equations were selected based on model performance statistics. Equations with the higher coefficient of determination (adj.R2), lower residual standard error (RSE), and low Akaike information criterion (AIC) values were found best fitted. Relationships between TAGB and predictive variables were found statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001) for all selected equations. Higher bias was reported related to the application of pan-tropical or generalized allometric equations. CONCLUSIONS Formulating species-specific allometric equations is found important for accurate tree biomass estimation and quantifying the carbon stock. The developed biomass regression models can be applied as a species-specific equation to the montane moist forest ecosystem of southwestern Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damena Edae Daba
- Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Teshome Soromessa
- Center for Environmental Science, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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27
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Morel AC, Adu Sasu M, Adu-Bredu S, Quaye M, Moore C, Ashley Asare R, Mason J, Hirons M, McDermott CL, Robinson EJZ, Boyd E, Norris K, Malhi Y. Carbon dynamics, net primary productivity and human-appropriated net primary productivity across a forest-cocoa farm landscape in West Africa. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2661-2677. [PMID: 31006150 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) is an important metric of ecosystem functioning; however, there are little empirical data on the NPP of human-modified ecosystems, particularly smallholder, perennial crops like cocoa (Theobroma cacao), which are extensive across the tropics. Human-appropriated NPP (HANPP) is a measure of the proportion of a natural system's NPP that has either been reduced through land-use change or harvested directly and, previously, has been calculated to estimate the scale of the human impact on the biosphere. Additionally, human modification can create shifts in NPP allocation and decomposition, with concomitant impacts on the carbon cycle. This study presents the results of 3 years of intensive monitoring of forest and smallholder cocoa farms across disturbance, management intensity, distance from forest and farm age gradients. We measured among the highest reported NPP values in tropical forest, 17.57 ± 2.1 and 17.7 ± 1.6 Mg C ha-1 year-1 for intact and logged forest, respectively; however, the average NPP of cocoa farms was still higher, 18.8 ± 2.5 Mg C ha-1 year-1 , which we found was driven by cocoa pod production. We found a dramatic shift in litterfall residence times, where cocoa leaves decomposed more slowly than forest leaves and shade tree litterfall decomposed considerably faster, indicating significant changes in rates of nutrient cycling. The average HANPP value for all cocoa farms was 2.1 ± 1.1 Mg C ha-1 year-1 ; however, depending on the density of shade trees, it ranged from -4.6 to 5.2 Mg C ha-1 year-1 . Therefore, rather than being related to cocoa yield, HANPP was reduced by maintaining higher shade levels. Across our monitored farms, 18.9% of farm NPP was harvested (i.e., whole cocoa pods) and only 1.1% (i.e., cocoa beans) was removed from the system, suggesting that the scale of HANPP in smallholder cocoa agroforestry systems is relatively small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Morel
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Marvin Quaye
- Nature Conservation Research Centre, Accra, Ghana
| | - Christine Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - John Mason
- Nature Conservation Research Centre, Accra, Ghana
| | - Mark Hirons
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Constance L McDermott
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Emily Boyd
- Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ken Norris
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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28
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Both S, Riutta T, Paine CET, Elias DMO, Cruz RS, Jain A, Johnson D, Kritzler UH, Kuntz M, Majalap-Lee N, Mielke N, Montoya Pillco MX, Ostle NJ, Arn Teh Y, Malhi Y, Burslem DFRP. Logging and soil nutrients independently explain plant trait expression in tropical forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1853-1865. [PMID: 30238458 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits regulate ecosystem functions but little is known about how co-occurring gradients of land use and edaphic conditions influence their expression. We test how gradients of logging disturbance and soil properties relate to community-weighted mean traits in logged and old-growth tropical forests in Borneo. We studied 32 physical, chemical and physiological traits from 284 tree species in eight 1 ha plots and measured long-term soil nutrient supplies and plant-available nutrients. Logged plots had greater values for traits that drive carbon capture and growth, whilst old-growth forests had greater values for structural and persistence traits. Although disturbance was the primary driver of trait expression, soil nutrients explained a statistically independent axis of variation linked to leaf size and nutrient concentration. Soil characteristics influenced trait expression via nutrient availability, nutrient pools, and pH. Our finding, that traits have dissimilar responses to land use and soil resource availability, provides robust evidence for the need to consider the abiotic context of logging when predicting plant functional diversity across human-modified tropical forests. The detection of two independent axes was facilitated by the measurement of many more functional traits than have been examined in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Both
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - C E Timothy Paine
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Dafydd M O Elias
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - R S Cruz
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Annuar Jain
- The South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), Danum Valley Field Centre, PO Box 60282, 91112, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Ully H Kritzler
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marianne Kuntz
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Noreen Majalap-Lee
- Forest Research Centre, Peti Surat 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Nora Mielke
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Milenka X Montoya Pillco
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Nicholas J Ostle
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - David F R P Burslem
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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29
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Ashton LA, Griffiths HM, Parr CL, Evans TA, Didham RK, Hasan F, Teh YA, Tin HS, Vairappan CS, Eggleton P. Termites mitigate the effects of drought in tropical rainforest. Science 2019; 363:174-177. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aau9565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Termites perform key ecological functions in tropical ecosystems, are strongly affected by variation in rainfall, and respond negatively to habitat disturbance. However, it is not known how the projected increase in frequency and severity of droughts in tropical rainforests will alter termite communities and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Using a large-scale termite suppression experiment, we found that termite activity and abundance increased during drought in a Bornean forest. This increase resulted in accelerated litter decomposition, elevated soil moisture, greater soil nutrient heterogeneity, and higher seedling survival rates during the extreme El Niño drought of 2015–2016. Our work shows how an invertebrate group enhances ecosystem resistance to drought, providing evidence that the dual stressors of climate change and anthropogenic shifts in biotic communities will have various negative consequences for the maintenance of rainforest ecosystems.
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30
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Jucker T, Hardwick SR, Both S, Elias DMO, Ewers RM, Milodowski DT, Swinfield T, Coomes DA. Canopy structure and topography jointly constrain the microclimate of human-modified tropical landscapes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5243-5258. [PMID: 30246358 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Local-scale microclimatic conditions in forest understoreys play a key role in shaping the composition, diversity and function of these ecosystems. Consequently, understanding what drives variation in forest microclimate is critical to forecasting ecosystem responses to global change, particularly in the tropics where many species already operate close to their thermal limits and rapid land-use transformation is profoundly altering local environments. Yet our ability to characterize forest microclimate at ecologically meaningful scales remains limited, as understorey conditions cannot be directly measured from outside the canopy. To address this challenge, we established a network of microclimate sensors across a land-use intensity gradient spanning from old-growth forests to oil-palm plantations in Borneo. We then combined these observations with high-resolution airborne laser scanning data to characterize how topography and canopy structure shape variation in microclimate both locally and across the landscape. In the processes, we generated high-resolution microclimate surfaces spanning over 350 km2 , which we used to explore the potential impacts of habitat degradation on forest regeneration under both current and future climate scenarios. We found that topography and vegetation structure were strong predictors of local microclimate, with elevation and terrain curvature primarily constraining daily mean temperatures and vapour pressure deficit (VPD), whereas canopy height had a clear dampening effect on microclimate extremes. This buffering effect was particularly pronounced on wind-exposed slopes but tended to saturate once canopy height exceeded 20 m-suggesting that despite intensive logging, secondary forests remain largely thermally buffered. Nonetheless, at a landscape-scale microclimate was highly heterogeneous, with maximum daily temperatures ranging between 24.2 and 37.2°C and VPD spanning two orders of magnitude. Based on this, we estimate that by the end of the century forest regeneration could be hampered in degraded secondary forests that characterize much of Borneo's lowlands if temperatures continue to rise following projected trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Jucker
- Forest Ecology and Conservation group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- CSIRO Land and Water, Floreat, WA, Australia
| | - Stephen R Hardwick
- Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sabine Both
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Dafydd M O Elias
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | | | | | - Tom Swinfield
- Forest Ecology and Conservation group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David A Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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31
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Rifai SW, Girardin CAJ, Berenguer E, Del Aguila-Pasquel J, Dahlsjö CAL, Doughty CE, Jeffery KJ, Moore S, Oliveras I, Riutta T, Rowland LM, Murakami AA, Addo-Danso SD, Brando P, Burton C, Ondo FE, Duah-Gyamfi A, Amézquita FF, Freitag R, Pacha FH, Huasco WH, Ibrahim F, Mbou AT, Mihindou VM, Peixoto KS, Rocha W, Rossi LC, Seixas M, Silva-Espejo JE, Abernethy KA, Adu-Bredu S, Barlow J, da Costa ACL, Marimon BS, Marimon-Junior BH, Meir P, Metcalfe DB, Phillips OL, White LJT, Malhi Y. ENSO Drives interannual variation of forest woody growth across the tropics. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0410. [PMID: 30297475 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Meteorological extreme events such as El Niño events are expected to affect tropical forest net primary production (NPP) and woody growth, but there has been no large-scale empirical validation of this expectation. We collected a large high-temporal resolution dataset (for 1-13 years depending upon location) of more than 172 000 stem growth measurements using dendrometer bands from across 14 regions spanning Amazonia, Africa and Borneo in order to test how much month-to-month variation in stand-level woody growth of adult tree stems (NPPstem) can be explained by seasonal variation and interannual meteorological anomalies. A key finding is that woody growth responds differently to meteorological variation between tropical forests with a dry season (where monthly rainfall is less than 100 mm), and aseasonal wet forests lacking a consistent dry season. In seasonal tropical forests, a high degree of variation in woody growth can be predicted from seasonal variation in temperature, vapour pressure deficit, in addition to anomalies of soil water deficit and shortwave radiation. The variation of aseasonal wet forest woody growth is best predicted by the anomalies of vapour pressure deficit, water deficit and shortwave radiation. In total, we predict the total live woody production of the global tropical forest biome to be 2.16 Pg C yr-1, with an interannual range 1.96-2.26 Pg C yr-1 between 1996-2016, and with the sharpest declines during the strong El Niño events of 1997/8 and 2015/6. There is high geographical variation in hotspots of El Niño-associated impacts, with weak impacts in Africa, and strongly negative impacts in parts of Southeast Asia and extensive regions across central and eastern Amazonia. Overall, there is high correlation (r = -0.75) between the annual anomaly of tropical forest woody growth and the annual mean of the El Niño 3.4 index, driven mainly by strong correlations with anomalies of soil water deficit, vapour pressure deficit and shortwave radiation.This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on the terrestrial tropical carbon cycle: patterns, mechanisms and implications'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami W Rifai
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Erika Berenguer
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.,Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | | | - Cecilia A L Dahlsjö
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Christopher E Doughty
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Kathryn J Jeffery
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.,Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, CENAREST, BP 842, Libreville, Gabon.,Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), BP 20379, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Sam Moore
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Imma Oliveras
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Lucy M Rowland
- Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Alejandro Araujo Murakami
- Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Universidad Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno, Avenida Irala 565 Casilla Postal 2489, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
| | | | - Paulo Brando
- Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA, USA.,Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Canarana, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Chad Burton
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Fidèle Evouna Ondo
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), BP 20379, Libreville, Gabon
| | | | | | - Renata Freitag
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, CEP 78690-000, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | | | - Walter Huaraca Huasco
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | | | - Armel T Mbou
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamente Climatici, Leece, Italy
| | - Vianet Mihindou Mihindou
- Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), BP 20379, Libreville, Gabon.,Ministère de la Forêt et de l'Environnement, BP199, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Karine S Peixoto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, CEP 78690-000, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Wanderley Rocha
- Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Canarana, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Liana C Rossi
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Marina Seixas
- Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Trav. Dr. Enéas Pinheiro, s/n, CP 48, 66095-100, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | | | - Katharine A Abernethy
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.,Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, CENAREST, BP 842, Libreville, Gabon
| | | | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | | | - Beatriz S Marimon
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, CEP 78690-000, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Ben H Marimon-Junior
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, CEP 78690-000, Nova Xavantina, MT, Brazil
| | - Patrick Meir
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia.,School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH93FF, UK
| | - Daniel B Metcalfe
- Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Lee J T White
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.,Institut de Recherche en Écologie Tropicale, CENAREST, BP 842, Libreville, Gabon
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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32
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Pillay R, Hua F, Loiselle BA, Bernard H, Fletcher RJ. Multiple stages of tree seedling recruitment are altered in tropical forests degraded by selective logging. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8231-8242. [PMID: 30250698 PMCID: PMC6145000 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forest degradation is a global environmental issue. In degraded forests, seedling recruitment of canopy trees is vital for forest regeneration and recovery. We investigated how selective logging, a pervasive driver of tropical forest degradation, impacts canopy tree seedling recruitment, focusing on an endemic dipterocarp Dryobalanops lanceolata in Sabah, Borneo. During a mast-fruiting event in intensively logged and nearby unlogged forest, we examined four stages of the seedling recruitment process: seed production, seed predation, and negative density-dependent germination and seedling survival. Our results suggest that each stage of the seedling recruitment process is altered in logged forest. The seed crop of D. lanceolata trees in logged forest was one-third smaller than that produced by trees in unlogged forest. The functional role of vertebrates in seed predation increased in logged forest while that of non-vertebrates declined. Seeds in logged forest were less likely to germinate than those in unlogged forest. Germination increased with local-scale conspecific seed density in unlogged forest, but seedling survival tended to decline. However, both germination and seedling survival increased with local-scale conspecific seed density in logged forest. Notably, seed crop size, germination, and seedling survival tended to increase for larger trees in both unlogged and logged forests, suggesting that sustainable timber extraction and silvicultural practices designed to minimize damage to the residual stand are important to prevent seedling recruitment failure. Overall, these impacts sustained by several aspects of seedling recruitment in a mast-fruiting year suggest that intensive selective logging may affect long-term population dynamics of D. lanceolata. It is necessary to establish if other dipterocarp species, many of which are threatened by the timber trade, are similarly affected in tropical forests degraded by intensive selective logging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev Pillay
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Fangyuan Hua
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Bette A. Loiselle
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Center for Latin American StudiesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Henry Bernard
- Institute for Tropical Biology and ConservationUniversiti Malaysia SabahKota KinabaluSabahMalaysia
| | - Robert J. Fletcher
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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