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What controls variation in carbon use efficiency among Amazonian tropical forests?

Doughty, Christopher E. ; Goldsmith, Gregory R. ; Raab, Nicolas ; Girardin, Cecile A. J. ; Farfan Amezquita, Filio ; Huaraca Huasco, Walter ; Silva Espejo, Javier E. ; Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro ; da Costa, Antonio C. L. and Rocha, Wanderley , et al. (2018) In Biotropica 50(1). p.16-25
Abstract

Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPPwood), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (Ra; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, indicating increased carbon allocation to belowground components. We... (More)

Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPPwood), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (Ra; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, indicating increased carbon allocation to belowground components. We then compared wood respiration to wood growth and rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth and found that forests with residence times <40 yrs had significantly lower maintenance respiration for both wood and fine roots than forests with residence times >40 yrs. A comparison of rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth showed that rhizosphere growth respiration was significantly greater at low fertility sites. Overall, we found that Amazonian forests produce biomass less efficiently in stands with residence times >40 yrs and in stands with lower fertility, but changes to long-term mean annual temperatures do not impact CUE.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
CUE, GPP, NPP, Amazonia, Temperature
in
Biotropica
volume
50
issue
1
pages
16 - 25
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85031090651
ISSN
0006-3606
DOI
10.1111/btp.12504
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
280331ed-bef0-4cd7-931f-ea43339adf99
date added to LUP
2017-10-30 10:00:01
date last changed
2022-03-02 01:27:49
@article{280331ed-bef0-4cd7-931f-ea43339adf99,
  abstract     = {{<p>Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPP<sub>wood</sub>), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (R<sub>a</sub>; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, indicating increased carbon allocation to belowground components. We then compared wood respiration to wood growth and rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth and found that forests with residence times &lt;40 yrs had significantly lower maintenance respiration for both wood and fine roots than forests with residence times &gt;40 yrs. A comparison of rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth showed that rhizosphere growth respiration was significantly greater at low fertility sites. Overall, we found that Amazonian forests produce biomass less efficiently in stands with residence times &gt;40 yrs and in stands with lower fertility, but changes to long-term mean annual temperatures do not impact CUE.</p>}},
  author       = {{Doughty, Christopher E. and Goldsmith, Gregory R. and Raab, Nicolas and Girardin, Cecile A. J. and Farfan Amezquita, Filio and Huaraca Huasco, Walter and Silva Espejo, Javier E. and Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro and da Costa, Antonio C. L. and Rocha, Wanderley and Galbraith, David and Meir, Patrick and Metcalfe, Dan B. and Malhi, Yadvinder}},
  issn         = {{0006-3606}},
  keywords     = {{CUE; GPP; NPP; Amazonia; Temperature}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{16--25}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Biotropica}},
  title        = {{What controls variation in carbon use efficiency among Amazonian tropical forests?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/btp.12504}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/btp.12504}},
  volume       = {{50}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}