Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Assessing above-ground woody debris dynamics along a gradient of elevation in Amazonian cloud forests in Peru: balancing above-ground inputs and respiration outputs

Gurdak, Daniel J. ; Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. ; Rozas-Davila, Angela ; Huasco, Walter H. ; Cabrera, Karina G. ; Doughty, Chris E. ; Farfan-Rios, William ; Silva-Espejo, Javier E. ; Metcalfe, Dan LU and Silman, Miles R. , et al. (2014) In Plant Ecology & Diversity 7(1-2). p.143-160
Abstract
Background: Dead biomass, including woody debris (WD), is an important component of the carbon cycle in tropical forests. Aims: This study analyses WD (>2 cm) and other above-ground fluxes in mature tropical forest plots along an elevational gradient (210-3025 m above sea level) in southern Peru. Methods: This work was based on inventories of fine and coarse WD (FWD and CWD, respectively), above-ground biomass, and field-based and experimental respiration measurements. Results: Total WD stocks ranged from 6.26 Mg C ha(-1) at 3025 m to 11.48 Mg C ha(-1) at 2720 m. WD respiration was significantly correlated with moisture content (P < 0.001; R-2 = 0.25), temperature (P < 0.001; R-2 = 0.12) and wood density (P < 0.001; R-2 =... (More)
Background: Dead biomass, including woody debris (WD), is an important component of the carbon cycle in tropical forests. Aims: This study analyses WD (>2 cm) and other above-ground fluxes in mature tropical forest plots along an elevational gradient (210-3025 m above sea level) in southern Peru. Methods: This work was based on inventories of fine and coarse WD (FWD and CWD, respectively), above-ground biomass, and field-based and experimental respiration measurements. Results: Total WD stocks ranged from 6.26 Mg C ha(-1) at 3025 m to 11.48 Mg C ha(-1) at 2720 m. WD respiration was significantly correlated with moisture content (P < 0.001; R-2 = 0.25), temperature (P < 0.001; R-2 = 0.12) and wood density (P < 0.001; R-2 = 0.16). Controlled experiments showed that both water content and temperature increased respiration rates of individual WD samples. The full breadth of the temperature sensitivity coefficient, or Q(10), estimates, ranging from 1.14-2.13, was low compared to other studies. In addition, temperature sensitivity of WD respiration was greater for higher elevations. Conclusions: Carbon stocks, mortality and turnover of above-ground biomass varied widely and were not significantly related with elevation or slope. This study demonstrates that some forests may be a carbon source due to legacies of disturbance and increasing temperatures, which may cause additional, short-term carbon efflux from WD. Predictions of tropical forest carbon cycles under future climate should incorporate WD dynamics and related feedback. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Amazon Basin, Andes, carbon balance, cloud forest, montane forest, necromass, respiration, temperature sensitivity, tropical forest, turnover
in
Plant Ecology & Diversity
volume
7
issue
1-2
pages
143 - 160
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000336082900010
  • scopus:84893215827
ISSN
1755-0874
DOI
10.1080/17550874.2013.818073
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
541941f2-c2fb-4c36-8778-3a81e80b5a7b (old id 4643841)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:57:01
date last changed
2022-04-27 17:06:43
@article{541941f2-c2fb-4c36-8778-3a81e80b5a7b,
  abstract     = {{Background: Dead biomass, including woody debris (WD), is an important component of the carbon cycle in tropical forests. Aims: This study analyses WD (&gt;2 cm) and other above-ground fluxes in mature tropical forest plots along an elevational gradient (210-3025 m above sea level) in southern Peru. Methods: This work was based on inventories of fine and coarse WD (FWD and CWD, respectively), above-ground biomass, and field-based and experimental respiration measurements. Results: Total WD stocks ranged from 6.26 Mg C ha(-1) at 3025 m to 11.48 Mg C ha(-1) at 2720 m. WD respiration was significantly correlated with moisture content (P &lt; 0.001; R-2 = 0.25), temperature (P &lt; 0.001; R-2 = 0.12) and wood density (P &lt; 0.001; R-2 = 0.16). Controlled experiments showed that both water content and temperature increased respiration rates of individual WD samples. The full breadth of the temperature sensitivity coefficient, or Q(10), estimates, ranging from 1.14-2.13, was low compared to other studies. In addition, temperature sensitivity of WD respiration was greater for higher elevations. Conclusions: Carbon stocks, mortality and turnover of above-ground biomass varied widely and were not significantly related with elevation or slope. This study demonstrates that some forests may be a carbon source due to legacies of disturbance and increasing temperatures, which may cause additional, short-term carbon efflux from WD. Predictions of tropical forest carbon cycles under future climate should incorporate WD dynamics and related feedback.}},
  author       = {{Gurdak, Daniel J. and Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. and Rozas-Davila, Angela and Huasco, Walter H. and Cabrera, Karina G. and Doughty, Chris E. and Farfan-Rios, William and Silva-Espejo, Javier E. and Metcalfe, Dan and Silman, Miles R. and Malhi, Yadvinder}},
  issn         = {{1755-0874}},
  keywords     = {{Amazon Basin; Andes; carbon balance; cloud forest; montane forest; necromass; respiration; temperature sensitivity; tropical forest; turnover}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{143--160}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Plant Ecology & Diversity}},
  title        = {{Assessing above-ground woody debris dynamics along a gradient of elevation in Amazonian cloud forests in Peru: balancing above-ground inputs and respiration outputs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2013.818073}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/17550874.2013.818073}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}