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The production, allocation and cycling of carbon in a forest on fertile terra preta soil in eastern Amazonia compared with a forest on adjacent infertile soil

Doughty, Christopher E. ; Metcalfe, Dan LU ; da Costa, Mauricio C. ; de Oliveira, Alex A. R. ; Neto, G. F. C. ; Silva, Joao A. ; Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. ; Almeida, Samuel S. ; Quesada, Carlos A. and Girardin, Cecile A. J. , et al. (2014) In Plant Ecology & Diversity 7(1-2). p.41-53
Abstract
Background: Terra preta do indio or 'dark earth' soils formed as a result of a long-term addition of organic matter by indigenous peoples in Amazonia. Aims: Here we report on the first study of productivity, allocation and carbon cycling from a terra preta plot in eastern Amazonia (Caxiuana, Para, Brazil), and contrast its dynamics with a nearby plot on infertile soil (ferralsols). Methods: We determined total net primary production (NPP) for fine roots, wood, and canopy and total autotrophic respiration (rhizosphere, wood, and canopy respiration) from two 1-ha plots on contrasting soils. Results: Both gross primary productivity (GPP) (35.68 +/- 3.65 vs. 32.08 +/- 3.46 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) (0.44 +/- 0.06... (More)
Background: Terra preta do indio or 'dark earth' soils formed as a result of a long-term addition of organic matter by indigenous peoples in Amazonia. Aims: Here we report on the first study of productivity, allocation and carbon cycling from a terra preta plot in eastern Amazonia (Caxiuana, Para, Brazil), and contrast its dynamics with a nearby plot on infertile soil (ferralsols). Methods: We determined total net primary production (NPP) for fine roots, wood, and canopy and total autotrophic respiration (rhizosphere, wood, and canopy respiration) from two 1-ha plots on contrasting soils. Results: Both gross primary productivity (GPP) (35.68 +/- 3.65 vs. 32.08 +/- 3.46 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) (0.44 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.05) were slightly higher at the terra preta plot. Total NPP (15.77 +/- 1.13 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1) vs. 13.57 +/- 0.60 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and rates of fine root production (6.41 +/- 1.08 vs. 3.68 +/- 0.52 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) were also greater at the terra preta plot vs. the tower plot. Conclusions: Forests on terra preta soil fix slightly more carbon and allocate slightly more of that carbon towards growth than forests on the infertile plot, which leads to greater total NPP, which was disproportionately allocated to fine roots. However, since increased fine root NPP was partially offset by increased heterotrophic soil respiration, the increased root growth was unlikely to greatly enhance soil carbon stocks in terra preta soils. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
anthrosol, carbon use efficiency (CUE), gross primary productivity, (GPP), net primary production (NPP), terra preta, tropical forests
in
Plant Ecology & Diversity
volume
7
issue
1-2
pages
41 - 53
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000336082900004
  • scopus:84893213503
ISSN
1755-0874
DOI
10.1080/17550874.2013.798367
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
5dd06512-0517-46d7-a321-af42b2788c98 (old id 4643724)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:18:17
date last changed
2022-04-20 00:53:19
@article{5dd06512-0517-46d7-a321-af42b2788c98,
  abstract     = {{Background: Terra preta do indio or 'dark earth' soils formed as a result of a long-term addition of organic matter by indigenous peoples in Amazonia. Aims: Here we report on the first study of productivity, allocation and carbon cycling from a terra preta plot in eastern Amazonia (Caxiuana, Para, Brazil), and contrast its dynamics with a nearby plot on infertile soil (ferralsols). Methods: We determined total net primary production (NPP) for fine roots, wood, and canopy and total autotrophic respiration (rhizosphere, wood, and canopy respiration) from two 1-ha plots on contrasting soils. Results: Both gross primary productivity (GPP) (35.68 +/- 3.65 vs. 32.08 +/- 3.46 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) (0.44 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.05) were slightly higher at the terra preta plot. Total NPP (15.77 +/- 1.13 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1) vs. 13.57 +/- 0.60 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) and rates of fine root production (6.41 +/- 1.08 vs. 3.68 +/- 0.52 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) were also greater at the terra preta plot vs. the tower plot. Conclusions: Forests on terra preta soil fix slightly more carbon and allocate slightly more of that carbon towards growth than forests on the infertile plot, which leads to greater total NPP, which was disproportionately allocated to fine roots. However, since increased fine root NPP was partially offset by increased heterotrophic soil respiration, the increased root growth was unlikely to greatly enhance soil carbon stocks in terra preta soils.}},
  author       = {{Doughty, Christopher E. and Metcalfe, Dan and da Costa, Mauricio C. and de Oliveira, Alex A. R. and Neto, G. F. C. and Silva, Joao A. and Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. and Almeida, Samuel S. and Quesada, Carlos A. and Girardin, Cecile A. J. and Halladay, Kate and da Costa, Anthonio C. L. and Malhi, Yadvinder}},
  issn         = {{1755-0874}},
  keywords     = {{anthrosol; carbon use efficiency (CUE); gross primary productivity; (GPP); net primary production (NPP); terra preta; tropical forests}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{41--53}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Plant Ecology & Diversity}},
  title        = {{The production, allocation and cycling of carbon in a forest on fertile terra preta soil in eastern Amazonia compared with a forest on adjacent infertile soil}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2013.798367}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/17550874.2013.798367}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}