Above-ground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: Contributions of rainfall, forest age and soil
Abstract
Abstract Identifying factors controlling forest productivity is critical to understanding forest‐climate change feedbacks, modelling vegetation dynamics and carbon finance schemes. However, little research has focused on productivity in regenerating tropical forests which are expanding in their fraction of global area have an order of magnitude larger carbon uptake rates relative to older forest. We examined above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) and its components (wood production and litterfall) over 10 years in forest plots that vary in successional age, soil characteristics and species composition using band dendrometers and litterfall traps in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forests in northwestern Costa Rica. We show that the components of ANPP are differentially driven by age and annual rainfall and that local soil variation is important. Total ANPP was explained by a combination of age, annual rainfall and soil variation. Wood production comprised 35% of ANPP on average across sites and years, and was explained by annual rainfall but not forest age. Conversely, litterfall increased with forest age and soil fertility yet was not affected by annual rainfall. In this region, edaphic variability is highly correlated with plant community composition. Thus, variation in ecosystem processes explained by soil may also be partially explained by speciesmore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[3];
[2]
- Colby College, Waterville, ME (United States)
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
- University of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF); University of Minnesota
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1980607
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1823199
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0014363; NS000107; DEB-1053237; DE‐SC0014363
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Ecology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 109; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-0477
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ANPP; aboveground net primary productivity; biomass carbon; Costa Rica; forest soils; forest regeneration; seasonally dry tropical forest; succession; litterfall
Citation Formats
Becknell, Justin M., Vargas G., German, Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel, Medvigy, David, and Powers, Jennifer S. Above-ground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: Contributions of rainfall, forest age and soil. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13767.
Becknell, Justin M., Vargas G., German, Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel, Medvigy, David, & Powers, Jennifer S. Above-ground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: Contributions of rainfall, forest age and soil. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13767
Becknell, Justin M., Vargas G., German, Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel, Medvigy, David, and Powers, Jennifer S. Tue .
"Above-ground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: Contributions of rainfall, forest age and soil". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13767. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1980607.
@article{osti_1980607,
title = {Above-ground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: Contributions of rainfall, forest age and soil},
author = {Becknell, Justin M. and Vargas G., German and Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel and Medvigy, David and Powers, Jennifer S.},
abstractNote = {Abstract Identifying factors controlling forest productivity is critical to understanding forest‐climate change feedbacks, modelling vegetation dynamics and carbon finance schemes. However, little research has focused on productivity in regenerating tropical forests which are expanding in their fraction of global area have an order of magnitude larger carbon uptake rates relative to older forest. We examined above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) and its components (wood production and litterfall) over 10 years in forest plots that vary in successional age, soil characteristics and species composition using band dendrometers and litterfall traps in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forests in northwestern Costa Rica. We show that the components of ANPP are differentially driven by age and annual rainfall and that local soil variation is important. Total ANPP was explained by a combination of age, annual rainfall and soil variation. Wood production comprised 35% of ANPP on average across sites and years, and was explained by annual rainfall but not forest age. Conversely, litterfall increased with forest age and soil fertility yet was not affected by annual rainfall. In this region, edaphic variability is highly correlated with plant community composition. Thus, variation in ecosystem processes explained by soil may also be partially explained by species composition. These results suggest that future changes in annual rainfall can alter the secondary forest carbon sink, but this effect will be buffered by the litterfall flux which varies little among years. In determining the long‐term strength of the secondary forest carbon sink, both rainfall and forest age will be critical variables to track. We also conclude that detailed understanding of local site variation in soils and plant community may be required to accurately predict the impact of changing rainfall on forest carbon uptake. Synthesis . We show that in seasonally dry tropical forest, annual rainfall has a positive relationship with the growth of above‐ground woody tissues of trees and that droughts lead to significant reductions in above‐ground productivity. These results provide evidence for climate change—carbon cycle feedbacks in the seasonal tropics and highlight the value of longitudinal data on forest regeneration.},
doi = {10.1111/1365-2745.13767},
journal = {Journal of Ecology},
number = 11,
volume = 109,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Tue Aug 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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Aboveground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: contributions of rainfall, forest age, and soil
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- Dryad
Aboveground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: contributions of rainfall, forest age, and soil
dataset, January 2021
- Becknell, Justin; Vargas, German; Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel
- Dryad
Works referencing / citing this record:
Aboveground net primary productivity in regenerating seasonally dry tropical forest: contributions of rainfall, forest age, and soil
dataset, January 2021
- Becknell, Justin; Vargas, German; Pérez‐Aviles, Daniel
- Dryad