Background： Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon（C） cycle.However, tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well...Background： Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon（C） cycle.However, tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood.Montane forests are highly endangered due to logging, land-use and climate change.Our objective was to analyse how the carbon balance changes during forest succession.Methods： In this study, we used a method to estimate local carbon balances that combined forest inventory data with process-based forest models.We utilised such a forest model to study the carbon balance of a tropical montane forest in South Ecuador, comparing two topographical slope positions（ravines and lower slopes vs upper slopes and ridges）.Results： The simulation results showed that the forest acts as a carbon sink with a maximum net ecosystem exchange（NEE） of 9.3 Mg C？（ha？yr）-1during its early successional stage（0–100 years）.In the late successional stage, the simulated NEE fluctuated around zero and had a variation of 0.77 Mg C？（ha？yr）–1.The simulated variability of the NEE was within the range of the field data.We discovered several forest attributes（e.g., basal area or the relative amount of pioneer trees） that can serve as predictors for NEE for young forest stands（0–100 years） but not for those in the late successional stage（500–1,000 years）.In case of young forest stands these correlations are high, especially between stand basal area and NEE.Conclusion： In this study, we used an Ecuadorian study site as an example of how to successfully link a forest model with forest inventory data, for estimating stem-diameter distributions, biomass and aboveground net primary productivity.To conclude, this study shows that process-based forest models can be used to investigate the carbon balance of tropical montane forests.With this model it is possible to find hidden relationships between forest attributes and forest carbon fluxes.These relationships promote a better understanding of the role of tropical montane forests in the context of global carbon cycle, which in future will become more relevant to a society under global change.展开更多
Background： The floodplain forests of Araguaia River, a clear-water river in the southeastern Amazon（Tocantins State, Brazil）, are characterized by seasonal flooding up to 3.5 m height, low nutrient levels in the w...Background： The floodplain forests of Araguaia River, a clear-water river in the southeastern Amazon（Tocantins State, Brazil）, are characterized by seasonal flooding up to 3.5 m height, low nutrient levels in the water, and seasonal drought periods of 4–5 months.Methods： We studied the forest dynamics（tree diameter growth, tree mortality and recruitment） of this unique forest ecosystem over a 5-year period by repeated censuses in 12 permanent plots established along a flooding gradient.Results： The cumulative basal area in the plots increased by 0.84（±0.45） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1（mean ±SD） in the annual y-flooded（AF） plots in lower terrain and by 0.69（±1.00） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the higher non-annual y flooded（NAF） plots, corresponding to an aboveground biomass increase of 0.81（±0.57） and 0.69（±1.58） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the AF and NAF plots, indicating a recent carbon sink in the biomass. Mean diameter growth rate was 1.8（±0.44） mm·yr^-1 in the AF and 2.0（±0.56） mm·yr^-1 in the NAF plots（corresponding to a coarse wood production of 1.53（±1.29） and 2.02（±0.52） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1）,indicating no flooding effect on radial growth. Mean mortality rates in the 5-year period were 1.9（±0.37）·yr^-1 in the AF plots and 1.8（±0.87）%·yr^-1 in the NAF plots with no differences along the flooding gradient. Highest mortalities were registered in the AF plots for the 10–20 cm dbh class（2.4%·yr^-1）, likely as a consequence of flooding,and in the NAF plots for the 40–50 cm dbh class（3.0%·yr^-1）, probably mainly caused by ENSO-related droughts.Conclusions： We conclude that these drought-affected tropical floodplain forests have a lower standing biomass and aboveground productivity than central Amazonian floodplain forests in more humid climates, and the imprint of the flooding gradient on stand dynamics is relatively weak, which may result from the lower flooding height and the interaction of flooding with low nutrient supply and periodic drought.展开更多
基金financial support of the German Research Foundation(DFG,Research Unit 816)for initializing the forest plots and the plot census as well as a first model parameterisationthe Helmholtz Alliance:Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics for financing the work on the further parameterisation of the model and analysis of the data
文摘Background： Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon（C） cycle.However, tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood.Montane forests are highly endangered due to logging, land-use and climate change.Our objective was to analyse how the carbon balance changes during forest succession.Methods： In this study, we used a method to estimate local carbon balances that combined forest inventory data with process-based forest models.We utilised such a forest model to study the carbon balance of a tropical montane forest in South Ecuador, comparing two topographical slope positions（ravines and lower slopes vs upper slopes and ridges）.Results： The simulation results showed that the forest acts as a carbon sink with a maximum net ecosystem exchange（NEE） of 9.3 Mg C？（ha？yr）-1during its early successional stage（0–100 years）.In the late successional stage, the simulated NEE fluctuated around zero and had a variation of 0.77 Mg C？（ha？yr）–1.The simulated variability of the NEE was within the range of the field data.We discovered several forest attributes（e.g., basal area or the relative amount of pioneer trees） that can serve as predictors for NEE for young forest stands（0–100 years） but not for those in the late successional stage（500–1,000 years）.In case of young forest stands these correlations are high, especially between stand basal area and NEE.Conclusion： In this study, we used an Ecuadorian study site as an example of how to successfully link a forest model with forest inventory data, for estimating stem-diameter distributions, biomass and aboveground net primary productivity.To conclude, this study shows that process-based forest models can be used to investigate the carbon balance of tropical montane forests.With this model it is possible to find hidden relationships between forest attributes and forest carbon fluxes.These relationships promote a better understanding of the role of tropical montane forests in the context of global carbon cycle, which in future will become more relevant to a society under global change.
基金conducted as a component in the "Carbon Sequestration Project in Bananal Island" sponsored by AES Barry FoundationCNPq(Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development)KAAD(Catholic Academic Exchange Service,Germany)
文摘Background： The floodplain forests of Araguaia River, a clear-water river in the southeastern Amazon（Tocantins State, Brazil）, are characterized by seasonal flooding up to 3.5 m height, low nutrient levels in the water, and seasonal drought periods of 4–5 months.Methods： We studied the forest dynamics（tree diameter growth, tree mortality and recruitment） of this unique forest ecosystem over a 5-year period by repeated censuses in 12 permanent plots established along a flooding gradient.Results： The cumulative basal area in the plots increased by 0.84（±0.45） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1（mean ±SD） in the annual y-flooded（AF） plots in lower terrain and by 0.69（±1.00） m^2·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the higher non-annual y flooded（NAF） plots, corresponding to an aboveground biomass increase of 0.81（±0.57） and 0.69（±1.58） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1 in the AF and NAF plots, indicating a recent carbon sink in the biomass. Mean diameter growth rate was 1.8（±0.44） mm·yr^-1 in the AF and 2.0（±0.56） mm·yr^-1 in the NAF plots（corresponding to a coarse wood production of 1.53（±1.29） and 2.02（±0.52） Mg·ha^-1·yr^-1）,indicating no flooding effect on radial growth. Mean mortality rates in the 5-year period were 1.9（±0.37）·yr^-1 in the AF plots and 1.8（±0.87）%·yr^-1 in the NAF plots with no differences along the flooding gradient. Highest mortalities were registered in the AF plots for the 10–20 cm dbh class（2.4%·yr^-1）, likely as a consequence of flooding,and in the NAF plots for the 40–50 cm dbh class（3.0%·yr^-1）, probably mainly caused by ENSO-related droughts.Conclusions： We conclude that these drought-affected tropical floodplain forests have a lower standing biomass and aboveground productivity than central Amazonian floodplain forests in more humid climates, and the imprint of the flooding gradient on stand dynamics is relatively weak, which may result from the lower flooding height and the interaction of flooding with low nutrient supply and periodic drought.
