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Mata-Guel EO, Soh MCK, Butler CW, Morris RJ, Razgour O, Peh KSH. Impacts of anthropogenic climate change on tropical montane forests: an appraisal of the evidence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1200-1224. [PMID: 36990691 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their small global area and restricted distributions, tropical montane forests (TMFs) are biodiversity hotspots and important ecosystem services providers, but are also highly vulnerable to climate change. To protect and preserve these ecosystems better, it is crucial to inform the design and implementation of conservation policies with the best available scientific evidence, and to identify knowledge gaps and future research needs. We conducted a systematic review and an appraisal of evidence quality to assess the impacts of climate change on TMFs. We identified several skews and shortcomings. Experimental study designs with controls and long-term (≥10 years) data sets provide the most reliable evidence, but were rare and gave an incomplete understanding of climate change impacts on TMFs. Most studies were based on predictive modelling approaches, short-term (<10 years) and cross-sectional study designs. Although these methods provide moderate to circumstantial evidence, they can advance our understanding on climate change effects. Current evidence suggests that increasing temperatures and rising cloud levels have caused distributional shifts (mainly upslope) of montane biota, leading to alterations in biodiversity and ecological functions. Neotropical TMFs were the best studied, thus the knowledge derived there can serve as a proxy for climate change responses in under-studied regions elsewhere. Most studies focused on vascular plants, birds, amphibians and insects, with other taxonomic groups poorly represented. Most ecological studies were conducted at species or community levels, with a marked paucity of genetic studies, limiting understanding of the adaptive capacity of TMF biota. We thus highlight the long-term need to widen the methodological, thematic and geographical scope of studies on TMFs under climate change to address these uncertainties. In the short term, however, in-depth research in well-studied regions and advances in computer modelling approaches offer the most reliable sources of information for expeditious conservation action for these threatened forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik O Mata-Guel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Malcolm C K Soh
- National Park Boards, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, 259569, Singapore
| | - Connor W Butler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Rebecca J Morris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Orly Razgour
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Kelvin S-H Peh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
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Global distribution and climate sensitivity of the tropical montane forest nitrogen cycle. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7364. [PMID: 36450741 PMCID: PMC9712492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35170-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests are pivotal to global climate and biogeochemical cycles, yet the geographic distribution of nutrient limitation to plants and microbes across the biome is unresolved. One long-standing generalization is that tropical montane forests are nitrogen (N)-limited whereas lowland forests tend to be N-rich. However, empirical tests of this hypothesis have yielded equivocal results. Here we evaluate the topographic signature of the ecosystem-level tropical N cycle by examining climatic and geophysical controls of surface soil N content and stable isotopes (δ15N) from elevational gradients distributed across tropical mountains globally. We document steep increases in soil N concentration and declining δ15N with increasing elevation, consistent with decreased microbial N processing and lower gaseous N losses. Temperature explained much of the change in N, with an apparent temperature sensitivity (Q10) of ~1.9. Although montane forests make up 11% of forested tropical land area, we estimate they account for >17% of the global tropical forest soil N pool. Our findings support the existence of widespread microbial N limitation across tropical montane forest ecosystems and high sensitivity to climate warming.
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Fadrique B, Baraloto C, Bravo‐Avila CH, Feeley KJ. Bamboo climatic tolerances are decoupled from leaf functional traits across an Andean elevation gradient. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Belen Fadrique
- School of Geography, Univ. of Leeds Leeds UK
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
| | | | - Catherine H. Bravo‐Avila
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Miami Miami FL USA
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Dept of Biological Sciences, Florida International Univ. Miami FL USA
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Moreno II, Barberena‐Arias MF, González G, Lodge DJ, Cantrell SA. Canopy opening increases leaf‐shredding arthropods and nutrient mineralization but not mass loss in wet tropical forest. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ivia I. Moreno
- Department of Biology Universidad Ana G Méndez, Gurabo Campus Gurabo Puerto Rico
| | | | - Grizelle González
- USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry Río Piedras Puerto Rico
| | - D. Jean Lodge
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station Luquillo Puerto Rico
| | - Sharon A. Cantrell
- Department of Biology Universidad Ana G Méndez, Gurabo Campus Gurabo Puerto Rico
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Ostertag R, Restrepo C, Dalling JW, Martin PH, Abiem I, Aiba S, Alvarez‐Dávila E, Aragón R, Ataroff M, Chapman H, Cueva‐Agila AY, Fadrique B, Fernández RD, González G, Gotsch SG, Häger A, Homeier J, Iñiguez‐Armijos C, Llambí LD, Moore GW, Næsborg RR, Poma López LN, Pompeu PV, Powell JR, Ramírez Correa JA, Scharnagl K, Tobón C, Williams CB. Litter decomposition rates across tropical montane and lowland forests are controlled foremost by climate. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James W. Dalling
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panamá
| | | | | | | | | | - Roxana Aragón
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucuman‐CONICET) Tucuman Argentina
| | | | | | - Augusta Y. Cueva‐Agila
- Escuela de Ciencias Agrícolas y Ambientales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Ibarra Imbabura Ecuador
| | | | - Romina D. Fernández
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucuman‐CONICET) Tucuman Argentina
| | - Grizelle González
- USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry Río Piedras Puerto Rico USA
| | | | - Achim Häger
- Leiden University College The Hague Netherlands
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Plant Ecology and Ecosystems Research University of Goettingen Goettingen Germany
| | - Carlos Iñiguez‐Armijos
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Loja Ecuador
| | | | | | - Rikke Reese Næsborg
- Department of Biology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania USA
- Conservation and Research Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara California USA
| | | | - Patrícia Vieira Pompeu
- Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul Aquidauana Brasil
- Universidade de São Paulo São Paulo Brasil
| | | | | | - Klara Scharnagl
- University & Jepson Herbaria University of California Berkeley Berkeley California USA
| | | | - Cameron B. Williams
- Department of Biology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania USA
- Conservation and Research Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara California USA
- Channel Islands National Park Ventura California USA
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Prada CM, Turner BL, Dalling JW. Growth responses of ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal seedlings to low soil nitrogen availability in a tropical montane forest. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia M. Prada
- Department of Plant Biology University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Benjamin L. Turner
- Soil and Water Science Department University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - James W. Dalling
- Department of Plant Biology University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Republic of Panama
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7
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Santos RS, Sousa-Souto L. Nest refuse of Acromyrmex balzani (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) increases the plant vigor in Turnera subulata (Turneraceae). BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 83:e244732. [PMID: 34161460 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.244732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Some studies report the positive effect of organic residues from ant nests on soil properties and on the structure of the adjacent plant community in field experiments, but there is a gap about the effect on individual species. The purpose of the present study was to compare the soil nutrient content and the development of Turnera subulata Smith, an ornamental species, in the presence of the nest refuse (basically composed of fragments of grass leaves and the symbiotic fungus) produced by the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex balzani (Emery, 1890) or in control soil through a greenhouse pot experiment. The experiment was carried out with two treatments: control soil and soil with 25% of nest refuse. The plants were kept in 1L pots for 90 days. We evaluated the parameters: plant height, stem diameter, root length, number of leaves, dry weight of the root, dry and fresh aboveground biomass. Additionally, the relative chlorophyll content and leaf nutrients were used as nutritional parameters. As a result, plants that grew in the soil with nest refuse showed significant higher values of all parameters evaluated when compared to the control treatment (p < 0.001). We conclude that this biofertilizer contributed to the production of more vigorous plants, being able to act on the local dynamics of nutrients in the ecosystems where A. balzani occurs. As it is relatively abundant and easy to collect, the refuse of A. balzani has the potential to be used as an alternative substrate in the production of shortlife cycle plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Santos
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe - UFS, Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, São Cristóvão, SE, Brasil
| | - L Sousa-Souto
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe - UFS, Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos, São Cristóvão, SE, Brasil
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Zinnert JC, Nippert JB, Rudgers JA, Pennings SC, González G, Alber M, Baer SG, Blair JM, Burd A, Collins SL, Craft C, Di Iorio D, Dodds WK, Groffman PM, Herbert E, Hladik C, Li F, Litvak ME, Newsome S, O’Donnell J, Pockman WT, Schalles J, Young DR. State changes: insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julie C. Zinnert
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University 1000 West Cary Street Richmond Virginia23284USA
| | - Jesse B. Nippert
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas66506USA
| | - Jennifer A. Rudgers
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico87131USA
| | - Steven C. Pennings
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas77204USA
| | - Grizelle González
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Jardín Botánico Sur, 1201 Ceiba St.‐Río Piedras San Juan00926Puerto Rico
| | - Merryl Alber
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia30602USA
| | - Sara G. Baer
- Kansas Biological Survey and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas Lawrence Kansas66047USA
| | - John M. Blair
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas66506USA
| | - Adrian Burd
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia30602USA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico87131USA
| | - Christopher Craft
- School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indiana University Bloomington Indiana47405USA
| | - Daniela Di Iorio
- Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia30602USA
| | - Walter K. Dodds
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas66506USA
| | - Peter M. Groffman
- City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center New York New York10031USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Millbrook New York12545USA
| | | | - Christine Hladik
- Department of Geology and Geography Georgia Southern University Statesboro Georgia30460USA
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry University of Houston Houston Texas77204USA
| | - Marcy E. Litvak
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico87131USA
| | - Seth Newsome
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico87131USA
| | - John O’Donnell
- Department of Biology Creighton University Omaha Nebraska68178USA
| | - William T. Pockman
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico87131USA
| | - John Schalles
- Department of Biology Creighton University Omaha Nebraska68178USA
| | - Donald R. Young
- Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University 1000 West Cary Street Richmond Virginia23284USA
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Muller-Landau HC, Cushman KC, Arroyo EE, Martinez Cano I, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Backiel B. Patterns and mechanisms of spatial variation in tropical forest productivity, woody residence time, and biomass. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:3065-3087. [PMID: 33207007 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests vary widely in biomass carbon (C) stocks and fluxes even after controlling for forest age. A mechanistic understanding of this variation is critical to accurately predicting responses to global change. We review empirical studies of spatial variation in tropical forest biomass, productivity and woody residence time, focusing on mature forests. Woody productivity and biomass decrease from wet to dry forests and with elevation. Within lowland forests, productivity and biomass increase with temperature in wet forests, but decrease with temperature where water becomes limiting. Woody productivity increases with soil fertility, whereas residence time decreases, and biomass responses are variable, consistent with an overall unimodal relationship. Areas with higher disturbance rates and intensities have lower woody residence time and biomass. These environmental gradients all involve both direct effects of changing environments on forest C fluxes and shifts in functional composition - including changing abundances of lianas - that substantially mitigate or exacerbate direct effects. Biogeographic realms differ significantly and importantly in productivity and biomass, even after controlling for climate and biogeochemistry, further demonstrating the importance of plant species composition. Capturing these patterns in global vegetation models requires better mechanistic representation of water and nutrient limitation, plant compositional shifts and tree mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene C Muller-Landau
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - K C Cushman
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | - Eva E Arroyo
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Isabel Martinez Cano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Bogumila Backiel
- Center for Tropical Forest Science-Forest Global Earth Observatory, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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Liu H, Chen Q, Liu X, Xu Z, Dai Y, Liu Y, Chen Y. Variation patterns of plant composition/diversity in Dacrydium pectinatum communities and their driving factors in a biodiversity hotspot on Hainan Island, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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11
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Worthy SJ, Jiménez Paz RA, Pérez ÁJ, Reynolds A, Cruse-Sanders J, Valencia R, Barone JA, Burgess KS. Distribution and Community Assembly of Trees Along an Andean Elevational Gradient. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 8:E326. [PMID: 31491875 PMCID: PMC6783956 DOI: 10.3390/plants8090326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Highlighting patterns of distribution and assembly of plants involves the use of community phylogenetic analyses and complementary traditional taxonomic metrics. However, these patterns are often unknown or in dispute, particularly along elevational gradients, with studies finding different patterns based on elevation. We investigated how patterns of tree diversity and structure change along an elevation gradient using taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity metrics. We sampled 595 individuals (36 families; 53 genera; 88 species) across 15 plots along an elevational gradient (2440-3330 m) in Ecuador. Seventy species were sequenced for the rbcL and matK gene regions to generate a phylogeny. Species richness, Shannon-Weaver diversity, Simpson's Dominance, Simpson's Evenness, phylogenetic diversity (PD), mean pairwise distance (MPD), and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD) were evaluated for each plot. Values were correlated with elevation and standardized effect sizes (SES) of MPD and MNTD were generated, including and excluding tree fern species, for comparisons across elevation. Taxonomic and phylogenetic metrics found that species diversity decreases with elevation. We also found that overall the community has a non-random phylogenetic structure, dependent on the presence of tree ferns, with stronger phylogenetic clustering at high elevations. Combined, this evidence supports the ideas that tree ferns have converged with angiosperms to occupy the same habitat and that an increased filtering of clades has led to more closely related angiosperm species at higher elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Worthy
- Department of Biology, Columbus State University, University System of Georgia, Columbus, GA 31907, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Rosa A Jiménez Paz
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador.
| | - Álvaro J Pérez
- Herbario QCA, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador.
| | | | | | - Renato Valencia
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador.
| | - John A Barone
- Department of Biology, Columbus State University, University System of Georgia, Columbus, GA 31907, USA.
| | - Kevin S Burgess
- Department of Biology, Columbus State University, University System of Georgia, Columbus, GA 31907, USA.
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Helmer EH, Gerson EA, Baggett LS, Bird BJ, Ruzycki TS, Voggesser SM. Neotropical cloud forests and páramo to contract and dry from declines in cloud immersion and frost. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213155. [PMID: 30995232 PMCID: PMC6469753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Clouds persistently engulf many tropical mountains at elevations cool enough for clouds to form, creating isolated areas with frequent fog and mist. Under these isolated conditions, thousands of unique species have evolved in what are known as tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) and páramo. Páramo comprises a set of alpine ecosystems that occur above TMCF from about 11° N to 9° S along the Americas continental divide. TMCF occur on all continents and island chains with tropical climates and mountains and are increasingly threatened by climate and land-use change. Climate change could impact a primary feature distinguishing these ecosystems, cloud immersion. But where and in what direction cloud immersion of TMCF and páramo will change with climate are fundamental unknowns. Prior studies at a few TMCF sites suggest that cloud immersion will increase in some places while declining in others. Other unknowns include the extent of deforestation in protected and unprotected cloud forest climatic zones, and deforestation extent compared with projected climate change. Here we use a new empirical approach combining relative humidity, frost, and novel application of maximum watershed elevation to project change in TMCF and páramo for Representative greenhouse gas emissions Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. Results suggest that in <25–45 yr, 70–86% of páramo will dry or be subject to tree invasion, and cloud immersion declines will shrink or dry 57–80% of Neotropical TMCF, including 100% of TMCF across Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, much of Northern South America, and parts of Southeast Brazil. These estimates rise to 86% of Neotropical TMCF and 98% of páramo in <45–65 yr if greenhouse gas emissions continue rising throughout the 21st century. We also find that TMCF zones are largely forested, but some of the most deforested areas will undergo the least climate change. We project that cloud immersion will increase for only about 1% of all TMCF and in only a few places. Declines in cloud immersion dominate TMCF change across the Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. H. Helmer
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - E. A. Gerson
- Ecological Research Support, Houghton, Michigan, United States of America
| | - L. Scott Baggett
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J. Bird
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Thomas S. Ruzycki
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shannon M. Voggesser
- Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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Do the distribution patterns of plant functional traits change during early secondary succession in tropical montane cloud forests? ACTA OECOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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14
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Hernández‐Vargas G, Sánchez‐Velásquez LR, López‐Acosta JC, Noa‐Carrazana JC, Perroni Y. Relationship between soil properties and leaf functional traits in early secondary succession of tropical montane cloud forest. Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Juan C. López‐Acosta
- Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales (CITRO), Universidad Veracruzana Veracruz Mexico
| | - Juan C. Noa‐Carrazana
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana Veracruz Mexico
| | - Yareni Perroni
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA), Universidad Veracruzana Veracruz Mexico
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15
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Litterfall Production Prior to and during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Four Puerto Rican Forests. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9060367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Martínez-Camilo R, González-Espinosa M, Ramírez-Marcial N, Cayuela L, Pérez-Farrera MÁ. Tropical tree species diversity in a mountain system in southern Mexico: local and regional patterns and determinant factors. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martínez-Camilo
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad; El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR); Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora 29290 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas México
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas (UNICACH); Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150 29030 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas México
| | - Mario González-Espinosa
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad; El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR); Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora 29290 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas México
| | - Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial
- Departamento de Conservación de la Biodiversidad; El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR); Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora 29290 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas México
| | - Luis Cayuela
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; c/ Tulipán s/n E-28933 Móstoles, Madrid España
| | - Miguel Ángel Pérez-Farrera
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas; Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas (UNICACH); Libramiento Norte Poniente 1150 29030 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas México
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Báez S, Homeier J. Functional traits determine tree growth and ecosystem productivity of a tropical montane forest: Insights from a long-term nutrient manipulation experiment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:399-409. [PMID: 28921844 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Trait-response effects are critical to forecast community structure and biomass production in highly diverse tropical forests. Ecological theory and few observation studies indicate that trees with acquisitive functional traits would respond more strongly to higher resource availability than those with conservative traits. We assessed how long-term tree growth in experimental nutrient addition plots (N, P, and N + P) varied as a function of morphological traits, tree size, and species identity. We also evaluated how trait-based responses affected stand scale biomass production considering the community structure. We found that tree growth depended on interactions between functional traits and the type or combination of nutrients added. Common species with acquisitive functional traits responded more strongly to nutrient addition, mainly to N + P. Phosphorous enhanced the growth rates of species with acquisitive and conservative traits, had mostly positive effects on common species and neutral or negative effects in rare species. Moreover, trees receiving N + P grew faster irrespective of their initial size relative to trees in control or to trees in other treatment plots. Finally, species responses were highly idiosyncratic suggesting that community processes including competition and niche dimensionality may be altered under increased resource availability. We found no statistically significant effects of nutrient additions on aboveground biomass productivity because acquisitive species had a limited potential to increase their biomass, possibly due to their generally lower wood density. In contrast, P addition increased the growth rates of species characterized by more conservative resource strategies (with higher wood density) that were poorly represented in the plant community. We provide the first long-term experimental evidence that trait-based responses, community structure, and community processes modulate the effects of increased nutrient availability on biomass productivity in a tropical forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Báez
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
- Museo de Colecciones Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Plant Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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Gotsch SG, Davidson K, Murray JG, Duarte VJ, Draguljić D. Vapor pressure deficit predicts epiphyte abundance across an elevational gradient in a tropical montane region. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2017; 104:1790-1801. [PMID: 29196341 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1700247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCFs) are important ecosystems to study and preserve because of their high biodiversity and critical roles in local and regional ecosystem processes. TMCFs may be particularly affected by changes in climate because of the narrow bands of microclimate they occupy and the vulnerability of TMCF species to projected increases in cloud base heights and drought. A comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of TMCFs is lacking and difficult to attain because of variation in topography within and across TMCF sites. This causes large differences in microclimate and forest structure at both large and small scales. METHODS In this study, we estimated the abundance of the entire epiphyte community in the canopy (bryophytes, herbaceous vascular plants, woody epiphytes, and canopy dead organic matter) in six sites. In each of the sites we installed a complete canopy weather station to link epiphyte abundance to a number of microclimatic parameters. KEY RESULTS We found significant differences in epiphyte abundance across the sites; epiphyte abundance increased with elevation and leaf wetness, but decreased as vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increased. Epiphyte abundance had the strongest relationship with VPD; there were differences in VPD that could not be explained by elevation alone. CONCLUSIONS By measuring this proxy of canopy VPD, TMCF researchers will better understand differences in microclimate and plant community composition across TMCF sites. Incorporating such information in comparative studies will allow for more meaningful comparisons across TMCFs and will further conservation and management efforts in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sybil G Gotsch
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 USA
| | - Kenneth Davidson
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 USA
| | - Jessica G Murray
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 USA
| | - Vanessa J Duarte
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 USA
| | - Danel Draguljić
- Franklin and Marshall College, Department of Mathematics, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 USA
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Nitrogen addition alters ectomycorrhizal fungal communities and soil enzyme activities in a tropical montane forest. FUNGAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Soil Biology Research across Latitude, Elevation and Disturbance Gradients: A Review of Forest Studies from Puerto Rico during the Past 25 Years. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8060178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Báez S, Jaramillo L, Cuesta F, Donoso DA. Effects of climate change on Andean biodiversity: a synthesis of studies published until 2015. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2016.1248710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Selene Báez
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregion Andina, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Liliana Jaramillo
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregion Andina, Lima, Peru
- Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David A. Donoso
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
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Towards integrated ecological research in tropical montane cloud forests. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467416000432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Tropical tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) cover a small portion of the Earth, yet they are significant biodiversity hotspots and centres of endemism, and they provide important hydrological and biogeochemical functions that affect human livelihoods. Given their fundamental sensitivity to climate, TMCFs also serve as an early warning system for climate change impacts. This paper outlines a new international initiative, CloudNet, that aims to promote integrated research across TMCFs, and introduces a special issue that reviews emerging themes and topics in the ecology of TMCFs, highlighting knowledge gaps and suggesting new directions for research. CloudNet is helping coordinate several new research projects and protocols: (1) a global repository of TMCF data and meta-analyses across multiple sites; (2) a multi-site study of plant functional traits across TMCFs; (3) a multi-site study of decomposition processes across TMCFs; (4) a protocol for standardizing climate data collection across TMCFs. These studies are intended to evaluate the extent to which general patterns emerge, accounting for biogeographic, phylogenetic and environmental differences among sites. Common data collection across TMCFs should also allow better integration across disciplines, such as linking nutrient limitation, seed production and propagule recruitment, and enable cross-site comparisons of how TMCFs respond to drivers of global change, including rising cloud bases, increasing temperatures, altered disturbance regimes, biological invasions and extinction, and changing human land use.
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Abstract
Abstract:Seed-dispersal ecology in tropical montane forests (TMF) differs in some predictable ways from tropical lowland forests (TLF). Environmental, biogeographic and biotic factors together shape dispersal syndromes which in turn influence forest structure and community composition. Data on diaspore traits along five elevational gradients from forests in Thailand, the Philippines, Tanzania, Malawi and Nigeria showed that diaspore size decreases with increasing altitude, fleshy fruits remain the most common fruit type but the relative proportion of wind-dispersed diaspores increases with altitude. Probably corresponding to diaspore size decreasing with increasing elevation, we also provide evidence that avian body size and gape width decrease with increasing altitude. Among other notable changes in the frugivorous fauna across elevational gradients, we found quantitative evidence illustrating that the proportion of bird versus mammalian frugivores increases with altitude, while TMF primates decrease in diversity and density, and switch diets to include less fruit and more leaf proportionately. A paucity of studies on dispersal distance and seed shadows, the dispersal/predation balance and density-dependent mortality thwart much-needed conclusive comparisons of seed dispersal ecology between TMF and TLF, especially from understudied Asian forests. We examine the available evidence, reveal knowledge gaps and recommend research to enhance our understanding of seed dispersal ecology in tropical forests. This review demonstrates that seed dispersal is a more deterministic and important process in tropical montane forests than has been previously appreciated.
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Natural disturbance, vegetation patterns and ecological dynamics in tropical montane forests. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467416000328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Disturbance is a central process in forest dynamics, yet the role of natural disturbance in tropical montane forests (TMFs) has not been systematically addressed. We posit that disturbance in TMFs has a wider role than commonly acknowledged and its effects are distinctive because: (1) TMFs often have very low rates of productivity due to low resources, and so recovery from disturbance may be slow, (2) montane forests have marked environmental heterogeneity which interacts with disturbance, (3) a large percentage of TMFs are regularly exposed to high energy windstorms and landslides, and (4) TMFs contain a biogeographically rich mixture of tree species with divergent evolutionary histories that interact differently with different disturbance types. We reviewed the literature on natural disturbance in TMFs and found 119 peer-reviewed papers which met our search criteria. Our review shows that disturbance is widespread in TMFs with pronounced effects on structure, function, composition and dynamics. Disturbance is also evident in the ecology of TMF biota with clear examples of plant life-history traits adapted to disturbance, including disturbance-triggered germination, treefall gap strategies and resprouting ability. Important aspects of TMF disturbances are stochastic and site-specific, but there are broad patterns in disturbance type, frequency and severity along latitudinal, altitudinal and environmental gradients. Compared with the lowland tropics, TMF disturbances are more spatially structured, TMFs experience more disturbance types in a given area due to environmental complexity, and TMFs are much more prone to small-scale yet severe landslides as well the large and potentially catastrophic disturbances of cyclones, forest die-back and fire. On the whole, natural disturbance should assume a larger role in models of ecosystem processes and vegetation patterns in TMFs. An improved understanding of what creates variation in disturbance severity and post-disturbance recovery rates, how composition and diversity feedback on disturbance type and likelihood, and how global change will alter these dynamics are important priorities in future TMF ecology research.
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