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Mosquera GM, Marín F, Carabajo-Hidalgo A, Asbjornsen H, Célleri R, Crespo P. Ecohydrological assessment of the water balance of the world's highest elevation tropical forest (Polylepis). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 941:173671. [PMID: 38825194 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Polylepis trees grow at elevations above the continuous tree line (3000-5000 m a.s.l.) across the Andes. They tolerate extreme environmental conditions, making them sensitive bioindicators of global climate change. Therefore, investigating their ecohydrological role is key to understanding how the water cycle of Andean headwaters could be affected by predicted changes in environmental conditions, as well as ongoing Polylepis reforestation initiatives in the region. We estimate, for the first time, the annual water balance of a mature Polylepis forest (Polylepis reticulata) catchment (3780 m a.s.l.) located in the south Ecuadorian páramo using a unique set of field ecohydrological measurements including gross rainfall, throughfall, streamflow, and xylem sap flow in combination with the characterization of forest and soil features. We also compare the forest water balance with that of a tussock grass (Calamagrostis intermedia) catchment, the dominant páramo vegetation. Annual gross rainfall during the study period (April 2019-March 2020) was 1290.6 mm yr-1. Throughfall in the Polylepis forest represented 61.2 % of annual gross rainfall. Streamflow was the main component of the water balance of the forested site (59.6 %), while its change in soil water storage was negligible (<1 %). Forest evapotranspiration was 54.0 %, with evaporation from canopy interception (38.8 %) more than twice as high as transpiration (15.1 %). The error in the annual water balance of the Polylepis catchment was small (<15 %), providing confidence in the measurements and assumptions used to estimate its components. In comparison, streamflow and evapotranspiration at the grassland site accounted for 63.7 and 36.0 % of the water balance, respectively. Although evapotranspiration was larger in the forest catchment, its water yield was only marginally reduced (<4 %) in relation to the grassland catchment. The substantially higher soil organic matter content in the forest site (47.6 %) compared to the grassland site (31.8 %) suggests that even though Polylepis forests do not impair the hydrological function of high-Andean catchments, their presence contributes to carbon storage in the litter layer of the forest and the underlying soil. These findings provide key insights into the vegetation-water‑carbon nexus in high Andean ecosystems, which can serve as a basis for future ecohydrological studies and improved management of páramo natural resources considering changes in land use and global climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanny M Mosquera
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales (iDRHICA), Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador; Departamento de Ingeniería & Grupo de Glaciología y Ecohidrología de Montañas Andinas (GEMS), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Lima, Peru.
| | - Franklin Marín
- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador; Laboratory of Quantitative Forest Ecosystem Science, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Aldemar Carabajo-Hidalgo
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales (iDRHICA), Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador; Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Heidi Asbjornsen
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Rolando Célleri
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales (iDRHICA), Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador; Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Patricio Crespo
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales (iDRHICA), Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador; Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador.
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Luján M, Leverett A, Winter K. Forty years of research into crassulacean acid metabolism in the genus Clusia: anatomy, ecophysiology and evolution. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:739-752. [PMID: 36891814 PMCID: PMC10799992 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Clusia is the only genus containing dicotyledonous trees with a capacity to perform crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Since the discovery of CAM in Clusia 40 years ago, several studies have highlighted the extraordinary plasticity and diversity of life forms, morphology and photosynthetic physiology of this genus. In this review, we revisit aspects of CAM photosynthesis in Clusia and hypothesize about the timing, the environmental conditions and potential anatomical characteristics that led to the evolution of CAM in the group. We discuss the role of physiological plasticity in influencing species distribution and ecological amplitude in the group. We also explore patterns of allometry of leaf anatomical traits and their correlations with CAM activity. Finally, we identify opportunities for further research on CAM in Clusia, such as the role of elevated nocturnal accumulation of citric acid, and gene expression in C3-CAM intermediate phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Luján
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Alistair Leverett
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Klaus Winter
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama
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Valenzuela R, Luna-Vega I, Martínez-Pineda M, Martínez-González CR, García-Jiménez J, de la Fuente J, Bautista-Hernández S, Acosta-Castellanos S, Raymundo T. Novelties in Macrofungi of the Tropical Montane Cloud Forest in Mexico. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040477. [PMID: 37108931 PMCID: PMC10143667 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The tropical montane cloud forest in Mexico is the most diverse and threatened ecosystem. Mexican macrofungi numbers more than 1408 species. This study described four new species of Agaricomycetes (Bondarzewia, Gymnopilus, Serpula, Sparassis) based on molecular and morphological characteristics. Our results support that Mexico is among the most biodiverse countries in terms of macrofungi in the Neotropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Micología, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Mexico City 11340, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Isolda Luna-Vega
- Laboratorio de Biogeografía y Sistemática, Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Michelle Martínez-Pineda
- Laboratorio de Micología, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Mexico City 11340, CDMX, Mexico
| | - César Ramiro Martínez-González
- Instituto de Horticultura, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km 38.5 Carretera Federal México-Texcoco, Texcoco 56230, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Jesús García-Jiménez
- Tecnológico Nacional de México, Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Victoria, Blvd. Emilio Portes Gil #1301 Pte., Ciudad Victoria 87010, Tamaulipas, Mexico
| | - Javier de la Fuente
- Colegio de Posgraduados, Km 36.5, Montecillo, Texcoco 56230, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Silvia Bautista-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Micología, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Mexico City 11340, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Salvador Acosta-Castellanos
- Laboratorio de Micología, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Mexico City 11340, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Tania Raymundo
- Laboratorio de Micología, Departamento de Botánica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Mexico City 11340, CDMX, Mexico
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Ramírez BH, Cortés‐B R, Pinzón OP, Gómez L, Jacquin S, Hernández E, Quimbayo LA, Bogotá‐A RG. Cloud forests of the Orinoco River Basin (Colombia): Variation in vegetation and soil macrofauna composition along the hydrometeorological gradient. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz H. Ramírez
- Maestría en Manejo, Uso y Conservación del Bosque Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de la Orinoquia ‐CEAO ABC Colombia Yopal Colombia
| | - Rocío Cortés‐B
- Maestría en Manejo, Uso y Conservación del Bosque Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Olga Patricia Pinzón
- Maestría en Manejo, Uso y Conservación del Bosque Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Laura Gómez
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Santiago Jacquin
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Eduardo Hernández
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Luz Angélica Quimbayo
- Ingeniería Forestal Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
| | - Raúl Giovanni Bogotá‐A
- Maestría en Manejo, Uso y Conservación del Bosque Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas ‐UDFJC Bogotá Colombia
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Dyola N, Sigdel SR, Liang E, Babst F, Camarero JJ, Aryal S, Chettri N, Gao S, Lu X, Sun J, Wang T, Zhang G, Zhu H, Piao S, Peñuelas J. Species richness is a strong driver of forest biomass along broad bioclimatic gradients in the Himalayas. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nita Dyola
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Shalik Ram Sigdel
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Flurin Babst
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
- Laboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - Sugam Aryal
- Friedrich‐Alexander‐Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg Institut für Geographie Erlangen Germany
| | - Nakul Chettri
- International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Kathmandu Nepal
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xiaoming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Jian Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Gengxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Haifeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Shilong Piao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CREAF Barcelona Spain
- CSIC Global Ecology Unit CREAF‐CSIC‐UAB Barcelona Spain
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Barros FDV, Bittencourt PL, Eller CB, Signori‐Müller C, Meireles LD, Oliveira RS. Phytogeographic origin determines Tropical Montane Cloud Forest hydraulic trait composition. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14008] [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)
- Fernanda de V. Barros
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia Institute of Biology University of Campinas Brazil
- Department of Geography College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter EX4 4RJ Exeter UK
| | - Paulo L. Bittencourt
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia Institute of Biology University of Campinas Brazil
- Department of Geography College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter EX4 4RJ Exeter UK
| | - Cleiton B. Eller
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia Institute of Biology University of Campinas Brazil
| | - Caroline Signori‐Müller
- Department of Geography College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter EX4 4RJ Exeter UK
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Biologia Vegetal Institute of Biology University of Campinas Brazil
| | - Leonardo D. Meireles
- Environmental Management Course School of Art, Science, and Humanities University of São Paulo – USP 03828‐000 São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Departmento de Biologia Vegetal Institute of Biology, CP 6109, University of Campinas – UNICAMP 13083‐970 Campinas SP Brazil
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Characteristics of Soil Respiration and Its Components of a Mixed Dipterocarp Forest in China. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12091159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Although numerous studies have been carried out in recent decades, soil respiration remains one of the less understood elements in global carbon budget research. Tropical forests store a considerable amount of carbon, and a well-established knowledge of the patterns, components, and controls of soil respiration in these forests will be crucial in global change research. Methods: Soil respiration was separated into two components using the trenching method. Each component was measured at multiple temporal scales and in different microhabitats. A commercial soil efflux system (Li8100/8150) was used to accomplish soil respiration monitoring. Four commonly used models were compared that described the temperature dependence of soil heterotrophic respiration using nonlinear statistics. Results and Conclusions: Trenching has a limited effect on soil temperature but considerably affects soil water content due to the exclusion of water loss via tree transpiration. Soil respiration decreased gradually from 8 to 4 μmol·m−2·s−1 6 days after trenching. Soil autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) have contrasting diel patterns and different responses to temperature. Rh was negatively correlated with temperature but positively correlated with relative humidity. Both Ra and Rh varied dramatically among microhabitats. The Q10 value of Rh derived using the Q10 model was 2.54. The Kirschbaum–O’Connell model, which implied a strong decrease of Q10 with temperature, worked best in describing temperature dependence of Rh. Heterotrophic respiration accounted for nearly half of the total soil efflux. We found an unexpected diurnal pattern in soil heterotrophic respiration which might be related to diurnal moisture dynamics. Temperature, but not soil moisture, was the major controller of seasonal variation of soil respiration in both autotrophic and heterotrophic components. From a statistical perspective, the best model to describe the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was the Kirschbaum–O’Connell model. Soil respiration varied strongly among the microhabitats and played a crucial role in stand-level ecosystem carbon balance assessment.
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Imani G, Kalume J, Marchant R, Calders K, Batumike R, Bulonvu F, Cuni‐Sanchez A. Tree diversity and carbon stocks in the Itombwe Mountains of eastern DR Congo. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13008] [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)
- Gérard Imani
- Biology Department Faculty of Sciences Université Officielle de Bukavu Bukavu Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - John Kalume
- Biology Department Faculty of Sciences Université Officielle de Bukavu Bukavu Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Rob Marchant
- Department of Environment and Geography University of York York UK
| | - Kim Calders
- Computational & Applied Vegetation Ecology (CAVElab) Department of Environment Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Rodrigue Batumike
- Environment Department Faculty of Sciences Université du Cinquantenaire de Lwiro Kabare Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Franklin Bulonvu
- Water and forest Department Institut Supérieur d’Agroforesterie et de Gestion de l’Environnement de Kahuzi‐Biega (ISAGE‐KB Kalehe Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Aida Cuni‐Sanchez
- Department of Environment and Geography University of York York UK
- Department of International Environmental and Development Studies (NORAGRIC) Norwegian University of Life Sciences As Norway
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Sun L, Luo J, Qian L, Deng T, Sun H. The relationship between elevation and seed-plant species richness in the Mt. Namjagbarwa region (Eastern Himalayas) and its underlying determinants. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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Urrutia-Jalabert R, Lara A, Barichivich J, Vergara N, Rodriguez CG, Piper FI. Low Growth Sensitivity and Fast Replenishment of Non-structural Carbohydrates in a Long-Lived Endangered Conifer After Drought. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:905. [PMID: 32733500 PMCID: PMC7357304 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate on whether a drought induced carbohydrate limitation (source limitation) or a direct effect of water shortage (sink limitation) limit growth under drought. In this study, we investigated the effects of the two driest summers recorded in southern Chile in the last seven decades, on the growth and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) concentrations of the slow-growing conifer Fitzroya cupressoides. Specifically, we studied the seasonal variation of NSC in saplings and adults one and two years after the occurrence of a 2 year-summer drought at two sites of contrasting precipitation and productivity (mesic-productive vs. rainy-less productive). We also evaluated radial growth before, during and after the drought, and predicted that drought could have reduced growth. If drought caused C source limitation, we expected that NSCs will be lower during the first than the second year after drought. Conversely, similar NSC concentrations between years or higher NSC concentrations in the first year would be supportive of sink limitation. Also, due to the lower biomass of saplings compared with adults, we expected that saplings should experience stronger seasonal NSC remobilization than adults. We confirmed this last expectation. Moreover, we found no significant growth reduction during drought in the rainy site and a slightly significant growth reduction at the mesic site for both saplings and adults. Across organs and in both sites and age classes, NSC, starch, and sugar concentrations were generally higher in the first than in the second year following drought, while NSC seasonal remobilization was generally lower. Higher NSC concentrations along with lower seasonal NSC remobilization during the first post-drought year are supportive of sink limitation. However, as these results were found at both sites while growth decreased slightly and just at the mesic site, limited growth only is unlikely to have caused NSC accumulation. Rather, these results suggest that the post-drought dynamics of carbohydrate storage are partly decoupled from the growth dynamics, and that the rebuild of C reserves after drought may be a priority in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Urrutia-Jalabert
- Instituto Forestal INFOR, Valdivia, Chile
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonio Lara
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
- Fundación Centro de los Bosques Nativos FORECOS, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Jonathan Barichivich
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, IPSL, CRNS/CEA/UVSQ, Paris, France
| | - Nicolás Vergara
- Centro de Ciencia del Clima y la Resiliencia, CR2, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carmen Gloria Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Dendrocronología y Cambio Global, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Frida I. Piper
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia, Coyhaique, Chile
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Marline L, Ah‐Peng C, Hedderson TAJ. Epiphytic bryophyte diversity and range distributions along an elevational gradient in Marojejy, Madagascar. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Berry ZC, Espejel X, Williams-Linera G, Asbjornsen H. Linking coordinated hydraulic traits to drought and recovery responses in a tropical montane cloud forest. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1316-1326. [PMID: 31518000 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Understanding plant hydraulic functioning and water balance during drought has become key in predicting species survival and recovery. However, there are few insightful studies that couple physiological and morphological attributes for many ecosystems, such as the vulnerable Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF). In this study, we evaluated drought resistance and recovery for saplings for five tree species spanning deciduous to evergreen habits from a Mexican TMCF. METHODS In drought simulations, water was withheld until plants reached species-specific P50 or P88 values (pressures required to induce a 50 or 88% loss in hydraulic conductivity), then they were rewatered. Drought resistance was considered within the isohydric-anisohydric framework and compared to leaf gas exchange, water status, pressure-volume curves, specific leaf area, and stomatal density. RESULTS The TMCF species closed stomata well before significant losses in hydraulic conductivity (isohydric). Yet, despite the coordination of these traits, the traits were not useful for predicting the time needed for the species to reach critical hydraulic thresholds. Instead, maximum photosynthetic rates explained these times, reinforcing the linkage between hydraulic and carbon dynamics. Despite their varying hydraulic conductivities, stomatal responses, and times to hydraulic thresholds, 58 of the 60 study plants recovered after the rewatering. The recovery of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance can be explained by the P50 values and isohydry. CONCLUSIONS This study raises new questions surrounding drought management strategies, recovery processes, and how lethal thresholds are defined. Further studies need to consider the role of water and carbon balance in allowing for both survival and recovery from drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Carter Berry
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Ximena Espejel
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Xalapa, Veracruz, 91070, México
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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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Metcalfe DB, Ahlstrand JCM. Effects of moisture dynamics on bryophyte carbon fluxes in a tropical cloud forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:1766-1777. [PMID: 30716175 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Bryophytes play key roles in the ecological function of a number of major world biomes but remain understudied compared with vascular plants. Little is known about bryophyte responses to different aspects of predicted changes in moisture dynamics with climate change. In this study, CO2 fluxes and photosynthetic light responses were measured within bryophyte mesocosms, being subjected to different amounts, frequencies, and types (mist or rainfall) of water addition, both before and after different periods of complete desiccation. Bryophyte carbon fluxes and photosynthetic light response were generally affected by the magnitude and type, but not frequency, of watering events. Desiccation suppressed bryophyte carbon uptake even after rehydration, and the degree of uptake suppression progressively increased with desiccation duration. Estimated ecosystem-level bryophyte respiration and net carbon uptake were c. 58% and c. 3%, respectively, of corresponding fluxes from tree foliage at the site. Our results suggest that a simplified representation of precipitation processes may be sufficient to accurately model bryophyte carbon cycling under future climate scenarios. Further, we find that projected increases in drought could have strong negative impacts on bryophyte and ecosystem carbon storage, with major consequences for a wide range of ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Metcalfe
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jenny C M Ahlstrand
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
- County Administrative Board, Hamngatan 4, SE-551 86, Jönköping, Sweden
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15
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Veintimilla D, Ngo Bieng MA, Delgado D, Vilchez‐Mendoza S, Zamora N, Finegan B. Drivers of tropical rainforest composition and alpha diversity patterns over a 2,520 m altitudinal gradient. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5720-5730. [PMID: 31160993 PMCID: PMC6540655 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM We sought to determine the relationship of forest composition and alpha diversity (the species diversity of a local assemblage) to altitude, soil, and spatial factors over a 440-2,950 m a.s.l gradient. LOCATION Altitudinal gradient on the Caribbean slope of the Talamanca Cordillera, Costa Rica. TAXON Angiosperm and gymnosperm trees, palms, and tree ferns. METHODS We measured and identified all stems ≥10 cm dbh in 32 0.25-ha undisturbed rain forest plots over the gradient. We determined compositional patterns using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) ordination, and used linear regressions to explore the relationship between four alpha diversity metrics and altitude. With variation partitioning (VARPART), we determined the compositional variation explained by altitude, soil, and spatial variables quantified using Principle Components of Neighbor matrices. RESULTS We identified 425 species. NMS axis 1 separated a lowland zone (440-1,120 m asl) from a transitional one dominated by holarctic Oreomunnea mexicana (1,400-1,600 m asl) and Quercus-dominated forests at altitudes >2,100 m asl. The lowland zone was separated into two clusters of plots on NMS axis 2, the first in the 430-620 m asl range and the second at 1,000-1,120 masl. Regressions showed that all alpha diversity metrics were strongly negatively related to altitude (R 2 > 0.78). Overall, adjusted R 2 from VARPART was 0.43, with 0.30, 0.21, and 0.17 for altitude, soil, and space respectively. The respective adjusted R 2 of individual matrices, on controlling for the other two, was 0.06, 0.05 and 0.09 (p < 0.001). MAIN CONCLUSIONS There are two well-defined forest compositional zones on this gradient-lowlands 430-1,120 m asl and montane forests >2,150 m asl-with a transitional zone at 1,400-1,600 m asl, where lowland tropical and montane holarctic species are found together. Montane forests are very distinct in their composition and low alpha diversity. Vegetation and soil respond to altitude, and therefore temperature, as an integrated system, a model that goes beyond niche assembly as shown by the significant effect of space in the VARPART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Veintimilla
- CATIE-Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Marie Ange Ngo Bieng
- CATIE-Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
- CIRAD, UR Forêts et Sociétés, CIRAD Campus International de BaillarguetMontpellierCedex 5France
| | - Diego Delgado
- CATIE-Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | | | - Nelson Zamora
- CATIE-Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Bryan Finegan
- CATIE-Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
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16
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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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17
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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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18
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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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19
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Dawson TE, Goldsmith GR. The value of wet leaves. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 219:1156-1169. [PMID: 29959896 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Contents Summary 1156 I. Introduction 1156 II. How often are leaves wet? 1157 III. The costs of leaf wetting 1157 IV. The real and potential benefits of leaf wetting 1161 V. Wet leaves: costs, benefits and tradeoffs in a changing world 1165 Acknowledgements 1166 References 1166 SUMMARY: An often-overlooked feature of all plants is that their leaf surfaces are wet for significant periods over their lifetimes. Leaf wetting has a number of direct and indirect effects on plant function from the scale of the leaf to that of the ecosystem. The costs of leaf wetting for plant function, such as the growth of pathogens and the leaching of nutrients, have long been recognized. However, an emerging body of research has also begun to demonstrate some very clear benefits. For instance, leaf wetting can improve plant-water relations and lead to increased photosynthesis. Leaf wetting may also lead to synergistic effects on plant function, such as when leaf water potential improvements lead to enhanced growth that does not occur when plant leaves are dry. We identify important reasons why leaf wetting can be critical for plant sciences to not only acknowledge, but also directly address, in future research. To do so, we provide a framework for the consideration of the relative balance of the various costs and benefits resulting from leaf wetting, as well as how this balance may be expected to change given projected scenarios of global climate change in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd E Dawson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Gregory R Goldsmith
- Ecosystem Fluxes Group, Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen, Switzerland
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
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20
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Good SP, Moore GW, Miralles DG. A mesic maximum in biological water use demarcates biome sensitivity to aridity shifts. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1883-1888. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0371-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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21
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Aparecido LMT, Miller GR, Cahill AT, Moore GW. Leaf surface traits and water storage retention affect photosynthetic responses to leaf surface wetness among wet tropical forest and semiarid savanna plants. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:1285-1300. [PMID: 28985388 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpx092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
While it is reasonable to predict that photosynthetic rates are inhibited while leaves are wet, leaf gas exchange measurements during wet conditions are challenging to obtain due to equipment limitations and the complexity of canopy-atmosphere interactions in forested environments. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate responses of seven tropical and three semiarid savanna plant species to simulated leaf wetness and test the hypotheses that (i) leaf wetness reduces photosynthetic rates (Anet), (ii) leaf traits explain different responses among species and (iii) leaves from wet environments are better adapted for wet leaf conditions than those from drier environments. The two sites were a tropical rainforest in northern Costa Rica with ~4200 mm annual rainfall and a savanna in central Texas with ~1100 mm. Gas exchange measurements were collected under dry and wet conditions on five sun-exposed leaf replicates from each species. Additional measurements included leaf wetness duration and stomatal density. We found that Anet responses varied greatly among species, but all plants maintained a baseline of activity under wet leaf conditions, suggesting that abaxial leaf Anet was a significant percentage of total leaf Anet for amphistomatous species. Among tropical species, Anet responses immediately after wetting ranged from -31% (Senna alata (L.) Roxb.) to +21% (Zamia skinneri Warsz. Ex. A. Dietr.), while all savanna species declined (up to -48%). After 10 min of drying, most species recovered Anet towards the observed status prior to wetting or surpassed it, with the exception of Quercus stellata Wangenh., a savanna species, which remained 13% below Anet dry. The combination of leaf wetness duration and leaf traits, such as stomatal density, trichomes or wax, most likely influenced Anet responses positively or negatively. There was also overlap between leaf traits and Anet responses of savanna and tropical plants. It is possible that these species converge on a relatively conservative response to wetness, each for divergent purposes (cooling, avoiding stomatal occlusion, or by several unique means of rapid drying). A better understanding of leaf wetness inhibiting photosynthesis is vital for accurate modeling of growth in forested environments; however, species adapted for wet environments may possess compensatory traits that mitigate these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza M T Aparecido
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX77843, USA
| | - Gretchen R Miller
- Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3136 TAMU, College Station, TX77843-3136, USA
| | - Anthony T Cahill
- Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3136 TAMU, College Station, TX77843-3136, USA
| | - Georgianne W Moore
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX77843, USA
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22
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Determinants of Aboveground Biomass across an Afromontane Landscape Mosaic in Kenya. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9080827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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23
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Marian F, Sandmann D, Krashevska V, Maraun M, Scheu S. Leaf and root litter decomposition is discontinued at high altitude tropical montane rainforests contributing to carbon sequestration. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:6432-6443. [PMID: 28861246 PMCID: PMC5574766 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated how altitude affects the decomposition of leaf and root litter in the Andean tropical montane rainforest of southern Ecuador, that is, through changes in the litter quality between altitudes or other site-specific differences in microenvironmental conditions. Leaf litter from three abundant tree species and roots of different diameter from sites at 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 m were placed in litterbags and incubated for 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months. Environmental conditions at the three altitudes and the sampling time were the main factors driving litter decomposition, while origin, and therefore quality of the litter, was of minor importance. At 2,000 and 3,000 m decomposition of litter declined for 12 months reaching a limit value of ~50% of initial and not decomposing further for about 24 months. After 36 months, decomposition commenced at low rates resulting in an average of 37.9% and 44.4% of initial remaining after 48 months. In contrast, at 1,000 m decomposition continued for 48 months until only 10.9% of the initial litter mass remained. Changes in decomposition rates were paralleled by changes in microorganisms with microbial biomass decreasing after 24 months at 2,000 and 3,000 m, while varying little at 1,000 m. The results show that, irrespective of litter origin (1,000, 2,000, 3,000 m) and type (leaves, roots), unfavorable microenvironmental conditions at high altitudes inhibit decomposition processes resulting in the sequestration of carbon in thick organic layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca Marian
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Dorothee Sandmann
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Valentyna Krashevska
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Mark Maraun
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and AnthropologyUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land UseUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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24
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Malhi Y, Girardin CAJ, Goldsmith GR, Doughty CE, Salinas N, Metcalfe DB, Huaraca Huasco W, Silva-Espejo JE, Del Aguilla-Pasquell J, Farfán Amézquita F, Aragão LEOC, Guerrieri R, Ishida FY, Bahar NHA, Farfan-Rios W, Phillips OL, Meir P, Silman M. The variation of productivity and its allocation along a tropical elevation gradient: a whole carbon budget perspective. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:1019-1032. [PMID: 27768811 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Why do forest productivity and biomass decline with elevation? To address this question, research to date generally has focused on correlative approaches describing changes in woody growth and biomass with elevation. We present a novel, mechanistic approach to this question by quantifying the autotrophic carbon budget in 16 forest plots along a 3300 m elevation transect in Peru. Low growth rates at high elevations appear primarily driven by low gross primary productivity (GPP), with little shift in either carbon use efficiency (CUE) or allocation of net primary productivity (NPP) between wood, fine roots and canopy. The lack of trend in CUE implies that the proportion of photosynthate allocated to autotrophic respiration is not sensitive to temperature. Rather than a gradual linear decline in productivity, there is some limited but nonconclusive evidence of a sharp transition in NPP between submontane and montane forests, which may be caused by cloud immersion effects within the cloud forest zone. Leaf-level photosynthetic parameters do not decline with elevation, implying that nutrient limitation does not restrict photosynthesis at high elevations. Our data demonstrate the potential of whole carbon budget perspectives to provide a deeper understanding of controls on ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Cécile A J Girardin
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Gregory R Goldsmith
- Ecosystem Fluxes Group, Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Christopher E Doughty
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Norma Salinas
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru
| | - Daniel B Metcalfe
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, SE 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Luiz E O C Aragão
- Remote Sensing Division, National Institute for Space Research, Av. dos Astronautas, 1.758, São José dos Campos, SP, 12227-010, Brazil
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Rossella Guerrieri
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, CREAF c/o Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Edificio C, 08290, Cerdanyola, Barcelona, Spain
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Françoise Yoko Ishida
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Centre of Tropical Environmental and Sustainabilility Science, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, 4870, Australia
| | - Nur H A Bahar
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Building 134, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - William Farfan-Rios
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA
| | | | - Patrick Meir
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XP, UK
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Building 134, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Miles Silman
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA
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25
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Bahar NHA, Ishida FY, Weerasinghe LK, Guerrieri R, O'Sullivan OS, Bloomfield KJ, Asner GP, Martin RE, Lloyd J, Malhi Y, Phillips OL, Meir P, Salinas N, Cosio EG, Domingues TF, Quesada CA, Sinca F, Escudero Vega A, Zuloaga Ccorimanya PP, Del Aguila-Pasquel J, Quispe Huaypar K, Cuba Torres I, Butrón Loayza R, Pelaez Tapia Y, Huaman Ovalle J, Long BM, Evans JR, Atkin OK. Leaf-level photosynthetic capacity in lowland Amazonian and high-elevation Andean tropical moist forests of Peru. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 214:1002-1018. [PMID: 27389684 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We examined whether variations in photosynthetic capacity are linked to variations in the environment and/or associated leaf traits for tropical moist forests (TMFs) in the Andes/western Amazon regions of Peru. We compared photosynthetic capacity (maximal rate of carboxylation of Rubisco (Vcmax ), and the maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax )), leaf mass, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) per unit leaf area (Ma , Na and Pa , respectively), and chlorophyll from 210 species at 18 field sites along a 3300-m elevation gradient. Western blots were used to quantify the abundance of the CO2 -fixing enzyme Rubisco. Area- and N-based rates of photosynthetic capacity at 25°C were higher in upland than lowland TMFs, underpinned by greater investment of N in photosynthesis in high-elevation trees. Soil [P] and leaf Pa were key explanatory factors for models of area-based Vcmax and Jmax but did not account for variations in photosynthetic N-use efficiency. At any given Na and Pa , the fraction of N allocated to photosynthesis was higher in upland than lowland species. For a small subset of lowland TMF trees examined, a substantial fraction of Rubisco was inactive. These results highlight the importance of soil- and leaf-P in defining the photosynthetic capacity of TMFs, with variations in N allocation and Rubisco activation state further influencing photosynthetic rates and N-use efficiency of these critically important forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur H A Bahar
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - F Yoko Ishida
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, Australia
| | - Lasantha K Weerasinghe
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Rossella Guerrieri
- Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Edificio C, 08290, Cerdanyola, Barcelona Spain
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, UK
| | - Odhran S O'Sullivan
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Keith J Bloomfield
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Roberta E Martin
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jon Lloyd
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, Australia
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Oliver L Phillips
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS9 2JT, UK
| | - Patrick Meir
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JN, UK
| | - Norma Salinas
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Seccion Quimica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima, Perú
| | - Eric G Cosio
- Seccion Quimica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima, Perú
| | - Tomas F Domingues
- Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Quesada
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Felipe Sinca
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Alberto Escudero Vega
- Seccion Quimica, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima, Perú
| | - Paola P Zuloaga Ccorimanya
- Escuela Profesional de Biologia, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Jhon Del Aguila-Pasquel
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana (IIAP), Av. José A. Quiñones km. 2.5, Apartado Postal 784, Iquitos, Perú
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA
| | - Katherine Quispe Huaypar
- Escuela Profesional de Biologia, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Israel Cuba Torres
- Escuela Profesional de Biologia, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Rosalbina Butrón Loayza
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Yulina Pelaez Tapia
- Escuela Profesional de Biologia, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Judit Huaman Ovalle
- Escuela Profesional de Biologia, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av de la Cultura, No. 733, Cusco, Perú
| | - Benedict M Long
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - John R Evans
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Owen K Atkin
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Building 134, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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26
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Taylor PG, Cleveland CC, Wieder WR, Sullivan BW, Doughty CE, Dobrowski SZ, Townsend AR. Temperature and rainfall interact to control carbon cycling in tropical forests. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:779-788. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip G. Taylor
- Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - Cory C. Cleveland
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT USA
| | - William R. Wieder
- Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- National Center for Atmospheric Research TSS, CGD/ NCAR Boulder CO USA
| | - Benjamin W. Sullivan
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science and the Global Water Center University of Nevada‐Reno Reno NV USA
| | - Christopher E. Doughty
- School of Informatics Computing and Cyber systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | | | - Alan R. Townsend
- Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research and Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
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27
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Climate Impacts on Soil Carbon Processes along an Elevation Gradient in the Tropical Luquillo Experimental Forest. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8030090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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28
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Baguskas SA, King JY, Fischer DT, D Antonio CM, Still CJ. Impact of fog drip versus fog immersion on the physiology of Bishop pine saplings. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2017; 44:339-350. [PMID: 32480568 DOI: 10.1071/fp16234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fog-drip to the soil is the most obvious contribution of fog to the water budget of an ecosystem, but several studies provide convincing evidence that foliar absorption of fog water through leaf wetting events is also possible. The focus of our research was to assess the relative importance of fog drip and fog immersion (foliar wetting) on leaf gas-exchange rates and photosynthetic capacity of a coastal pine species, Bishop pine (Pinus muricata D.Don), a drought-sensitive species restricted to the fog belt of coastal California and offshore islands. In a controlled experiment, we manipulated fog water inputs to potted Bishop pine saplings during a 3 week dry-down period. Ten saplings were randomly assigned one of two fog treatments: (1) fog drip to the soil and canopy fog immersion, or (2) fog immersion alone. Five saplings were assigned the 'control' group and received no fog water inputs. We found that fog immersion alone significantly increased carbon assimilation rates and photosynthetic capacity of saplings as soil moisture declined compared with those that received no fog at all. The highest carbon assimilation rates were observed in saplings that also received fog drip. Soil moisture was 40% higher in the fog immersion compared with the control group during the dry-down, indicating a reduced demand for soil water in saplings that had only leaves wetted by canopy interception of fog. Leaf-level physiology is more strongly enhanced by fog drip compared with fog immersion, although the results of this study provide evidence that foliar absorption is a viable mechanism by which Bishop pines use fog water and that it can enhance instantaneous plant carbon gain and potentially whole plant productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A Baguskas
- University of California Santa Cruz, Department of Environmental Studies, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Jennifer Y King
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Geography, 1832 Ellison Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4060, USA
| | - Douglas T Fischer
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Geography, 1832 Ellison Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4060, USA
| | - Carla M D Antonio
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Christopher J Still
- Oregon State University, Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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29
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Balzotti CS, Asner GP, Taylor PG, Cleveland CC, Cole R, Martin RE, Nasto M, Osborne BB, Porder S, Townsend AR. Environmental controls on canopy foliar nitrogen distributions in a Neotropical lowland forest. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:2449-2462. [PMID: 27874999 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Distributions of foliar nutrients across forest canopies can give insight into their plant functional diversity and improve our understanding of biogeochemical cycling. We used airborne remote sensing and partial least squares regression to quantify canopy foliar nitrogen (foliar N) across ~164 km2 of wet lowland tropical forest in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. We determined the relative influence of climate and topography on the observed patterns of foliar N using a gradient boosting model technique. At a local scale, where climate and substrate were constant, we explored the influence of slope position on foliar N by quantifying foliar N on remnant terraces, their adjacent slopes, and knife-edged ridges. In addition, we climbed and sampled 540 trees and analyzed foliar N in order to quantify the role of species identity (phylogeny) and environmental factors in predicting foliar N. Observed foliar N heterogeneity reflected environmental factors working at multiple spatial scales. Across the larger landscape, elevation and precipitation had the highest relative influence on predicting foliar N (30% and 24%), followed by soils (15%), site exposure (9%), compound topographic index (8%), substrate (6%), and landscape dissection (6%). Phylogeny explained ~75% of the variation in the field collected foliar N data, suggesting that phylogeny largely underpins the response to the environmental factors. Taken together, these data suggest that a large fraction of the variance in foliar N across the landscape is proximately driven by species composition, though ultimately this is likely a response to abiotic factors such as climate and topography. Future work should focus on the mechanisms and feedbacks involved, and how shifts in climate may translate to changes in forest function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Balzotti
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Gregory P Asner
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Philip G Taylor
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708, USA
| | - Cory C Cleveland
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Rebecca Cole
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
| | - Roberta E Martin
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, 94305, USA
| | - Megan Nasto
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Brooke B Osborne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
| | - Stephen Porder
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, USA
| | - Alan R Townsend
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708, USA
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30
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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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31
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Abstract
Abstract:Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are dynamic ecosystems defined by frequent, but intermittent, contact with fog. The resultant microclimate can vary considerably over short spatial and temporal scales, affecting the ecophysiology of TMCF plants. We synthesized research to date on TMCF carbon and water fluxes at the scale of the leaf, plant and ecosystem and then contextualized this synthesis with tropical lowland forest ecosystems. Mean light-saturated photosynthesis was lower than that of lowland forests, probably due to the effects of persistent reduced radiation leading to shade acclimation. Scaled to the ecosystem, measures of annual net primary productivity were also lower. Mean rates of transpiration, from the scale of the leaf to the ecosystem, were also lower than in lowland sites, likely due to lower atmospheric water demand, although there was considerable overlap in range. Lastly, although carbon use efficiency appears relatively invariant, limited evidence indicates that water use efficiency generally increases with altitude, perhaps due to increased cloudiness exerting a stronger effect on vapour pressure deficit than photosynthesis. The results reveal clear differences in carbon and water balance between TMCFs and their lowland counterparts and suggest many outstanding questions for understanding TMCF ecophysiology now and in the future.
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32
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Fischer DT, Still CJ, Ebert CM, Baguskas SA, Park Williams A. Fog drip maintains dry season ecological function in a California coastal pine forest. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas T. Fischer
- Department of GeographyUC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
- Ronin Institute Santa Barbara California 93109 USA
- Environment DivisionArcadis Santa Barbara California 93109 USA
| | - Christopher J. Still
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and SocietyOregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Colin M. Ebert
- EbertGeoSpatial 7470 Morningside Drive Granite Bay California 95746 USA
| | - Sara A. Baguskas
- Department of Environmental StudiesUC Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - A. Park Williams
- Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Palisades New York 10964 USA
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33
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Looby CI, Maltz MR, Treseder KK. Belowground responses to elevation in a changing cloud forest. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1996-2009. [PMID: 27066220 PMCID: PMC4767876 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Few studies have investigated how soil fungal communities respond to elevation, especially within TMCF (tropical montane cloud forests). We used an elevation gradient in a TMCF in Costa Rica to determine how soil properties, processes, and community composition of fungi change in response to elevation and across seasons. As elevation increased, soil temperature and soil pH decreased, while soil moisture and soil C:N ratios increased with elevation. Responses of these properties varied seasonally. Fungal abundance increased with elevation during wet and dry seasons. Fungal community composition shifted in response to elevation, and to a lesser extent by season. These shifts were accompanied by varying responses of important fungal functional groups during the wet season and the relative abundance of certain fungal phyla. We suggest that elevation and the responses of certain fungal functional groups may be structuring fungal communities along this elevation gradient. TMCF are ecosystems that are rapidly changing due to climate change. Our study suggests that these changes may affect how fungal communities are structured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin I. Looby
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCalifornia92697
| | - Mia R. Maltz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCalifornia92697
| | - Kathleen K. Treseder
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCalifornia92697
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34
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Thomas DC, Vandegrift R, Ludden A, Carroll GC, Roy BA. Spatial Ecology of the Fungal Genus
Xylaria
in a Tropical Cloud Forest. Biotropica 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C. Thomas
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR U.S.A
| | - Roo Vandegrift
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR U.S.A
| | - Ashley Ludden
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR U.S.A
| | - George C. Carroll
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR U.S.A
| | - Bitty A. Roy
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR U.S.A
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35
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Hu J, Riveros-Iregui DA. Life in the clouds: are tropical montane cloud forests responding to changes in climate? Oecologia 2016; 180:1061-73. [PMID: 26739003 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3533-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The humid tropics represent only one example of the many places worldwide where anthropogenic disturbance and climate change are quickly affecting the feedbacks between water and trees. In this article, we address the need for a more long-term perspective on the effects of climate change on tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) in order to fully assess the combined vulnerability and long-term response of tropical trees to changes in precipitation regimes, including cloud immersion. We first review the ecophysiological benefits that cloud water interception offers to trees in TMCF and then examine current climatological evidence that suggests changes in cloud base height and impending changes in cloud immersion for TMCF. Finally, we propose an experimental approach to examine the long-term dynamics of tropical trees in TMCF in response to environmental conditions on decade-to-century time scales. This information is important to assess the vulnerability and long-term response of TMCF to changes in cloud cover and fog frequency and duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Hu
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59715, USA.
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36
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Salas-Morales SH, Meave JA, Trejo I. The relationship of meteorological patterns with changes in floristic richness along a large elevational gradient in a seasonally dry region of southern Mexico. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2015; 59:1861-1874. [PMID: 25894735 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-015-0993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Globally, climate is a fundamental driver of plant species' geographical distributions, yet we still lack a good understanding of climatic variation on tropical mountains and its consequences for elevational floristic patterns. In a seasonally dry region of southern Mexico, we analysed meteorological patterns along a large elevational gradient (0-3670 m a.s.l.) and examined their relationship with changes in floristic richness. Meteorological patterns were characterised using two data sources. First, climatic information was extracted from cartography and records from a few existing meteorological stations. Additionally, air temperature and humidity were recorded hourly during 1 year with data loggers, at sites representing 200-m elevation increments. Floristic information was extracted from a database containing 10,124 records of plant collections, and organized in 200-m elevational belts. Climatic charts distinguished three climate types along the gradient, all with marked rainfall seasonality, but these bore little correspondence with the information obtained with the data loggers. Mean annual air temperature decreased with increasing elevation (lapse rate of 0.542 °C 100 m(-1)). Thermal oscillation was minimum around 1400 m and increased towards both extremes of the gradient. Relative humidity opposed this pattern, with maxima between 800 and 1800 m, decreasing towards the highest elevations. An analysis of temperature frequency distributions revealed meteorological features undetectable from the annual or monthly means of this variable; despite an overall gradual transition of the proportions of time recorded at different temperatures, some changes did not conform to this pattern. The first discontinuity occurred between 1000-1200 m, where dominant temperatures shifted abruptly; also noticeable was an abrupt increase of the proportion of time elapsed at 0.1-10 °C between 2400 and 2600 m. Air temperature appears to be the most influential climatic factor driving elevational variation of plant species richness in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia H Salas-Morales
- Sociedad para el Estudio de los Recursos Bióticos de Oaxaca, A.C., Camino Nacional No. 80-b, San Sebastián Tutla, Oaxaca, 71246, Mexico
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 04510, DF, Mexico
| | - Jorge A Meave
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 04510, DF, Mexico.
| | - Irma Trejo
- Departamento de Geografía Física, Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 04510, DF, Mexico
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37
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Geographic, environmental and biotic sources of variation in the nutrient relations of tropical montane forests. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467415000619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Tropical montane forests (TMF) are associated with a widely observed suite of characteristics encompassing forest structure, plant traits and biogeochemistry. With respect to nutrient relations, montane forests are characterized by slow decomposition of organic matter, high investment in below-ground biomass and poor litter quality, relative to tropical lowland forests. However, within TMF there is considerable variation in substrate age, parent material, disturbance and species composition. Here we emphasize that many TMFs are likely to be co-limited by multiple nutrients, and that feedback among soil properties, species traits, microbial communities and environmental conditions drive forest productivity and soil carbon storage. To date, studies of the biogeochemistry of montane forests have been restricted to a few, mostly neotropical, sites and focused mainly on trees while ignoring mycorrhizas, epiphytes and microbial community structure. Incorporating the geographic, environmental and biotic variability in TMF will lead to a greater recognition of plant–soil feedbacks that are critical to understanding constraints on productivity, both under present conditions and under future climate, nitrogen-deposition and land-use scenarios.
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38
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Tropical montane cloud forest: environmental drivers of vegetation structure and ecosystem function. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467415000176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are characterized by short trees, often twisted with multiple stems, with many stems per ground area, a large stem diameter to height ratio, and small, often thick leaves. These forests exhibit high root to shoot ratio, with a moderate leaf area index, low above-ground production, low leaf nutrient concentrations and often with luxuriant epiphytic growth. These traits of TMCF are caused by climatic conditions not geological substrate, and are particularly associated with frequent or persistent fog and low cloud. There are several reasons why fog might result in these features. Firstly, the fog and clouds reduce the amount of light received per unit area of ground and as closed-canopy forests absorb most of the light that reaches them the reduction in the total amount of light reduces growth. Secondly, the rate of photosynthesis per leaf area declines in comparison with that in the lowlands, which leads to less carbon fixation. Nitrogen supply limits growth in several of the few TMCFs where it has been investigated experimentally. High root : shoot biomass and production ratios are common in TMCF, and soils are often wet which may contribute to N limitation. Further study is needed to clarify the causes of several key features of TMCF ecosystems including high tree diameter : height ratio.
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39
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Tognetti R. Trees harvesting the clouds: fog nets threatened by climate change. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 35:921-924. [PMID: 26358050 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpv086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Tognetti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università del Molise, Pesche (IS) 86090, Italy The EFI Project Centre on Mountain Forests (MOUNTFOR), Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige (TN) 38010, Italy
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40
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Long W, Xiong M, Zang R, Schamp BS, Yang X, Ding Y, Huang Y, Xiang Y. Changes in Patterns of Species Co-occurrence across Two Tropical Cloud Forests Differing in Soil Nutrients and Air Temperature. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Long
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Development Utilization of Tropical Crop Germplasm Resource; Ministry of Education; College of Horticulture and Landscape Agriculture; Hainan University; Haikou China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Beijing China
| | - Menghui Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Development Utilization of Tropical Crop Germplasm Resource; Ministry of Education; College of Horticulture and Landscape Agriculture; Hainan University; Haikou China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Beijing China
| | - Brandon S. Schamp
- Department of Biology; Algoma University; Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 2G4 Canada
| | - Xiaobo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Development Utilization of Tropical Crop Germplasm Resource; Ministry of Education; College of Horticulture and Landscape Agriculture; Hainan University; Haikou China
| | - Yi Ding
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Beijing China
| | - Yunfeng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Beijing China
| | - Yangzhou Xiang
- Guizhou Institute of Forest Inventory and Planning Guiyang; Guizhou China
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41
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Báez S, Malizia A, Carilla J, Blundo C, Aguilar M, Aguirre N, Aquirre Z, Álvarez E, Cuesta F, Duque Á, Farfán-Ríos W, García-Cabrera K, Grau R, Homeier J, Linares-Palomino R, Malizia LR, Cruz OM, Osinaga O, Phillips OL, Reynel C, Silman MR, Feeley KJ. Large-scale patterns of turnover and Basal area change in Andean forests. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126594. [PMID: 25973977 PMCID: PMC4431807 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
General patterns of forest dynamics and productivity in the Andes Mountains are poorly characterized. Here we present the first large-scale study of Andean forest dynamics using a set of 63 permanent forest plots assembled over the past two decades. In the North-Central Andes tree turnover (mortality and recruitment) and tree growth declined with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. In addition, basal area increased in Lower Montane Moist Forests but did not change in Higher Montane Humid Forests. However, at higher elevations the lack of net basal area change and excess of mortality over recruitment suggests negative environmental impacts. In North-Western Argentina, forest dynamics appear to be influenced by land use history in addition to environmental variation. Taken together, our results indicate that combinations of abiotic and biotic factors that vary across elevation gradients are important determinants of tree turnover and productivity in the Andes. More extensive and longer-term monitoring and analyses of forest dynamics in permanent plots will be necessary to understand how demographic processes and woody biomass are responding to changing environmental conditions along elevation gradients through this century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Báez
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregión Andina (CONDESAN), Quito, Ecuador
- Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
| | - Agustina Malizia
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencias de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Julieta Carilla
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencias de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Blundo
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencias de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Manuel Aguilar
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Perú
| | | | | | - Esteban Álvarez
- Laboratorio de Servicios Ecosistémicos y Cambio Climático, Jardín Botánico de Medellín, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecoregión Andina (CONDESAN), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Álvaro Duque
- Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - William Farfán-Ríos
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Karina García-Cabrera
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ricardo Grau
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencias de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jürgen Homeier
- Plant Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Lucio R. Malizia
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
- Fundación ProYungas, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Omar Melo Cruz
- Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Dinámica de Ecosistemas Tropicales, Universidad del Tolima, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Oriana Osinaga
- Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | | | - Carlos Reynel
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Perú
| | - Miles R. Silman
- Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
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Seasonality of above-ground net primary productivity along an Andean altitudinal transect in Peru. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467414000443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Solar irradiance and precipitation are the most likely drivers of the seasonal variation of net primary productivity (NPP) in tropical forests. Since their roles remain poorly understood, we use litter traps, dendrometer bands and census data collected from one hectare permanent plots to quantify the seasonality of above-ground NPP components and weather parameters in 13 sites distributed along a 2800-m altitudinal gradient ranging from lowland Amazonia to the high Andes. We combine canopy leaf area index and litterfall data to describe the seasonality of canopy production. We hypothesize that solar irradiance is the primary driver of canopy phenology in wetter sites, whereas precipitation drives phenology in drier systems. The seasonal rhythm of canopy NPP components is in synchrony with solar irradiance at all altitudes. Leaf litterfall peaks in the late dry season, both in lowland (averaging 0.54 ± 0.08 Mg C ha y−1, n = 5) and montane forests (averaging 0.29 ± 0.04 Mg C ha y−1, n = 8). Peaks in above-ground coarse woody NPP appears to be triggered by the onset of rainfall in seasonal lowland rain forests (averaging 0.26 ± 0.04 Mg C ha y−1, n = 5, in November), but not in montane cloud forests.
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Oliveira RS, Eller CB, Bittencourt PRL, Mulligan M. The hydroclimatic and ecophysiological basis of cloud forest distributions under current and projected climates. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 113:909-20. [PMID: 24759267 PMCID: PMC3997648 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are characterized by a unique set of biological and hydroclimatic features, including frequent and/or persistent fog, cool temperatures, and high biodiversity and endemism. These forests are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to climate change given their small geographic range, high endemism and dependence on a rare microclimatic envelope. The frequency of atmospheric water deficits for some TMCFs is likely to increase in the future, but the consequences for the integrity and distribution of these ecosystems are uncertain. In order to investigate plant and ecosystem responses to climate change, we need to know how TMCF species function in response to current climate, which factors shape function and ecology most and how these will change into the future. SCOPE This review focuses on recent advances in ecophysiological research of TMCF plants to establish a link between TMCF hydrometeorological conditions and vegetation distribution, functioning and survival. The hydraulic characteristics of TMCF trees are discussed, together with the prevalence and ecological consequences of foliar uptake of fog water (FWU) in TMCFs, a key process that allows efficient acquisition of water during cloud immersion periods, minimizing water deficits and favouring survival of species prone to drought-induced hydraulic failure. CONCLUSIONS Fog occurrence is the single most important microclimatic feature affecting the distribution and function of TMCF plants. Plants in TMCFs are very vulnerable to drought (possessing a small hydraulic safety margin), and the presence of fog and FWU minimizes the occurrence of tree water deficits and thus favours the survival of TMCF trees where such deficits may occur. Characterizing the interplay between microclimatic dynamics and plant water relations is key to foster more realistic projections about climate change effects on TMCF functioning and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael S. Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
- School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, WA 6009, Australia
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Cleiton B. Eller
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo R. L. Bittencourt
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Mark Mulligan
- Department of Geography, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
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Kessler M, Güdel R, Salazar L, Homeier J, Kluge J. Impact of mycorrhization on the abundance, growth and leaf nutrient status of ferns along a tropical elevational gradient. Oecologia 2014; 175:887-900. [PMID: 24719210 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-2941-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for the ecological success of land plants, providing their hosts with nutrients in exchange for organic C. However, not all plants are mycorrhizal, especially ferns, of which about one-third of the species lack this symbiosis. Because the mycorrhizal status is evolutionarily ancestral, this lack of mycorrhizae must have ecological advantages, but what these advantages are and how they affect the competitive ability of non-mycorrhizal plants under natural conditions is currently unknown. To address this uncertainty, we studied terrestrial fern assemblages and species abundances as well as their mycorrhization status, leaf nutrient concentration and relative annual growth along an elevational gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes (500-4,000 m). We surveyed the mycorrhizal status of 375 root samples belonging to 85 species, and found mycorrhizae in 89% of the samples. The degree of mycorrhization decreased with elevation but was unrelated to soil nutrients. Species with mycorrhizae were significantly more abundant than non-mycorrhizal species, but non-mycorrhizal species had significantly higher relative growth and concentrations of leaf N, P, Mg, and Ca. Our study thus shows that despite lower abundances, non-mycorrhizal fern species did not appear to be limited in their growth or nutrient supply relative to mycorrhizal ones. As a basis for future studies, we hypothesize that non-mycorrhizal fern species may be favoured in special microhabitats of the forest understory with high soil nutrient or water availability, or that the ecological benefit of mycorrhizae is not related to nutrient uptake but rather to, for example, pathogen resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kessler
- Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008, Zurich, Switzerland,
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Sylvester O, Avalos G. Influence of light conditions on the allometry and growth of the understory palm Geonoma undata subsp. edulis (Arecaceae) of neotropical cloud forests. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:2357-2363. [PMID: 24222681 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1300247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Knowledge on the growth responses of understory palms to changing light conditions within neotropical cloud forests is limited. The low light regime of these environments, in addition to persistent cloudiness, low ambient temperatures, and slow nutrient cycles, imposes significant constraints on biomass accumulation. Here, we evaluate how changes in the understory light conditions influenced the allometry and growth of G. undata subsp. edulis in two cloud forests in Costa Rica. METHODS We examined the structural relationships between stem diameter, stem height, and crown area in reproductive and nonreproductive individuals. We related the variation in stem growth and crown area with allometry, leaf production and longevity, and light conditions that we measured using hemispherical photographs over 1 year. KEY RESULTS The allometric and growth pattern of G. undata subsp. edulis was characterized by its investment in crown area, which was strongly and positively related to increments in palm height and reproduction. Growth, measured as the increase in crown area and stem height, was not explained by the variation in the light regime spanning 1 year. However, reproductive individuals were generally taller, more slender, and had larger leaf areas than nonreproductive individuals. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated that stem growth responses were mostly controlled by initial crown size rather than by temporal differences in the understory light regimes of cloud forests. These results suggest that cloud forest understory palms have a limited capacity to respond to light changes and rely mostly on an opportunistic strategy for biomass accumulation and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Sylvester
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 2060, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica
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Eller CB, Lima AL, Oliveira RS. Foliar uptake of fog water and transport belowground alleviates drought effects in the cloud forest tree species, Drimys brasiliensis (Winteraceae). THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 199:151-162. [PMID: 23534879 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Foliar water uptake (FWU) is a common water acquisition mechanism for plants inhabiting temperate fog-affected ecosystems, but the prevalence and consequences of this process for the water and carbon balance of tropical cloud forest species are unknown. We performed a series of experiments under field and glasshouse conditions using a combination of methods (sap flow, fluorescent apoplastic tracers and stable isotopes) to trace fog water movement from foliage to belowground components of Drimys brasiliensis. In addition, we measured leaf water potential, leaf gas exchange, leaf water repellency and growth of plants under contrasting soil water availabilities and fog exposure in glasshouse experiments to evaluate FWU effects on the water and carbon balance of D. brasiliensis saplings. Fog water diffused directly through leaf cuticles and contributed up to 42% of total foliar water content. FWU caused reversals in sap flow in stems and roots of up to 26% of daily maximum transpiration. Fog water transported through the xylem reached belowground pools and enhanced leaf water potential, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and growth relative to plants sheltered from fog. Foliar uptake of fog water is an important water acquisition mechanism that can mitigate the deleterious effects of soil water deficits for D. brasiliensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleiton B Eller
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP6109, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline L Lima
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP6109, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP6109, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Berry ZC, Smith WK. Ecophysiological importance of cloud immersion in a relic spruce–fir forest at elevational limits, southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Oecologia 2013; 173:637-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Carbone MS, Park Williams A, Ambrose AR, Boot CM, Bradley ES, Dawson TE, Schaeffer SM, Schimel JP, Still CJ. Cloud shading and fog drip influence the metabolism of a coastal pine ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:484-97. [PMID: 23504786 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the ecological importance of clouds has substantial implications for our basic understanding of ecosystems and for predicting how they will respond to a changing climate. This study was conducted in a coastal Bishop pine forest ecosystem that experiences regular cycles of stratus cloud cover and inundation in summer. Our objective was to understand how these clouds impact ecosystem metabolism by contrasting two sites along a gradient of summer stratus cover. The site that was under cloud cover ~15% more of the summer daytime hours had lower air temperatures and evaporation rates, higher soil moisture content, and received more frequent fog drip inputs than the site with less cloud cover. These cloud-driven differences in environmental conditions translated into large differences in plant and microbial activity. Pine trees at the site with greater cloud cover exhibited less water stress in summer, larger basal area growth, and greater rates of sap velocity. The difference in basal area growth between the two sites was largely due to summer growth. Microbial metabolism was highly responsive to fog drip, illustrated by an observed ~3-fold increase in microbial biomass C with increasing summer fog drip. In addition, the site with more cloud cover had greater total soil respiration and a larger fractional contribution from heterotrophic sources. We conclude that clouds are important to the ecological functioning of these coastal forests, providing summer shading and cooling that relieve pine and microbial drought stress as well as regular moisture inputs that elevate plant and microbial metabolism. These findings are important for understanding how these and other seasonally dry coastal ecosystems will respond to predicted changes in stratus cover, rainfall, and temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah S Carbone
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
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Vendrami JL, Jurinitz CF, Castanho CDT, Lorenzo L, Oliveira AAD. Produção de serrapilheira e decomposição foliar em fragmentos florestais de diferentes fases sucessionais no Planalto Atlântico do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2012. [DOI: 10.1590/s1676-06032012000300016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A produção e a decomposição de serrapilheira são processos vitais nas florestas tropicais, uma vez que determinam a ciclagem de nutrientes. O processo de ciclagem de nutrientes pode ser alterado pela fragmentação florestal. A Floresta Atlântica é um dos biomas mais ameaçados mundialmente devido à ocupação humana nos últimos 500 anos. Este cenário resultou em fragmentos de diferentes tamanhos, idades e estádios de regeneração. Para explorar as diferenças na produção de serrapilheira e na decomposição foliar de acordo com o estádio sucessional da floresta, comparamos seis fragmentos florestais em três diferentes estádios sucessionais e uma área de floresta primária no Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo, Brasil. Coletamos a serrapilheira mensalmente de novembro de 2008 a outubro de 2009. Utilizamos bolsas de confinamento de serrapilheira para calcular a taxa de decomposição foliar de uma espécie exótica, Tipuana tipu (Fabaceae), durante o mesmo período de coleta da serrapilheira. A deposição de serrapilheira foi maior na área de estádio sucessional mais inicial. Esse padrão pode estar relacionado com as características estruturais dos fragmentos florestais, especialmente com a maior abundância de espécies pioneiras, que possuem uma maior produtividade e são espécies típicas de fragmentos em estádios iniciais de sucessão. Por outro lado, não encontramos diferenças significativas nas taxas de decomposição entre as áreas estudadas, o que pode ocorrer devido à rápida estabilização do ambiente de decomposição (efeito combinado das condições microclimáticas e das atividades dos decompositores). Estes resultados indicam que o processo de decomposição foliar foi restabelecido aos níveis das florestas maduras após algumas décadas de regeneração, embora a produção de serrapilheira ainda não tenha sido totalmente restaurada. Este estudo destaca a importância das florestas secundárias em um cenário regional de restauração de processos ecossistêmicos.
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