Seperating Genetic versus Environmental Effects on Amazon Forest Growth and Nutrient Uptake Characteristics
Jonathan
James
Lloyd, Max Planck Institute for Biogechemistry, Jena Germany, jon.lloyd@bgc-jena.mpg.de
(Presenting)
Timothy
R.
Baker, Earth and Biosphere Institute, University of Leeds, t.baker@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Oliver
L.
Phillips, Earth and Biosphere Institute, University of Leeds, o.phillips@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Samuel
Soares
Almeida, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil, samuel@museu-goeldi.br
Luzmilla
Arroyo, Museo Nacional Noel Kempf Mercado, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolívia, luzmillaarroyo@hotmail.com
Niro
Higuchi, Institito National de Pesquisas Amazônicas, Manaus, Brazil, niro@inpa.gov.br
Timothy
Killeen, . Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, Washington DC, USA, t.killeen@conservation.org
Susan
Laurance, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama, laurances@tivoli.si.edu
William
F.
Laurance, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama, laurancew@tivoli.si.edu
Abel
Monteagudo, Herbario Vargas, Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Per David
Neill, Fundacion Jatun Sacha, Quito, Ecuador Pecy
Núñez
Vargas, . Herbario Vargas, Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Peru Nigel
Pitman, . Center for Tropical Conservation, Duke University, Durham, USA Rafael
Salomão, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil José
Natalino Macedo
Silva, EMBRAPA Amazonia Oriental, Belém, Brazil, natalino@cpatu.embrapa.br
Rodolfo
Vásquez
Martínez, Proyecto Flora del Perú, Jardin Botanico de Missouri, Oxapampa, Perú Claudia
Czimczik, Max Planck Institute for Biogechemistry, Jena Germany Lina
Maria
Mercado, Max Planck Institute for Biogechemistry, Jena Germany, lmercado@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Carlos
Alberto
Quesada, Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil, quesada@unb.br
Sandra
Patiño, ax Planck Institute for Biogechemistry, Jena Germany, spatino@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Yadvinder
Singh
Malhi, University of Oxford, England, ymalhi@ed.ac.uk
In order to assess the basis of differences in above ground productivity for rainforest stands across the Amazon Basin Restricted Maximum Likelyhood (REML) Analysis was used to determine the extent to which growth rates of indivudial trees were affected by site conditions as oppossed to being affected by their genotype. This information was then scaled up to the stand level.
It was found that although the growth rate of individual trees was to a large extent determined by their genotype, significant site effects also existed with relatively poor soils in particular contributing to lower stand growth rates in Central and Eastern Amazonia as opposed to elsewhere. Nevertheless, in many cases the overall species make-up of the stand was of prime importance in determining its observed mean rate of new wood production.
REML was also used to determine genetic versus plot effects on foliar nutrient composition and leaf characteristics. Specific leaf area and foliar carbon content emerged as two key factors that were both genetically dependent and affected by soil conditions, this most likely also being, at least in part, the cause of some stand level differences in above ground carbon acquisition rates across the Basin.