Canopy structure and nutrient productivity across the western Amazon
Sandra
Patiño, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, spatino@bgc-jena.mpg.de
(Presenting)
Romilda
Maria Quintino
Paiva, INPA, romilda@inpa.gov.br
Mercado
Lina, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Horna
Viviana, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Schmerler
Jens, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Quesada
Beto, Universidade de Brasilia Timothy
R.
Baker, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, t.baker@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Phillips
Oliver, University of Leeds, O.Phillips@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Malhi
Yadvinder, University of Edinburgh Lloyd
Jon, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
The Amazon basin is home to the largest contiguous tropical forest in the world, which is a highly heterogeneous system. Multiple, different vegetation formations may store and uptake carbon in different amounts and rates. Indeed, recent results from a network of 1 ha permanent sample plots across the Amazon basin suggest that tree growth rates are higher in the western half of the Amazon than in the eastern half. The purpose of this work was to assess the main factors that determine the differences in tree growth across the basin.
We sampled more than 55 plots across the basin in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. In these plots we have analysed canopy structure and soil characteristics, as well as assessing plant hydraulic properties and leaf nutrient status from more than a thousand trees.
Our findings suggest that nitrogen may not be a limiting factor in these tropical environments, that carbon construction cost of leaves varied across species independent of the location within the basin, and that, in spite of the structural and compositional differences among forests within the Amazon basin, leaf area index varies remarkably little. We conclude that differences in tree growth are due mainly to the phylogeny of the species adapted to each formation, and to a lesser extent to the physical properties of the formations.