Spatial patterns in forest carbon dynamics, biomass and biomass change across the Amazon basin.
Yadvinder
Singh
Malhi, Oxford University Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, ymalhi@ed.ac.uk
(Presenting)
Oliver
L.
Phillips, Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds,, o.phillips@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Timothy
R.
Baker, Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds,, t.baker@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Sandra
Patiño, Instituto de Investigacion de Recursos Biologicos Alexander von Humboldt, Cra. 7 No.35-20, Bogota DCCOLOMBIA, spatino@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Jonathan
James
Lloyd, Max Planck Institut fuer Biogeochemie, jon.lloyd@bgc-jena.mpg.de
We report results on forest structure, composition and dynamics from over 100 forest plots in eight Amazonian countries. We find that (i) forest wood productivity and turnover is lowest in lowland central and eastern Amazonia, and up to three times higher in western Amazonia; (ii) this gradient in productivity appears to be driven by soil fertility rather than climate; (iii) mean wood density is inversely correlated with productivity, and is highest in lowland eastern Amazonia; (iv) forest basal area declines with increasing dry season length; (v) forest biomass appears highest in central Amazonia, where both basal area and wood density are at an optimum; (vi) the rate of growth and death of forest trees has greatly accelerated in recent decades, (viii) there appears to be a net accumulation of biomass in old growth Amazonian forests. We arrive at new estimates of the wood productivity, biomass and carbon residence time of the Amazonian forest. We also report on initial findings of variations in leaf area index and soil and leaf nutrient content across Amazonia.
Submetido por Lorena Cordeiro Brewster em 31-MAR-2004
Tema Científico do LBA: CD (Armazenamento e Trocas de Carbono)