What controls variation in carbon use efficiency among Amazonian tropical forests?

Date

2018

Authors

Doughty, Christopher E.
Goldsmith, Gregory R.
Raab, Nicolas
Girardin, Cécile A.J.
Amezquita, F. Farfan
Huasco, Walter Huaraca
Silva-Espejo, Javier E.
Araujo-Murakami, A
da Costa, Antonio Carlos Lola
Rocha, W

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Missouri Botanical Garden

Abstract

Why do some forests produce biomass more efficiently than others? Variations in Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE: total Net Primary Production (NPP)/ Gross Primary Production (GPP)) may be due to changes in wood residence time (Biomass/NPPwood), temperature, or soil nutrient status. We tested these hypotheses in 14, one ha plots across Amazonian and Andean forests where we measured most key components of net primary production (NPP: wood, fine roots, and leaves) and autotrophic respiration (Ra; wood, rhizosphere, and leaf respiration). We found that lower fertility sites were less efficient at producing biomass and had higher rhizosphere respiration, indicating increased carbon allocation to belowground components. We then compared wood respiration to wood growth and rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth and found that forests with residence times <40 yrs had significantly lower maintenance respiration for both wood and fine roots than forests with residence times >40 yrs. A comparison of rhizosphere respiration to fine root growth showed that rhizosphere growth respiration was significantly greater at low fertility sites. Overall, we found that Amazonian forests produce biomass less efficiently in stands with residence times >40 yrs and in stands with lower fertility, but changes to long-term mean annual temperatures do not impact CUE.

Description

Keywords

Amazonia, CUE, GPP, NPP, temperature

Citation

Source

Biotropica

Type

Journal article

Book Title

Entity type

Access Statement

License Rights

Restricted until

2099-12-31