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| Titel |
A model to predict CWD residence times in tropical forests along an altitudinal gradient in Australia |
| VerfasserIn |
Mireia Torello-Raventos, Andrew Ford, Gus Saiz, Keith Bloomfield, Jon Lloyd, Michael Bird |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2014
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 16 (2014) |
| Datensatznummer |
250095058
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2014-10498.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| More reliable knowledge on the complex responses of vegetation to climate change is one of
the most urgent needs for tropical forest preservation and recent data models indicate an
increase of tree mortality in tropical forests as a consequence of climate change1. Coarse
woody debris dynamics in tropical forests remain poorly understood2. Tropical forests are
known for possessing a wide range of wood densities- with different wood traits and
secondary wood chemical components-, adding complexity to the accurate estimations of
coarse woody debris residence times (Ï). Quantifying Ï in these ecosystems along an
altitudinal gradient provides a way to improve our understanding of carbon dynamics in the
face of climate change.
This study examines Ï from different tree tropical forest species -ranging from soft to
hardwoods- and under different decay status, to understand the effects of climate on the
chemical and physical decay of CWD on an elevation gradient from 102 m above sea level
(MAT = 23.7°C) to 1500 m above sea level (MAT = 16.7°C) in Australia. Wood density
together with Carbon:Nitrogen ratio enabled prediction of the variation in Ï between decay
classes within tree species, between tree species and along the elevation gradient. Ï increased
with decreasing the decay status, increasing wood density and temperature also played an
important role as Ï increased with increasing site elevation. The study also highlighted the
importance of including seasonal variation of climate in short term field studies,
as a single wet season reduced the Ï of the CWD compared to Ï after a year of
exposure. Intraspecific variation of plant traits and secondary wood chemicals explained
the observed range in Ï for species with similar wood densities, decreasing with
increasing decayed status of the samples. This study will aid in the development of
predictive relationships between wood density and environmental variables to infer
carbon dynamics at local and global scale through the creation of a model to predict
Ï.
1Phillips, O. L., et al., (2010). Drought–mortality relationships for tropical forests. New
Phytologist, 187,631-646.2Cornwell, W. K., et al., (2009). Plant traits and wood fates across
the globe: rotted, burned, or consumed?. Global Change Biology, 15, 2431-2449. |
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