Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density

Pole diameter and wood density are variables commonly used in allometric equations to estimate tree biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. The effect of variations in tree water content on pole diameters is often disregarded in allometric equations. This study aimed to determine the effect o...

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Main Authors: Dias Daniela P, Marenco Ricardo A
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) 2016-06-01
Series:iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1676-008
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author Dias Daniela P
Marenco Ricardo A
author_facet Dias Daniela P
Marenco Ricardo A
author_sort Dias Daniela P
collection DOAJ
description Pole diameter and wood density are variables commonly used in allometric equations to estimate tree biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. The effect of variations in tree water content on pole diameters is often disregarded in allometric equations. This study aimed to determine the effect of rainfall seasonality on tree growth, stem wood and bark water content and to assess the relationship between water content and wood density (dry mass to fresh mass volume ratio) in 120 trees from 28 species in a terra-firme rain forest in the central Amazon. In 2006, stem wood and bark water content were gravimetrically determined in the dry season (August-September) and rainy season (April-May). In the same year, growth in diameter was measured at monthly intervals in the 120 trees (DBH ≥ 10 cm) with dendrometric bands previously adapted to the tree. Mean wood water content was lower in the dry season than the rainy season. On the contrary, bark water content was higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. Wood densities higher than 0.75 g cm-3 were found in 64.3% of the trees. Trees with denser woods grew slower and had lower stem water content. Monthly rainfall did not affect tree growth in diameter, which was contrary to our initial expectation on the effect of rainfall seasonality on tree growth in central Amazonia. This finding supports the hypothesis that in central Amazonia, the mild dry season is not long enough to deplete soil water beyond the reach of the root system, which allows the trees to grow at quite constant rates over the year.
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spelling doaj.art-182c2b7ddec0435da23e9c3f7f7d4efb2022-12-22T02:40:53ZengItalian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF)iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry1971-74581971-74582016-06-019144545110.3832/ifor1676-0081676Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood densityDias Daniela P0Marenco Ricardo A1Forest Ecology and Ecophysiology Laboratory, Federal University of Goiás/Jataí, GO (Brazil)Tree Ecophysiology Laboratory, Coordination of Environmental Dynamic, National Institute for Research in the Amazon, Manaus, AM (Brazil)Pole diameter and wood density are variables commonly used in allometric equations to estimate tree biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. The effect of variations in tree water content on pole diameters is often disregarded in allometric equations. This study aimed to determine the effect of rainfall seasonality on tree growth, stem wood and bark water content and to assess the relationship between water content and wood density (dry mass to fresh mass volume ratio) in 120 trees from 28 species in a terra-firme rain forest in the central Amazon. In 2006, stem wood and bark water content were gravimetrically determined in the dry season (August-September) and rainy season (April-May). In the same year, growth in diameter was measured at monthly intervals in the 120 trees (DBH ≥ 10 cm) with dendrometric bands previously adapted to the tree. Mean wood water content was lower in the dry season than the rainy season. On the contrary, bark water content was higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. Wood densities higher than 0.75 g cm-3 were found in 64.3% of the trees. Trees with denser woods grew slower and had lower stem water content. Monthly rainfall did not affect tree growth in diameter, which was contrary to our initial expectation on the effect of rainfall seasonality on tree growth in central Amazonia. This finding supports the hypothesis that in central Amazonia, the mild dry season is not long enough to deplete soil water beyond the reach of the root system, which allows the trees to grow at quite constant rates over the year.https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1676-008AmazoniaAllometry EquationsPole DiameterRainfall Seasonality
spellingShingle Dias Daniela P
Marenco Ricardo A
Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry
Amazonia
Allometry Equations
Pole Diameter
Rainfall Seasonality
title Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
title_full Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
title_fullStr Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
title_full_unstemmed Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
title_short Tree growth, wood and bark water content of 28 Amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
title_sort tree growth wood and bark water content of 28 amazonian tree species in response to variations in rainfall and wood density
topic Amazonia
Allometry Equations
Pole Diameter
Rainfall Seasonality
url https://iforest.sisef.org/contents/?id=ifor1676-008
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