Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America
The production of aboveground soft tissue represents an important share of total net primary production in tropical rain forests. Here we draw from a large number of published and unpublished datasets (<i>n</i>=81 sites) to assess the determinants of litterfall variation across South Ame...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/43/2010/bg-7-43-2010.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818444017735565312 |
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| author | J. Chave D. Navarrete S. Almeida E. Álvarez L. E. O. C. Aragão D. Bonal P. Châtelet J. E. Silva-Espejo J.-Y. Goret P. von Hildebrand E. Jiménez S. Patiño M. C. Peñuela O. L. Phillips P. Stevenson Y. Malhi |
| author_facet | J. Chave D. Navarrete S. Almeida E. Álvarez L. E. O. C. Aragão D. Bonal P. Châtelet J. E. Silva-Espejo J.-Y. Goret P. von Hildebrand E. Jiménez S. Patiño M. C. Peñuela O. L. Phillips P. Stevenson Y. Malhi |
| author_sort | J. Chave |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The production of aboveground soft tissue represents an important share of
total net primary production in tropical rain forests. Here we draw from a
large number of published and unpublished datasets (<i>n</i>=81 sites) to assess
the determinants of litterfall variation across South American tropical
forests. We show that across old-growth tropical rainforests, litterfall
averages 8.61±1.91 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (mean ± standard
deviation, in dry mass units). Secondary forests have a lower annual
litterfall than old-growth tropical forests with a mean of 8.01±3.41 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>.
Annual litterfall shows no significant
variation with total annual rainfall, either globally or within forest types.
It does not vary consistently with soil type, except in the poorest soils
(white sand soils), where litterfall is significantly lower than in other
soil types (5.42±1.91 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>). We also study the
determinants of litterfall seasonality, and find that it does not depend on
annual rainfall or on soil type. However, litterfall seasonality is
significantly positively correlated with rainfall seasonality. Finally, we
assess how much carbon is stored in reproductive organs relative to
photosynthetic organs. Mean leaf fall is 5.74±1.83 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (71% of total litterfall). Mean allocation
into reproductive organs is 0.69±0.40 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (9%
of total litterfall). The investment into reproductive organs divided by leaf
litterfall increases with soil fertility, suggesting that on poor soils, the
allocation to photosynthetic organs is prioritized over that to reproduction.
Finally, we discuss the ecological and biogeochemical implications of these
results. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:09:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cff933564564032bc0773c00e2d3620 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T19:09:15Z |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cff933564564032bc0773c00e2d36202022-12-21T22:50:47ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892010-01-0171435510.5194/bg-7-43-2010Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South AmericaJ. Chave0D. Navarrete1S. Almeida2E. Álvarez3L. E. O. C. Aragão4D. Bonal5P. Châtelet6J. E. Silva-Espejo7J.-Y. Goret8P. von Hildebrand9E. Jiménez10S. Patiño11M. C. Peñuela12O. L. Phillips13P. Stevenson14Y. Malhi15Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 CNRS/UPS, Toulouse, FranceFundación Puerto Rastrojo, Bogotá, ColombiaMuseu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, 66077-530 Belem, BrazilGrupo de Estudio de Ecosistemas Terrestres Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Leticia, ColombiaEnvironmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UKINRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French GuianaCNRS-Guyane, Station d'Etude des Nouragues, UPS 2561, French GuianaUniversidad San Antonio Abad, Cusco, PerúINRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French GuianaFundación Puerto Rastrojo, Bogotá, ColombiaGrupo de Estudio de Ecosistemas Terrestres Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Leticia, ColombiaGrupo de Estudio de Ecosistemas Terrestres Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Leticia, ColombiaGrupo de Estudio de Ecosistemas Terrestres Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Leticia, ColombiaEarth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKUniversidad de los Andes, Bogotá, ColombiaEnvironmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UKThe production of aboveground soft tissue represents an important share of total net primary production in tropical rain forests. Here we draw from a large number of published and unpublished datasets (<i>n</i>=81 sites) to assess the determinants of litterfall variation across South American tropical forests. We show that across old-growth tropical rainforests, litterfall averages 8.61±1.91 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (mean ± standard deviation, in dry mass units). Secondary forests have a lower annual litterfall than old-growth tropical forests with a mean of 8.01±3.41 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>. Annual litterfall shows no significant variation with total annual rainfall, either globally or within forest types. It does not vary consistently with soil type, except in the poorest soils (white sand soils), where litterfall is significantly lower than in other soil types (5.42±1.91 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>). We also study the determinants of litterfall seasonality, and find that it does not depend on annual rainfall or on soil type. However, litterfall seasonality is significantly positively correlated with rainfall seasonality. Finally, we assess how much carbon is stored in reproductive organs relative to photosynthetic organs. Mean leaf fall is 5.74±1.83 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (71% of total litterfall). Mean allocation into reproductive organs is 0.69±0.40 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (9% of total litterfall). The investment into reproductive organs divided by leaf litterfall increases with soil fertility, suggesting that on poor soils, the allocation to photosynthetic organs is prioritized over that to reproduction. Finally, we discuss the ecological and biogeochemical implications of these results.http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/43/2010/bg-7-43-2010.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Chave D. Navarrete S. Almeida E. Álvarez L. E. O. C. Aragão D. Bonal P. Châtelet J. E. Silva-Espejo J.-Y. Goret P. von Hildebrand E. Jiménez S. Patiño M. C. Peñuela O. L. Phillips P. Stevenson Y. Malhi Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America Biogeosciences |
| title | Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America |
| title_full | Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America |
| title_fullStr | Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America |
| title_short | Regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America |
| title_sort | regional and seasonal patterns of litterfall in tropical south america |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/7/43/2010/bg-7-43-2010.pdf |
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