The productivity, allocation and cycling of carbon in forests at the dry margin of the Amazon forest in Bolivia

Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Christopher E. Doughty, Daniel B. Metcalfe, Javier E. Silva-Espejo, Luzmila Arroyo, Juan P. Heredia, Marcio Flores, Rebeca Sibler, Luz M. Mendizabal, Erwin Pardo-Toledo, Meison Vega, Luzmarina Moreno, Victor D. Rojas-Landivar, Kate Halladay, Cecile A.J. Girardin, Timothy J. Killeen, Yadvinder Malhi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The dry transitional forests of the southern Amazonia have received little attention from a carbon cycling and ecosystem function perspective, yet they represent ecosystems that may be impacted by global climate change in the future. Aims: To compare the full carbon cycle for two 1-ha forest plots that straddle the ecotone between humid forest and dry forest in Amazonia, ca. 100 km from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Methods: 2.5 years of measurements of the components of net primary production (NPP) and autotrophic respiration were collected. Results: Total NPP was 15.5 ± 0.89 Mg C ha-1 year-1 at the humid site and 11.27 ± 0.68 Mg C ha-1 year-1 at the dry site; a total Gross Primary Production (GPP) of 34.14 ± 2.92 Mg C ha-1 year-1 and 26.88 ± 2.70 Mg C ha-1 year-1 at the two sites. Carbon use efficiency for both sites was higher than reported for other Amazonian forests (0.45 ± 0.05 and 0.42 ± 0.05). Conclusions: Drier soil conditions selected for the dry deciduous tree species which had higher leaf photosynthesis and total GPP. NPP allocation patterns were similar at the two sites, suggesting that in terms of carbon allocation, the dry forests of the southern Amazonia behave as a scaled-down version of wetter humid forests.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)55-69
Number of pages15
JournalPlant Ecology and Diversity
Volume7
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Bolivia
  • CUE
  • GPP
  • NPP
  • respiration
  • seasonally dry tropical forest

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology
  • Plant Science

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