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Water availability is the major driver of tropical forest structure and dynamics. Most research has focused on the impacts of climatic water availability, whereas remarkably little is known about the influence of water table depth and excess soil water on forest processes. Nevertheless, given that plants take up water from the soil, the impacts of climatic water supply on plants are likely to be modulated by soil water conditions. Lowland Amazonian forests. 1971–2019. We used 344 long‐term inventory plots distributed across Amazonia to analyse the effects of long‐term climatic and edaphic water supply on forest functioning. We modelled forest structure and dynamics as a function of climatic, soil‐water and edaphic properties. Water supplied by both precipitation and groundwater affects forest structure and dynamics, but in different ways. Forests with a shallow water table (depth

In this study we evaluated the floristic composition and changes in stored biomass and dynamics over time in 9 permanent plots monitored by RAINFOR (Amazon Forest Inventory Network) and located in the lowland Amazon rainforest of the Tambopata National Reserve. Data were acquired in the field using the standardized methodology of RAINFOR. The biomass was estimated using the equation for tropical moist forests of Chave et al. (2005). Biomass dynamics were analyzed, in three separated periods from 2003 to 2011. 64 families, 219 genera and 531 species were recorded. The tree floristic composition is very similar in all plots except for one swamp plot, although but it is also evident that two slightly different forest communities exist in the rest of landscape, apparently related to the age of the ancient river terraces in the area. Mortality and recruitment of individuals averaged 2.12 ± 0.52% and 1.92 ± 0.49%, respectively. The turnover rate is 2.02% per year. Aboveground biomass stored in these forests averages 296.2 ± 33.9 t ha-1. The biomass dynamics show a total net gain of 1.96, 1.69 and –1.23 t ha-1 for period respectively. Prior to the drought of 2010 a change in biomass was found 1.88 t ha-1 yr-1 and post drought was -0.18 t ha-1 yr-1 on average, though the difference is not significant. Demographic analysis suggests a dynamic equilibrium in the plots. The negative balance of biomass observed for the period 2008 – 2011 may be due to the drought of 2010, in which half of the monitored plots experienced negative net biomass change due to mortality of individuals selectively affecting the floristic composition., En este estudio se evaluaron los cambios en la biomasa aérea almacenada y su dinámica en el tiempo en 9 parcelas permanentes pertenecientes a la red de parcelas de RAINFOR (Red Amazónica de Inventarios Forestales) ubicadas dentro del bosque húmedo tropical de la Reserva Nacional Tambopata en la llanura Amazónica. Se tomaron datos en campo con la metodología estandarizada RAINFOR. La biomasa se estimó usando la ecuación para bosques húmedos tropicales de Chave et al. (2005). La dinámica de la biomasa se analizó separándolos por periodos inter censales a partir del año 2003 hasta el 2011. Se registraron 64 familias, 219 géneros y 531 especies. La composición florística es muy similar en todas las parcelas excepto en la parcela de pantano. Son evidentes dos grupos ligeramente distintos y aparentemente relacionados a la edad de las antiguas terrazas fluviales de la zona. La tasa de mortalidad y reclutamiento de individuos presentan valores promedio de 2.12 ± 0.52% y 1.92 ± 0.49%, respectivamente. La tasa de reemplazo es 2.02% anual. La biomasa aérea almacenada fue de 296.2 ± 33.9 t ha-1 en promedio. La dinámica de la biomasa muestra una ganancia neta total de 1.96, 1.69 y –1.23 t ha-1 para cada periodo respectivamente. Antes de la sequía de 2010 se encontró un cambio en la biomasa de 1.88 t ha-1 año-1 y post sequía fue –0.18 t ha-1 año-1 en promedio, aunque la diferencia no fue significativa. El análisis demográfico sugiere un equilibrio dinámico en las parcelas. El balance negativo de biomasa observado para el periodo 2008 – 2011 puede deberse a la sequía del 2010, donde la mitad de las parcelas monitoreadas tuvieron una disminución en las ganancias netas de la biomasa por mortalidad de individuos afectando la composición florística selectivamente.

Aim The accurate mapping of forest carbon stocks is essential for understanding the global carbon cycle, for assessing emissions from deforestation, and for rational land-use planning. Remote sensing (RS) is currently the key tool for this purpose, but RS does not estimate vegetation biomass directly, and thus may miss significant spatial variations in forest structure. We test the stated accuracy of pantropical carbon maps using a large independent field dataset. Location Tropical forests of the Amazon basin. The permanent archive of the field plot data can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5521/FORESTPLOTS.NET/2014_1 Methods Two recent pantropical RS maps of vegetation carbon are compared to a unique ground-plot dataset, involving tree measurements in 413 large inventory plots located in nine countries. The RS maps were compared directly to field plots, and kriging of the field data was used to allow area-based comparisons. Results The two RS carbon maps fail to capture the main gradient in Amazon forest carbon detected using 413 ground plots, from the densely wooded tall forests of the north-east, to the light-wooded, shorter forests of the south-west. The differences between plots and RS maps far exceed the uncertainties given in these studies, with whole regions over-or under-estimated by > 25%, whereas regional uncertainties for the maps were reported to be

AimThe accurate mapping of forest carbon stocks is essential for understanding the global carbon cycle, for assessing emissions from deforestation, and for rational land-use planning. Remote sensing (RS) is currently the key tool for this purpose, but RS does not estimate vegetation biomass directly, and thus may miss significant spatial variations in forest structure. We test the stated accuracy of pantropical carbon maps using a large independent field dataset.LocationTropical forests of the Amazon basin. The permanent archive of the field plot data can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5521/FORESTPLOTS.NET/2014_1MethodsTwo recent pantropical RS maps of vegetation carbon are compared to a unique ground-plot dataset, involving tree measurements in 413 large inventory plots located in nine countries. The RS maps were compared directly to field plots, and kriging of the field data was used to allow area-based comparisons.ResultsThe two RS carbon maps fail to capture the main gradient in Amazon forest carbon detected using 413 ground plots, from the densely wooded tall forests of the north-east, to the light-wooded, shorter forests of the south-west. The differences between plots and RS maps far exceed the uncertainties given in these studies, with whole regions over- or under-estimated by > 25%, whereas regional uncertainties for the maps were reported to be Main conclusionsPantropical biomass maps are widely used by governments and by projects aiming to reduce deforestation using carbon offsets, but may have significant regional biases. Carbon-mapping techniques must be revised to account for the known ecological variation in tree wood density and allometry to create maps suitable for carbon accounting. The use of single relationships between tree canopy height and above-ground biomass inevitably yields large, spatially correlated errors. This presents a significant challenge to both the forest conservation and remote sensing communities, because neither wood density nor species assemblages can be reliably mapped from space.