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Funding: This work was part of the PhD thesis of the first author, developed at the Graduate Program in Ecology of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA), with a fellowship funded by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES), Finance Code 001, (88887.141433/2017-00). The authors are also grateful for the financial and research support of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Amazonas State Research Foundation (FAPEAM), the Newton Fund via the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/M022021/1 to O.L.P. and F.R.C.C.), PPBio Manaus, Centro de Estudos Integrados da Biodiversidade Amazônica and RAINFOR. We also thank Karina Melgaço, Aurora Levesley and Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez for curating and managing ForestPlots.net. This was ForestPlots.net Project 26 led by Thaiane Sousa. This is publication number 832 of the Technical Series of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP, INPA/STRI). Aim : 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. Location : Lowland Amazonian forests. Time period : 1971–2019. Methods : 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. Results : Water supplied by both precipitation and groundwater affects forest structure and dynamics, but in different ways. Forests with a shallow water table (depth

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

It is often difficult to compile and synthesise evidence across multiple studies to inform policy and practice because different outcomes have been measured in different ways or datasets and models have not been fully or consistently reported. In the case of peatlands, a critical terrestrial carbon store, this lack of consistency hampers the evidence-based decisions in policy and practice that are needed to support effective restoration and conservation. This study adapted methods pioneered in the medical community to reach consensus over peatland outcomes that could be consistently measured and reported to improve the synthesis of data and reduce research waste. Here we report on a methodological framework for identifying, evaluating and prioritising the outcomes that should be measured. We discuss the subsequent steps to standardise methods for measuring and reporting outcomes in peatland research and monitoring. The framework was used to identify and prioritise sets of key variables (known as core domain sets) for UK blanket and raised bogs, and for tropical peat swamps. Peatland experts took part in a structured elicitation and prioritisation process, comprising two workshops and questionnaires, that focused on climate (32 and 18 unique outcomes for UK and tropical peats, respectively), hydrology (26 UK and 16 tropical outcomes), biodiversity (8 UK and 22 tropical outcomes) and fire-related outcomes (13, for tropical peatlands only). Future research is needed to tackle the challenges of standardising methods for data collection, management, analysis, reporting and re-use, and to extend the approach to other types of peatland. The process reported here is a first step towards creating datasets that can be synthesised to inform evidence-based policy and practice, and contribute towards the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of this globally significant carbon store. evidence-based policy and practice, evidence synthesis, outcomes, standardisation

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:16:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 Agence Nationale Des Parcs Nationaux Centre for International Forestry Research Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (COLCIENCIAS) David and Lucile Packard Foundation European Space Agency Leverhulme Trust Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás European Research Council Belgian Federal Science Policy Office Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) National Science Foundation Natural Environment Research Council Royal Society National Geographic Society Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Tropical forests are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. While better understanding of these forests is critical for our collective future, until quite recently efforts to measure and monitor them have been largely disconnected. Networking is essential to discover the answers to questions that transcend borders and the horizons of funding agencies. Here we show how a global community is responding to the challenges of tropical ecosystem research with diverse teams measuring forests tree-by-tree in thousands of long-term plots. We review the major scientific discoveries of this work and show how this process is changing tropical forest science. Our core approach involves linking long-term grassroots initiatives with standardized protocols and data management to generate robust scaled-up results. By connecting tropical researchers and elevating their status, our Social Research Network model recognises the key role of the data originator in scientific discovery. Conceived in 1999 with RAINFOR (South America), our permanent plot networks have been adapted to Africa (AfriTRON) and Southeast Asia (T-FORCES) and widely emulated worldwide. Now these multiple initiatives are integrated via ForestPlots.net cyber-infrastructure, linking colleagues from 54 countries across 24 plot networks. Collectively these are transforming understanding of tropical forests and their biospheric role. Together we have discovered how, where and why forest carbon and biodiversity are responding to climate change, and how they feedback on it. This long-term pan-tropical collaboration has revealed a large long-term carbon sink and its trends, as well as making clear which drivers are most important, which forest processes are affected, where they are changing, what the lags are, and the likely future responses of tropical forests as the climate continues to change. By leveraging a remarkably old technology, plot networks are sparking a very modern revolution in tropical forest science. In the future, humanity can benefit greatly by nurturing the grassroots communities now collectively capable of generating unique, long-term understanding of Earth's most precious forests. Resumen: Los bosques tropicales son los ecosistemas más diversos y productivos del mundo y entender su funcionamiento es crítico para nuestro futuro colectivo. Sin embargo, hasta hace muy poco, los esfuerzos para medirlos y monitorearlos han estado muy desconectados. El trabajo en redes es esencial para descubrir las respuestas a preguntas que trascienden las fronteras y los plazos de las agencias de financiamiento. Aquí mostramos cómo una comunidad global está respondiendo a los desafíos de la investigación en ecosistemas tropicales a través de diversos equipos realizando mediciones árbol por árbol en miles de parcelas permanentes de largo plazo. Revisamos los descubrimientos más importantes de este trabajo y discutimos cómo este proceso está cambiando la ciencia relacionada a los bosques tropicales. El enfoque central de nuestro esfuerzo implica la conexión de iniciativas locales de largo plazo con protocolos estandarizados y manejo de datos para producir resultados que se puedan trasladar a múltiples escalas. Conectando investigadores tropicales, elevando su posición y estatus, nuestro modelo de Red Social de Investigación reconoce el rol fundamental que tienen, para el descubrimiento científico, quienes generan o producen los datos. Concebida en 1999 con RAINFOR (Suramérica), nuestras redes de parcelas permanentes han sido adaptadas en África (AfriTRON) y el sureste asiático (T-FORCES) y ampliamente replicadas en el mundo. Actualmente todas estas iniciativas están integradas a través de la ciber-infraestructura de ForestPlots.net, conectando colegas de 54 países en 24 redes diferentes de parcelas. Colectivamente, estas redes están transformando nuestro conocimiento sobre los bosques tropicales y el rol de éstos en la biósfera. Juntos hemos descubierto cómo, dónde y porqué el carbono y la biodiversidad de los bosques tropicales está respondiendo al cambio climático y cómo se retroalimentan. Esta colaboración pan-tropical de largo plazo ha expuesto un gran sumidero de carbono y sus tendencias, mostrando claramente cuáles son los factores más importantes, qué procesos se ven afectados, dónde ocurren los cambios, los tiempos de reacción y las probables respuestas futuras mientras el clima continúa cambiando. Apalancando lo que realmente es una tecnología antigua, las redes de parcelas están generando una verdadera y moderna revolución en la ciencia tropical. En el futuro, la humanidad puede beneficiarse enormemente si se nutren y cultivan comunidades de investigadores de base, actualmente con la capacidad de generar información única y de largo plazo para entender los que probablemente son los bosques más preciados de la tierra. Resumo: Florestas tropicais são os ecossistemas mais diversos e produtivos da Terra. Embora uma boa compreensão destas florestas seja crucial para o nosso futuro coletivo, até muito recentemente os esforços de medições e monitoramento foram amplamente desconexos. É essencial formarmos redes para obtermos respostas que transcendem fronteiras e horizontes de agências financiadoras. Neste estudo nós mostramos como uma comunidade global está respondendo aos desafios da pesquisa de ecossistemas tropicais, com equipes diversas medindo florestas, árvore por árvore, em milhares de parcelas monitoradas à longo prazo. Nós revisamos as maiores descobertas científicas deste trabalho, e mostramos também como este processo está mudando a ciência de florestas tropicais. Nossa abordagem principal envolve unir iniciativas de base a protocolos padronizados e gerenciamento de dados a fim de gerar resultados robustos em escalas ampliadas. Ao conectar pesquisadores tropicais e elevar seus status, nosso modelo de Rede de Pesquisa Social reconhece o papel-chave do produtor dos dados na descoberta científica. Concebida em 1999 com o RAINFOR (América do Sul), nossa rede de parcelas permanentes foi adaptada para África (AfriTRON) e Sudeste asiático (T-FORCES), e tem sido extensamente reproduzida em todo o mundo. Agora estas múltiplas iniciativas estão integradas através de uma infraestrutura cibernética do ForestPlots.net, conectando colegas de 54 países de 24 redes de parcelas. Estas iniciativas estão transformando coletivamente o entendimento das florestas tropicais e seus papéis na biosfera. Juntos nós descobrimos como, onde e por que o carbono e a biodiversidade da floresta estão respondendo às mudanças climáticas, e seus efeitos de retroalimentação. Esta duradoura colaboração pantropical revelou um grande sumidouro de carbono persistente e suas tendências, assim como tem evidenciado quais direcionadores são mais importantes, quais processos florestais são mais afetados, onde eles estão mudando, seus atrasos no tempo de resposta, e as prováveis respostas das florestas tropicais conforme o clima continua a mudar. Dessa forma, aproveitando uma notável tecnologia antiga, redes de parcelas acendem faíscas de uma moderna revolução na ciência das florestas tropicais. No futuro a humanidade pode se beneficiar incentivando estas comunidades basais que agora são coletivamente capazes de gerar conhecimentos únicos e duradouros sobre as florestas mais preciosas da Terra. Résume: Les forêts tropicales sont les écosystèmes les plus diversifiés et les plus productifs de la planète. Si une meilleure compréhension de ces forêts est essentielle pour notre avenir collectif, jusqu'à tout récemment, les efforts déployés pour les mesurer et les surveiller ont été largement déconnectés. La mise en réseau est essentielle pour découvrir les réponses à des questions qui dépassent les frontières et les horizons des organismes de financement. Nous montrons ici comment une communauté mondiale relève les défis de la recherche sur les écosystèmes tropicaux avec diverses équipes qui mesurent les forêts arbre après arbre dans de milliers de parcelles permanentes. Nous passons en revue les principales découvertes scientifiques de ces travaux et montrons comment ce processus modifie la science des forêts tropicales. Notre approche principale consiste à relier les initiatives de base à long terme à des protocoles standardisés et une gestion de données afin de générer des résultats solides à grande échelle. En reliant les chercheurs tropicaux et en élevant leur statut, notre modèle de réseau de recherche sociale reconnaît le rôle clé de l'auteur des données dans la découverte scientifique. Conçus en 1999 avec RAINFOR (Amérique du Sud), nos réseaux de parcelles permanentes ont été adaptés à l'Afrique (AfriTRON) et à l'Asie du Sud-Est (T-FORCES) et largement imités dans le monde entier. Ces multiples initiatives sont désormais intégrées via l'infrastructure ForestPlots.net, qui relie des collègues de 54 pays à travers 24 réseaux de parcelles. Ensemble, elles transforment la compréhension des forêts tropicales et de leur rôle biosphérique. Ensemble, nous avons découvert comment, où et pourquoi le carbone forestier et la biodiversité réagissent au changement climatique, et comment ils y réagissent. Cette collaboration pan-tropicale à long terme a révélé un important puits de carbone à long terme et ses tendances, tout en mettant en évidence les facteurs les plus importants, les processus forestiers qui sont affectés, les endroits où ils changent, les décalages et les réactions futures probables des forêts tropicales à mesure que le climat continue de changer. En tirant parti d'une technologie remarquablement ancienne, les réseaux de parcelles déclenchent une révolution très moderne dans la science des forêts tropicales. À l'avenir, l'humanité pourra grandement bénéficier du soutien des communautés de base qui sont maintenant collectivement capables de générer une compréhension unique et à long terme des forêts les plus précieuses de la Terre. Abstrak: Hutan tropika adalah di antara ekosistem yang paling produktif dan mempunyai kepelbagaian biodiversiti yang tinggi di seluruh dunia. Walaupun pemahaman mengenai hutan tropika amat penting untuk masa depan kita, usaha-usaha untuk mengkaji dan mengawas hutah-hutan tersebut baru sekarang menjadi lebih diperhubungkan. Perangkaian adalah sangat penting untuk mencari jawapan kepada soalan-soalan yang menjangkaui sempadan dan batasan agensi pendanaan. Di sini kami menunjukkan bagaimana sebuah komuniti global bertindak balas terhadap cabaran penyelidikan ekosistem tropika melalui penglibatan pelbagai kumpulan yang mengukur hutan secara pokok demi pokok dalam beribu-ribu plot jangka panjang. Kami meninjau semula penemuan saintifik utama daripada kerja ini dan menunjukkan bagaimana proses ini sedang mengubah bidang sains hutan tropika. Teras pendekatan kami memberi tumpuan terhadap penghubungan inisiatif akar umbi jangka panjang dengan protokol standar serta pengurusan data untuk mendapatkan hasil skala besar yang kukuh. Dengan menghubungkan penyelidik-penyelidik tropika dan meningkatkan status mereka, model Rangkaian Penyelidikan Sosial kami mengiktiraf kepentingan peranan pengasas data dalam penemuan saintifik. Bermula dengan pengasasan RAINFOR (Amerika Selatan) pada tahun 1999, rangkaian-rangkaian plot kekal kami kemudian disesuaikan untuk Afrika (AfriTRON) dan Asia Tenggara (T-FORCES) dan selanjutnya telah banyak dicontohi di seluruh dunia. Kini, inisiatif-inisiatif tersebut disepadukan melalui infrastruktur siber ForestPlots.net yang menghubungkan rakan sekerja dari 54 negara di 24 buah rangkaian plot. Secara kolektif, rangkaian ini sedang mengubah pemahaman tentang hutan tropika dan peranannya dalam biosfera. Kami telah bekerjasama untuk menemukan bagaimana, di mana dan mengapa karbon serta biodiversiti hutan bertindak balas terhadap perubahan iklim dan juga bagaimana mereka saling bermaklum balas. Kolaborasi pan-tropika jangka panjang ini telah mendedahkan sebuah sinki karbon jangka panjang serta arah alirannya dan juga menjelaskan pemandu-pemandu perubahan yang terpenting, di mana dan bagaimana proses hutan terjejas, masa susul yang ada dan kemungkinan tindakbalas hutan tropika pada perubahan iklim secara berterusan di masa depan. Dengan memanfaatkan pendekatan lama, rangkaian plot sedang menyalakan revolusi yang amat moden dalam sains hutan tropika. Pada masa akan datang, manusia sejagat akan banyak mendapat manfaat jika memupuk komuniti-komuniti akar umbi yang kini berkemampuan secara kolektif menghasilkan pemahaman unik dan jangka panjang mengenai hutan-hutan yang paling berharga di dunia. Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER) Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Universidad Nacional de Jujuy James Cook University (JCU) CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) School of Land & Food University of Tasmania CSIRO Tropical Forest Research Centre Independent Researcher Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) College of Marine and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science College of Science and Engineering James Cook University University of the Sunshine Coast University of York Flamingo Land Ltd. Sommersbergseestrasse Ghent University CAVElab Ghent University Royal Museum for Central Africa - Service of Wood Biology Isotope Bioscience Laboratory-ISOFYS Ghent University Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech Université de Liege Landscape Ecology and Vegetal Production Systems Unit CAVElab Computational & Applied Vegetation Ecology Ghent University Tropical Forestry Forest Resources Management Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech University of Liege Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Royal Museum for Central Africa Royal Museum for Central Africa Ghent University Department of Environment Ghent University Service Evolution Biologique et Ecologie Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education IBIF Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Universidad Autonoma Gabriel Rene Moreno PROMAB Museo Noel Kempff Consultor Independiente Jardin Botanico Municipal de Santa Cruz Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado Forest Management in Bolivia Universidad Autónoma del Beni Riberalta Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Herbario del Sur de Bolivia Universidad Autónoma del Beni Conservation International Instituto de Biodiversidade e Floresta Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT) Projeto TEAM – Manaus Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Projeto Dinâmica Biológica de Fragmentos Florestais Departamento de Genética Ecologia e Evolução Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Universidade Estadual de Campinas Laboratório de Ecologia de Comunidades e Funcionamento de Ecossistemas-ECoFERP Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras USP National Institute for Space Research (INPE) Universidade Federal de Roraima (UFRR) UNESP - São Paulo State University Carbonozero Consultoria Ambiental Departamento de Biologia Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura Universidade de São Paulo UERR - Campus Rorainópolis Universidade Federal do Acre Instituto Agronômico de Campinas Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Embrapa Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF) Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI) Botany and Plant Ecology Laboratory Federal University of Acre INPA- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia UERR - Campus Boa Vista Universidade Federal do Ceará Universidade Federal de Campina Grande Universidade Federal do Para Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais Universidade Estadual de Campinas Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Acre Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará UEFS Depto. de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Agreste de Pernambuco (UFAPE) Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros FFCLRP-USP/Br UNEMAT Universidade Federal de Jataí Universidade Federal do Pará Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Campinas Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) Museu Goeldi Embrapa Amazônia Oriental Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia UFMG - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Fundação Universidade Fedral de Rondônia - UNIR INPA- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Amazônicas Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - Coordenação de Pesquisas em Silvicultura Tropical Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro National Institute for Research in Amazonia Universidade Federal de Roraima (UFRR/PRONAT) Universidade Estadual de Campinas/UNICAMP Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia/CPBO Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) INCAPER- Instituto Capixaba de Pesquisa Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural INPE- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista Semiarid National Institute (INSA) Universidade de Brasília Departamento de Engenharia Florestal IBAM - Instituto Bem Ambiental Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso Campus de Nova Xavantina University in Campinas Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) LMF Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco USP - University of São Paulo Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo (IFES) INPA - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia Grupo MAUA Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Instituto de Ciências Naturais Humanas e Sociais Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica RAINFOR-PPBIO Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia - UFRA/CAPES Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) INPA/Max-Planck Project EMBRAPA- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Amazônia Oriental) Serviço Florestal Brasileiro Museu Universitário Universidade Federal do Acre Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco PUCPR - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi Universiti Brunei Darussalam Environmental and Life Sciences Faculty of Science Universiti Brunei Darussalam Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research Universiti Brunei Darussalam Plant Systematic and Ecology Laboratory Department of Biology Higher Teachers’ Training College University of Yaounde I Faculty of Science Department of Botany and Plant Physiology University of Buea Faculty of Science Department of Plant Science University of Buea National Herbarium Plant Systematics and Ecology Laboratory Higher Teachers’ Training College University of Yaoundé I Department of Plant Biology Faculty of Sciences University of Yaounde 1 Bioversity International Faculty of Forestry University of Toronto Ministère des Eaux Forêts Chasse et Pêche (MEFCP) Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción Universidad de La Serena Research Institute of Tropical Forestry Chinese Academy of Forestry Kunming Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing Forestry University Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia Red COL-TREE Corporación COL-TREE Nuevo Estándar Biotropical NEBIOT SAS Universidad del Tolima Asociación GAICA Universidad de Nariño – Red BST-Col Parques Nacionales Naturales Territorial Caribe – Red BST-Col Universidad del Atlantico – Red BST-Col Departamento de Ciencias Forestales Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Medellín Socioecosistemas y Clima Sostenible Fundacion con Vida Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia – Red BST-Col Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt – Red BST-Col UNAL Instituto de Investigación Recursos Biologicos Alexander von Humboldt – Red BST-Col Fundación Jardín Botánico de Medellín Herbario “Joaquín Antonio Uribe” (JAUM) – Red BST-Col Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Amazonia Coltree Facultad del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas – Red BST-Col Universidad de Tolima Fundación Orinoquia Biodiversa – Red BST-Col Departamento de Biología Facultad de Ciencias Naturales Universidad Icesi – Red BST-Col Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Universidad Nacional de Colombia Universidad de los Llanos Servicios Ecoysistemicos y Cambio Climatico (SECC) Fundación Con Vida & Corporación COL-TREE Universidad del Rosario Fundacion Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia – Red BST-Col Universidad de los Andes - ANDES herbarium Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Palacky University Czech University of Life Sciences Mendel University World Wide Fund for Nature Wildlife Conservation Society-DR Congo Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation Université de Kisangani Faculté des Sciences Laboratoire d'écologie et aménagement forestier Université de Kisangani Université de Kisangani Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques République Démocratique du Congo Ministère de l'Environnement et Développement Durable Aarhus University University of Copenhagen Escuela Politécnica Nacional del Ecuador Herbario Alfredo Paredes (QAP) Universidad Central del Ecuador Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad Medio Ambiente y Salud-BIOMAS Universidad de las Américas, Campus Queri Keller Science Action Center The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Dr. Universidad Estatal Amazónica Facultad de Ingeniería Ambiental Universidad Tecnica del Norte Herbario Nacional del Ecuador Grupo de Ecosistemas Tropicales y Cambio Global Universidad Regional Amazónica ikiam Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA & Extensión Galápagos Universidad San Francisco de Quito-USFQ Herbario de Botánica Económica del Ecuador QUSF Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ Galapagos Science Center USFQ UNC Chapel Hill University of North Carolina-UNC Chapel Hill University of Florida FindingSpecies Mekelle University Environment Climate Change and Coffee Forest Forum (ECCCFF) University of Turku Centre de coopération International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) CNRS ONF INRAE Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique AMAP Univ Montpellier IRD CNRS CIRAD INRA Forêts et Sociétés (F&S) Centre de coopération International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) Departement Hommes Natures Societes Museum national d'histoire naturelle INRA Cirad UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane (AgroparisTech CNRS INRAE Université des Antilles Université de la Guyane) Ministry of Forests Seas Environment and Climate Rougier-Gabon Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux Gabon Commission of Central African Forests (COMIFAC) Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux Ministère des Forêts des Eaux de la Mer de l'Environnement Chargé du Plan Climat des Objectifs de Développement Durable et du Plan d'Affectation des Terres Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (CENAREST) Gabon/Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux Georg-August-University Göttingen University of Freiburg Institute of Botany University of Hohenheim Max Planck Institute for Chemistry Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) Mensuration Unit Forestry Commission of Ghana Center for International Forestry Research Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development Guyana Forestry Commission Utrecht University Centre for Sustainable Technologies Indian Institute of Science Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Herbarium Borgoriense Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Indonesian Institute of Science Forest Research and Development Agency (FORDA) Balitek-KSDA Samboja University of Florence and MUSE - Museo delle Scienze Cirad Hokkaido University Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Forestry Development Authority of the Government of Liberia (FDA) University of Liberia Sungai Wain Protection Forest South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership Danum Valley Field Centre Malaysian Palm Oil Board Sabah Forestry Department Forest Research Centre Universiti Malaysia Sabah Sabah Forestry Department Sarawak Forestry Corporation Eduardo Mondlane University Herbarium UNAN-Leon Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua University of Abeokuta Natural History Museum of Norway University of Oslo Norwegian University of Life Sciences Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana (UNAP) Universidad Nacional de Jaén Jardin Botanico de Missouri Andes to Amazon Biodiversity Program Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana Kené - Instituto de Estudios Forestales y Ambientales Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana (IIAP) Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre de Grohmann (UNJBG) Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco Centro de Conservación Investigación y Manejo CIMA Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Asociacion Bosques Perú Université Officielle de Bukavu Université Marien N'Gouabi Wildlife Conservation Society Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie Université Marien Ngouabi Univeriste Marien Ngouabi The Gola Rainforest National Park 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1. Quantifying the relationship between tree diameter and height is a key component of efforts to estimate biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. Although substantial site‐to‐site variation in height–diameter allometries has been documented, the time consuming nature of measuring all tree heights in an inventory plot means that most studies do not include height, or else use generic pan‐tropical or regional allometric equations to estimate height. 2. Using a pan‐tropical dataset of 73 plots where at least 150 trees had in‐field ground‐based height measurements, we examined how the number of trees sampled affects the performance of locally derived height–diameter allometries, and evaluated the performance of different methods for sampling trees for height measurement. 3. Using cross‐validation, we found that allometries constructed with just 20 locally measured values could often predict tree height with lower error than regional or climate‐based allometries (mean reduction in prediction error = 0.46 m). The predictive performance of locally derived allometries improved with sample size, but with diminishing returns in performance gains when more than 40 trees were sampled. Estimates of stand‐level biomass produced using local allometries to estimate tree height show no over‐ or under‐estimation bias when compared with biomass estimates using field measured heights. We evaluated five strategies to sample trees for height measurement, and found that sampling strategies that included measuring the heights of the ten largest diameter trees in a plot outperformed (in terms of resulting in local height–diameter models with low height prediction error) entirely random or diameter size‐class stratified approaches. 4. Our results indicate that even limited sampling of heights can be used to refine height–diameter allometries. We recommend aiming for a conservative threshold of sampling 50 trees per location for height measurement, and including the ten trees with the largest diameter in this sample., Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9 (5), ISSN:2041-210X, ISSN:2041-2096

Tropical forests are global centres of biodiversity and carbon storage. Many tropical countries aspire to protect forest to fulfil biodiversity and climate mitigation policy targets, but the conservation strategies needed to achieve these two functions depend critically on the tropical forest tree diversity-carbon storage relationship. Assessing this relationship is challenging due to the scarcity of inventories where carbon stocks in aboveground biomass and species identifications have been simultaneously and robustly quantified. Here, we compile a unique pan-tropical dataset of 360 plots located in structurally intact old-growth closed-canopy forest, surveyed using standardised methods, allowing a multi-scale evaluation of diversity-carbon relationships in tropical forests. Diversity-carbon relationships among all plots at 1 ha scale across the tropics are absent, and within continents are either weak (Asia) or absent (Amazonia, Africa). A weak positive relationship is detectable within 1 ha plots, indicating that diversity effects in tropical forests may be scale dependent. The absence of clear diversity-carbon relationships at scales relevant to conservation planning means that carbon-centred conservation strategies will inevitably miss many high diversity ecosystems. As tropical forests can have any combination of tree diversity and carbon stocks both require explicit consideration when optimising policies to manage tropical carbon and biodiversity.

Less than half of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions remain in the atmosphere. While carbon balance models imply large carbon uptake in tropical forests, direct on-the-ground observations are still lacking in Southeast Asia. Here, using long-term plot monitoring records of up to half a century, we find that intact forests in Borneo gained 0.43 Mg C ha−1 per year (95% CI 0.14–0.72, mean period 1988–2010) in above-ground live biomass carbon. These results closely match those from African and Amazonian plot networks, suggesting that the world's remaining intact tropical forests are now en masse out-of-equilibrium. Although both pan-tropical and long-term, the sink in remaining intact forests appears vulnerable to climate and land use changes. Across Borneo the 1997–1998 El Niño drought temporarily halted the carbon sink by increasing tree mortality, while fragmentation persistently offset the sink and turned many edge-affected forests into a carbon source to the atmosphere.

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change.

Model comparison; Loadings for Phylogenetic Principal Componets Analysis (PPCA); Sensitivity analyses

List of plots encompassing the Floristic tree inventories for 577 plots compiled from RAINFOR database, with their respective coordinates in Latitude (Lat.) and Longitude (Long.) , area in hectare, number of individuals with diameter equal or superior to 10 cm, number of species, number of genera and data contributors. Plots with long term data and minimum of 2 years census interval (257) are assigned.

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.