Back to Search
Start Over
Shifting dynamics of climate-functional groups in old-growth Amazonian forests.
- Source :
-
Plant Ecology & Diversity . Feb2014, Vol. 7 Issue 1/2, p267-279. 13p. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Background:Climate change is driving ecosystem shifts, which has implications for tropical forest system function and productivity. Aim:To investigate Amazon forest dynamics and test for compositional changes between 1985 and 2005 across different plant groups. Methods:Tree census data from 46 long-term RAINFOR forest plots in Amazonia for three climate-functional groups were used: dry-affiliate, climate-generalist and wet affiliate. Membership of each group was ascribed at genus level from the distribution of individuals across a wet–dry gradient in Amazonia, and then used to determine whether the proportions of these functional groups have changed over time, and the direction of any change. Results:In total, 91 genera, representing 59% of the stems and 18% of genera in the plots, were analysed. Wet-affiliates tended to move from a state of net basal area gain towards dynamic equilibrium, defined as where gain ≈ loss, governed by an increase in loss rather than a decrease in growth and mainly driven by plots in north-west Amazonia, the wettest part of the region. Dry-affiliates remained in a state of strong net basal area gain across western Amazonia and showed a strong increase in stem recruitment. Wet-affiliates and climate-generalists showed increases in stem mortality, and climate-generalists showed increased stem recruitment, resulting in overall equilibrium of stem numbers. Conclusions:While there were no significant shifts in most genera, the results suggest an overall shift in climate-functional forest composition in western Amazonia away from wet-affiliates, and potential for increased forest persistence under projected drier conditions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 17550874
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 1/2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Plant Ecology & Diversity
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 94181648
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2012.715210