Abstract
The responses of tropical forests to global anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. Above-ground woody biomass in some tropical forest plots has increased over the past several decades, potentially reflecting a widespread response to increased resource availability, for example, due to elevated atmospheric CO2 and/or nutrient deposition. However, previous studies of biomass dynamics have not accounted for natural patterns of disturbance and gap phase regeneration, making it difficult to quantify the importance of environmental changes. Using spatially explicit census data from large (50 ha) inventory plots, we investigated the influence of gap phase processes on the biomass dynamics of four 'old-growth' tropical forests (Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama; Pasoh and Lambir, Malaysia; and Huai Kha Khaeng (HKK), Thailand). We show that biomass increases were gradual and concentrated in earlier-phase forest patches, while biomass losses were generally of greater magnitude but concentrated in rarer later-phase patches. We then estimate the rate of biomass change at each site independent of gap phase dynamics using reduced major axis regressions and ANCOVA tests. Above-ground woody biomass increased significantly at Pasoh (+ 0.72% yr-1) and decreased at HKK (-0.56% yr-1) independent of changes in gap phase but remained stable at both BCI and Lambir. We conclude that gap phase processes play an important role in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests, and that quantifying the role of gap phase processes will help improve our understanding of the factors driving changes in forest biomass as well as their place in the global carbon budget.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2857-2864 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
| Volume | 274 |
| Issue number | 1627 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 22 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Carbon cycling
- Carbon dioxide
- Disturbance
- Global change
- Succession
- Tree-fall gaps
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Immunology and Microbiology(all)
- Environmental Science(all)
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
Cite this
The role of gap phase processes in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests. / Feeley, Kenneth; Davies, Stuart J.; Ashton, Peter S.; Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh; Nur Supardi, M. N.; Kassim, Abd Rahman; Tan, Sylvester; Chave, Jérôme.
In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 274, No. 1627, 22.11.2007, p. 2857-2864.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of gap phase processes in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests
AU - Feeley, Kenneth
AU - Davies, Stuart J.
AU - Ashton, Peter S.
AU - Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh
AU - Nur Supardi, M. N.
AU - Kassim, Abd Rahman
AU - Tan, Sylvester
AU - Chave, Jérôme
PY - 2007/11/22
Y1 - 2007/11/22
N2 - The responses of tropical forests to global anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. Above-ground woody biomass in some tropical forest plots has increased over the past several decades, potentially reflecting a widespread response to increased resource availability, for example, due to elevated atmospheric CO2 and/or nutrient deposition. However, previous studies of biomass dynamics have not accounted for natural patterns of disturbance and gap phase regeneration, making it difficult to quantify the importance of environmental changes. Using spatially explicit census data from large (50 ha) inventory plots, we investigated the influence of gap phase processes on the biomass dynamics of four 'old-growth' tropical forests (Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama; Pasoh and Lambir, Malaysia; and Huai Kha Khaeng (HKK), Thailand). We show that biomass increases were gradual and concentrated in earlier-phase forest patches, while biomass losses were generally of greater magnitude but concentrated in rarer later-phase patches. We then estimate the rate of biomass change at each site independent of gap phase dynamics using reduced major axis regressions and ANCOVA tests. Above-ground woody biomass increased significantly at Pasoh (+ 0.72% yr-1) and decreased at HKK (-0.56% yr-1) independent of changes in gap phase but remained stable at both BCI and Lambir. We conclude that gap phase processes play an important role in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests, and that quantifying the role of gap phase processes will help improve our understanding of the factors driving changes in forest biomass as well as their place in the global carbon budget.
AB - The responses of tropical forests to global anthropogenic disturbances remain poorly understood. Above-ground woody biomass in some tropical forest plots has increased over the past several decades, potentially reflecting a widespread response to increased resource availability, for example, due to elevated atmospheric CO2 and/or nutrient deposition. However, previous studies of biomass dynamics have not accounted for natural patterns of disturbance and gap phase regeneration, making it difficult to quantify the importance of environmental changes. Using spatially explicit census data from large (50 ha) inventory plots, we investigated the influence of gap phase processes on the biomass dynamics of four 'old-growth' tropical forests (Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama; Pasoh and Lambir, Malaysia; and Huai Kha Khaeng (HKK), Thailand). We show that biomass increases were gradual and concentrated in earlier-phase forest patches, while biomass losses were generally of greater magnitude but concentrated in rarer later-phase patches. We then estimate the rate of biomass change at each site independent of gap phase dynamics using reduced major axis regressions and ANCOVA tests. Above-ground woody biomass increased significantly at Pasoh (+ 0.72% yr-1) and decreased at HKK (-0.56% yr-1) independent of changes in gap phase but remained stable at both BCI and Lambir. We conclude that gap phase processes play an important role in the biomass dynamics of tropical forests, and that quantifying the role of gap phase processes will help improve our understanding of the factors driving changes in forest biomass as well as their place in the global carbon budget.
KW - Carbon cycling
KW - Carbon dioxide
KW - Disturbance
KW - Global change
KW - Succession
KW - Tree-fall gaps
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=35848949581&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=35848949581&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2007.0954
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2007.0954
M3 - Article
C2 - 17785266
AN - SCOPUS:35848949581
VL - 274
SP - 2857
EP - 2864
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
SN - 0800-4622
IS - 1627
ER -