TY - JOUR
T1 - The productivity, metabolism and carbon cycle of two lowland tropical forest plots in south-western Amazonia, Peru
AU - Malhi, Yadvinder
AU - Farfán Amézquita, Filio
AU - Doughty, Christopher E.
AU - Silva-Espejo, Javier E.
AU - Girardin, Cécile A.J.
AU - Metcalfe, Daniel B.
AU - Aragão, Luiz E.O.C.
AU - Huaraca-Quispe, Lidia P.
AU - Alzamora-Taype, Ivonne
AU - Eguiluz-Mora, Luzmilla
AU - Marthews, Toby R.
AU - Halladay, Kate
AU - Quesada, Carlos A.
AU - Robertson, Amanda L.
AU - Fisher, Joshua B.
AU - Zaragoza-Castells, Joana
AU - Rojas-Villagra, Clara M.
AU - Pelaez-Tapia, Yulina
AU - Salinas, Norma
AU - Meir, Patrick
AU - Phillips, Oliver L.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: The forests of western Amazonia are known to be more dynamic that the better-studied forests of eastern Amazonia, but there has been no comprehensive description of the carbon cycle of a western Amazonian forest. Aims: We present the carbon budget of two forest plots in Tambopata in south-eastern Peru, western Amazonia. In particular, we present, for the first time, the seasonal variation in the detailed carbon budget of a tropical forest. Methods: We measured the major components of net primary production (NPP) and total autotrophic respiration over 3-6 years. Results: The NPP for the two plots was 15.1 ± 0.8 and 14.2 ± 1.0 Mg C ha-1 year-1, the gross primary productivity (GPP) was 35.5 ± 3.6 and 34.5 ± 3.5 Mg C ha-1 year-1, and the carbon use efficiency (CUE) was 0.42 ± 0.05 and 0.41 ± 0.05. NPP and CUE showed a large degree of seasonality. Conclusions: The two plots were similar in carbon cycling characteristics despite the different soils, the most notable difference being high allocation of NPP to canopy and low allocation to fine roots in the Holocene floodplain plot. The timing of the minima in the wet-dry transition suggests they are driven by phenological rhythms rather than being driven directly by water stress. When compared with results from forests on infertile forests in humid lowland eastern Amazonia, the plots have slightly higher GPP, but similar patterns of CUE and carbon allocation.
AB - Background: The forests of western Amazonia are known to be more dynamic that the better-studied forests of eastern Amazonia, but there has been no comprehensive description of the carbon cycle of a western Amazonian forest. Aims: We present the carbon budget of two forest plots in Tambopata in south-eastern Peru, western Amazonia. In particular, we present, for the first time, the seasonal variation in the detailed carbon budget of a tropical forest. Methods: We measured the major components of net primary production (NPP) and total autotrophic respiration over 3-6 years. Results: The NPP for the two plots was 15.1 ± 0.8 and 14.2 ± 1.0 Mg C ha-1 year-1, the gross primary productivity (GPP) was 35.5 ± 3.6 and 34.5 ± 3.5 Mg C ha-1 year-1, and the carbon use efficiency (CUE) was 0.42 ± 0.05 and 0.41 ± 0.05. NPP and CUE showed a large degree of seasonality. Conclusions: The two plots were similar in carbon cycling characteristics despite the different soils, the most notable difference being high allocation of NPP to canopy and low allocation to fine roots in the Holocene floodplain plot. The timing of the minima in the wet-dry transition suggests they are driven by phenological rhythms rather than being driven directly by water stress. When compared with results from forests on infertile forests in humid lowland eastern Amazonia, the plots have slightly higher GPP, but similar patterns of CUE and carbon allocation.
KW - GPP
KW - NPP
KW - allocation
KW - herbivory
KW - phenology
KW - seasonality
KW - soil respiration
KW - stem respiration
KW - tropical forests
KW - western Amazonia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84895060992&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17550874.2013.820805
DO - 10.1080/17550874.2013.820805
M3 - Article
SN - 1755-0874
VL - 7
SP - 85
EP - 105
JO - Plant Ecology and Diversity
JF - Plant Ecology and Diversity
IS - 1-2
ER -