Impacts of increasing typhoons on the structure and function of a subtropical forest: reflections of a changing climate

Abstract

Due to their destructive and sporadic nature, it is often difficult to evaluate and predict the effects of typhoon on forest ecosystem patterns and processes. We used a 21-yr record of litterfall rates to explore the influence of typhoon frequency and intensity, along with other meteorological variables, on ecosystem dynamics in a subtropical rainforest. Over the past half century there has been an increasing frequency of strong typhoons (category 3; >49.6 m s−1; increase of 1.5 typhoons/decade) impacting the Fushan Experimental Forest, Taiwan. At Fushan strong typhoons drive total litterfall mass with an average of 1100 kg ha−1 litterfall typhoon−1. While mean typhoon season litterfall has been observed to vary by an order of magnitude, mean litterfall rates associated with annual leaf senescence vary by <20%. In response to increasing typhoon frequency, total annual litter mass increased gradually over the 21-year record following three major typhoons in 1994. Monthly maximum wind speed was predictive of monthly litterfall, yet the influence of precipitation and temperature was only evident in non-typhoon affected months. The response of this subtropical forest to strong typhoons suggests that increasing typhoon frequency has already shifted ecosystem structure and function (declining carbon sequestration and forest stature).

Shifts in stream hydrochemistry in responses to typhoon and non-typhoon precipitation

“…Damages to trees may affect the level of foliar nutrient leaching and nutrient uptake by roots and thus the nutrient export . The poor correlation between maximum wind velocity and precipitation quantity reported by Lin et al (2011) suggests that precipitation quantity is not a good predictor of the magnitude of typhoon influences on nutrient input-output budget and likely contributed to the low predictability of discharge on ion budget during typhoon period.…”

Rapid Phase Transfer of DOC and DIC Transport in a Subtropical Small Mountainous River

“…landslides and debris 108 flows) within 2-3 days. These short-term, periodic, extreme events mobilize massive amounts of 109 terrestrial materials to the ocean (Kao et al, 2010;Huang et al, 2017). 110…”

Simulation of Marine Weather during an Extreme Rainfall Event: A Case Study of a Tropical Cyclone

“…Air-sea interactions have important implications in global warming. The global climate change affects the frequency and intensity of typhoons [34][35][36]. A multitude of recent studies have confirmed that the atmosphere is experiencing unprecedented warming as a result of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that absorb and trap heat in the atmosphere.…”