Resilience of Amazon forests emerges from plant trait diversity

Sakschewski, Boris; Bloh, Werner von; Boit, Alice; Poorter, Lourens; Peña-Claros, Marielos; Heinke, Jens; Joshi, Jasmin; Thonicke, Kirsten

doi:10.1038/nclimate3109

Cited by 246 publications

(230 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Such extensions should focus on linking the core abiotic and biotic dimensions of the planetary boundary framework. The present lack of well-developed model representations of the dynamics and ecosystem structure of biosphere diversity, heterogeneity, and resilience, despite ongoing efforts in this direction (Purves et al, 2013;Bartlett et al, 2016;Sakschewski et al, 2016), emphasises the need for a more conceptual understanding of biosphere integrity, its vulnerability to anthropogenic perturbation, and its role for Earth system resilience.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The analytical forms show that increasing Revelle factor r, as is likely to occur in an increasingly acidic ocean (Sabine et al, 2004), will decrease the strengths of ocean climate-carbon and concentration-carbon feedbacks. Weakening overturning circulation, via w 0 , would also decrease the strength of the ocean carbon cycle feedbacks.…”

Section: Feedback Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reaction of CO 2 with water, producing these other species, reduces the partial pressure of CO 2 in water allowing for more ocean CO 2 uptake before equilibrium with the atmosphere is achieved. The Revelle factor, r, is defined as the ratio of the proportional change in carbon dioxide content to the proportional change in total DIC (Sabine et al, 2004;Goodwin et al, 2007). For simplicity, we assume a constant Revelle factor, except for the temperature dependence, D T , of the solubility of CO 2 in seawater.…”

Section: Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our stylised and mechanistically based climate-carbon cycle model also offers a workbench for investigating the influence of mechanisms that are at present too uncertain, poorly defined, or computationally intensive to include in current Earth system models. Such stylised models are valuable for exploring the uncertain but potentially highly impactful Earth system dynamics such as interactions between climatic and social tipping elements (Lenton et al, 2008;Kriegler et al, 2009;Schellnhuber et al, 2016) and the planetary boundaries (Rockström et al, 2009;Steffen et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analytically tractable climate–carbon cycle feedbacks under 21st century anthropogenic forcing

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Changes to climate-carbon cycle feedbacks may significantly affect the Earth system's response to greenhouse gas emissions. These feedbacks are usually analysed from numerical output of complex and arguably opaque Earth system models. Here, we construct a stylised global climate-carbon cycle model, test its output against comprehensive Earth system models, and investigate the strengths of its climate-carbon cycle feedbacks analytically. The analytical expressions we obtain aid understanding of carbon cycle feedbacks and the operation of the carbon cycle. Specific results include that different feedback formalisms measure fundamentally the same climate-carbon cycle processes; temperature dependence of the solubility pump, biological pump, and CO 2 solubility all contribute approximately equally to the ocean climate-carbon feedback; and concentration-carbon feedbacks may be more sensitive to future climate change than climate-carbon feedbacks. Simple models such as that developed here also provide "workbenches" for simple but mechanistically based explorations of Earth system processes, such as interactions and feedbacks between the planetary boundaries, that are currently too uncertain to be included in comprehensive Earth system models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Feedback Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Oceanmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analytically tractable climate–carbon cycle feedbacks under 21st century anthropogenic forcing

et al. 2018

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“…Lund-Potsdam-Jena (LPJ); Sitch et al, 2003). Only a few global vegetation models include a more detailed representation of vegetation structure and functional diversity (Sato et al, 2007;Scheiter et al, 2013;Sakschewski et al, 2016). It would be interesting to perform the analysis presented here with global vegetation models which include structure to better understand the mechanisms driving forest systems' sensitivity to climate change.…”

Section: Implications For Global Vegetation Modellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species composition and forest structure explain the temperature sensitivity patterns of productivity in temperate forests

Bohn

Huth

2018

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Rising temperatures due to climate change influence the wood production of forests. Observations show that some temperate forests increase their productivity, whereas others reduce their productivity. This study focuses on how species composition and forest structure properties influence the temperature sensitivity of aboveground wood production (AWP). It further investigates which forests will increase their productivity the most with rising temperatures. We described forest structure by leaf area index, forest height and tree height heterogeneity. Species composition was described by a functional diversity index (Rao's Q) and a species distribution index ( AWP ). AWP quantified how well species are distributed over the different forest layers with regard to AWP. We analysed 370 170 forest stands generated with a forest gap model. These forest stands covered a wide range of possible forest types. For each stand, we estimated annual aboveground wood production and performed a climate sensitivity analysis based on 320 different climate time series (of 1-year length). The scenarios differed in mean annual temperature and annual temperature amplitude. Temperature sensitivity of wood production was quantified as the relative change in productivity resulting from a 1 • C rise in mean annual temperature or annual temperature amplitude. Increasing AWP positively influenced both temperature sensitivity indices of forest, whereas forest height showed a bell-shaped relationship with both indices. Further, we found forests in each successional stage that are positively affected by temperature rise. For such forests, large AWP values were important. In the case of young forests, low functional diversity and small tree height heterogeneity were associated with a positive effect of temperature on wood production. During later successional stages, higher species diversity and larger tree height heterogeneity were an advantage. To achieve such a development, one could plant below the closed canopy of even-aged, pioneer trees a climax-species-rich understorey that will build the canopy of the mature forest. This study highlights that forest structure and species composition are both relevant for understanding the temperature sensitivity of wood production.

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Anatomical functional traits and hydraulic vulnerability of trees in different water conditions in southern Amazonia

Júnior

Marimon‐Junior

Marimon

et al. 2023

American J of Botany

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Premise Understanding tree species' responses to drought is critical for predicting the future of tropical forests, especially in regions where the climate is changing rapidly. Methods We compared anatomical and functional traits of the dominant tree species of two tropical forests in southern Amazonia, one on deep, well‐drained soils (cerradão [CD]) and one in a riparian environment (gallery forest [GF]), to examine potential anatomical indicators of resistance or vulnerability to drought. Results Leaves of CD species generally had a thicker cuticle, upper epidermis, and mesophyll than those of GF species, traits that are indicative of adaptation to water deficit. In the GF, the theoretical hydraulic conductivity of the stems was significantly higher, indicating lower investment in drought resistance. The anatomical functional traits of CD species indicate a greater potential for surviving water restriction compared to the GF. Even so, it is possible that CD species could also be affected by extreme climate changes due to the more water‐limited environment. Conclusions In addition to the marked anatomical and functional differences between these phytophysiognomies, tree diversity within each is associated with a large range of hydraulic morphofunctional niches. Our results suggest the strong potential for floristic and functional compositional shifts under continued climate change, especially in the GF.

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Resilience of Amazon forests emerges from plant trait diversity

Cited by 246 publications

References 35 publications

Analytically tractable climate–carbon cycle feedbacks under 21st century anthropogenic forcing

Analytically tractable climate–carbon cycle feedbacks under 21st century anthropogenic forcing

Species composition and forest structure explain the temperature sensitivity patterns of productivity in temperate forests

Anatomical functional traits and hydraulic vulnerability of trees in different water conditions in southern Amazonia

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