Solar energy budgets in central Amazonian ecosystems: a comparison between natural forest and bare soil areas

Leopoldo, Paulo Rodolfo; Chaves, J.G.; Franken, Wolfram

doi:10.1016/0378-1127(93)90010-k

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In turn, pastures maintain lower ET than forests during both the wet and dry season. During the wet season, ET is reduced over pastures due to reduced available energy and reduced roughness, while during the dry season ET is reduced due to the shallower rooting system of grasses [ Leopoldo et al , 1993; Nepstad et al , 1994; Hodnett et al , 1995; Jipp et al , 1998; von Randow et al , 2004].…”

Section: A Review Of Feedbacksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical and biological feedbacks of deforestation

Runyan¹,

D’Odorico²,

Lawrence³

2012

Reviews of Geophysics

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[1] Forest vegetation can interact with its surrounding environment in ways that enhance conditions favorable for its own existence. Removal of forest vegetation has been shown to alter these conditions in a number of ways, thereby inhibiting the reestablishment of the same community of woody plants. The effect of vegetation on an environmental variable along with vegetation susceptibility to the associated environmental conditions may imply a positive feedback: Changes in the internal conditions controlling this variable such as deforestation could inhibit the reestablishment of woody vegetation cover that in turn would act to further degrade the conditions necessary for forest regeneration. Understanding these feedbacks is important because in some cases where these feedbacks are present, deforestation can lead to irreversible state shifts where the forest vegetation cannot recover. In this review, we examine the different cases in which deforestation can lead to a loss of conditions necessary to sustain forest vegetation. We examine the spatial scale and extent of each feedback in addition to considering the temporal scale over which a feedback may be considered irreversible. Juxtaposing the spatial extent of these feedbacks with a map of deforestation enables the identification and discussion of at-risk areas to state changes following deforestation. Last, we discuss the economic implications of these feedbacks and how socioeconomic factors can affect the convergence of a system to a given stable state.

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Section: A Review Of Feedbacksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical and biological feedbacks of deforestation

Runyan¹,

D’Odorico²,

Lawrence³

2012

Reviews of Geophysics

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“…Estimates of the percentage of incoming radiation that is converted into latent heat in eastern forests of the Amazon Basin vary, but are generally greater than 50%: 46% (Malhi et al, 2002), 80% (Holscher et al, 1997) and 83% (Leopoldo et al, 1993). Because of the relative depth of tropical forest canopies, incoming solar radiation is strongly partitioned between canopy levels, resulting in relatively large resource gradients (temperature, light, relative humidity) from upper-to under-storey leaf strata.…”

Section: Canopy Microclimate and Land Surface Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tropical forest structure: a missing dimension to Pleistocene landscapes

Cowling

2004

J Quaternary Science

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Cowling, S. A. 2004. Tropical forest structure: a missing dimension to Pleistocene landscapes.ABSTRACT: By focusing on the horizontal distribution of Pleistocene vegetation types within tropical landscapes, we may be overlooking an equally important feature of palaeovegetation, namely their vertical structure. Tropical forest structure is a critical factor contributing to canopy microclimatology and thus plays a role in defining canopy habitats and species population dynamics. Because of this tight relationship between forest structure and canopy microclimate, flora and fauna with narrow canopy niches may have responded to glacial reductions in forest canopy density in the same manner as if the tropical forest were completely replaced by grassland. This alternative interpretation of palaeo-forest response to past climate change holds significance for the application of the Pleistocene refugia hypothesis in explaining various biogeographical trends. The role of forest structure in influencing hydrological cycling and the exchange of carbon between the biosphere and atmosphere are highlighted to illustrate how palaeoprecipitation and palaeoproductivity proxy data may be misinterpreted when forest structure is not explicitly considered. This is accomplished through theoretical scenarios using hydrological mass balance equations and simulations using a soil-plant-atmosphere landscape model. Available methodologies to reconstruct tropical palaeovegetation structure are identified, including the use of fully coupled earth system models.

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“…A thinning canopy allows more solar radiation to reach the ground, causing surface temperatures to rise, but also cause greater diurnal variations in temperature (Leopoldo et al, 1993;Potter et al, 2001b;Thery, 2001;Montgomery, 2004). A thinning canopy allows more solar radiation to reach the ground, causing surface temperatures to rise, but also cause greater diurnal variations in temperature (Leopoldo et al, 1993;Potter et al, 2001b;Thery, 2001;Montgomery, 2004).…”

Section: Vertical Strati®cation Of Glacial Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%