Variations in aboveground vegetation structure along a nutrient availability gradient in the Brazilian pantanal

Vourlitis, George L.; Lobo, Francisco de Almeida; Pinto, Osvaldo Borges; Zappia, Anthony; Dalmagro, Higo J.; Arruda, Paulo Henrique Zanella de; Nogueira, José de Souza

doi:10.1007/s11104-014-2364-6

Cited by 24 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…ex Spreng.) were only important in the mixed‐forest in the PAN (Vourlitis et al, ), and C w for the mixed‐forest was statistically similar with and without palms. For example, using data collected in July 2013, the only year that palm woody C was estimated, mean + 95% confidence interval (CI) C w was 102 + 51 MgC/ha when S. phalerata was included (Vourlitis et al, ) and 76 + 35 MgC/ha when S. phalerata was excluded.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…While the magnitude of this potential error for our data is unknown, our mean (+ SD ) wood density for the cerrado tree Curatella americana (0.62 + 0.07 g/cm 3 ; n = 45 trees) was similar (0.67 g/cm 3 ; n = 18 trees) to that reported by Jati et al (), who dried their cores at >100 ° C. Trunk ρ was calculated as the dry mass of wood divided by the volume of the fresh wood core (Chave et al, ). Wood C concentration was measured from the dried cores using a wet combustion (Walkley‐Black) method (Vourlitis et al, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2011, samples were obtained from the upper 10‐cm soil layer only, but in 2013 and 2018, subsurface samples to a depth of 50 cm were obtained every 20 m along each transect. Soil samples were analyzed for bulk density, total N, and extractable P and cation (K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Al 3+ ) concentrations as described by Vourlitis et al ( and ). Soil bulk density data were used to convert nutrient concentrations (e.g., grams per kilogram) into pool sizes (e.g., grams per square meter) because of the differences in soil physical properties between the different stands (Vourlitis et al, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Aboveground Woody Carbon Storage for Cerrado Forests and Woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tropical forests and savanna account for nearly 65% of the total global terrestrial net primary production (NPP); however, there are still large uncertainties in tropical forest NPP because of limited field measurements, especially in the structurally diverse Brazilian savanna (cerrado). To address this uncertainty, we measured patterns of aboveground wood C stocks (C w ) and rates of wood C storage (ΔC w ) over a 7-year period for cerrado forests and woodlands of southern Mato Grosso, Brazil, arrayed across hydrological and soil fertility gradients. We focused on ΔC w because it is an important component of NPP, and wood is a stable, long-term, C storage reservoir. Annual rates of ΔC w were significantly affected by estimates of P and cation (K and Ca) availability, and analysis of covariance indicated that relationships between ΔC w and nutrient availability were independent of stand hydrology. Both upland and hyperseasonal stands exhibited a decline in ΔC w during the 2015-16 El Niño event, which was exceptionally warm and dry. A limited analysis of the uncertainty associated with the field measurements ranged from 7% for wood density to 24% for tree density, while the uncertainty associated with derived quantities ranged from 10% for tree height to 41% for C w . Overall, these results suggest that soil fertility and annual precipitation are important drivers of ΔC w and that warming and drying associated with climate change will cause a decline in aboveground woody C storage for these, and similar, tropical forests and woodlands.Plain Language Summary Tropical forests and savannas are important reservoirs for global carbon (C) storage, but there are still uncertainties in how much C is stored in these ecosystems, especially for savanna. We measured the amount and rate of C stored in aboveground wood for forests and woodlands of the Brazilian savanna in the southern part of the Amazon Basin. Rates of wood C storage increased as nutrient availability increased, and C storage declined during drought years for both seasonally flooded and non-flooded forests and woodlands. These results have implications for how climate and land-use change alter wood C storage in these globally important ecosystems.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Aboveground Woody Carbon Storage for Cerrado Forests and Woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…, Vourlitis et al. ). Consequently, the hypothesis that nutrient availability places ultimate constraints on forest formation is not well supported.…”

Section: Scales At Which Nutrient Limitation May Operatementioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient limitation in tropical savannas across multiple scales and mechanisms

Pellegrini

2016

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nutrients have been hypothesized to influence the distribution of the savanna biome through two possible mechanisms. Low nutrient availability may restrict growth rates of trees, thereby allowing for intermittent fires to maintain low tree cover; alternatively, nutrient deficiency may even place an absolute constraint on the ability of forests to form, independent of fire. However, we have little understanding of the scales at which nutrient limitation operates, what nutrients are limiting, and the mechanisms that influence how nutrient limitation regulates savanna–forest transitions. Here, I review literature, synthesize existing data, and present a simple calculation of nutrient demand to evaluate how nutrient limitation may regulate the distribution of the savanna biome. The literature primarily supports the hypothesis that nutrients may interact dynamically with fire to restrict the transition of savanna into forest. A compilation of indirect metrics of nutrient limitation suggest that nitrogen and phosphorus are both in short supply and may limit plants. Nutrient demand calculations provided a number of insights. First, trees required high rates of nitrogen and phosphorus supply relative to empirically determined inputs. Second, nutrient demand increased as landscapes approached the transition point between savanna and forest. Third, the potential for fire‐driven nutrient losses remained high throughout transitions, which may exaggerate limitation and could be a key feedback stabilizing the savanna biome. Fourth, nutrient limitation varied between functional groups, with fast‐growing forest species having substantially greater nutrient demand and a higher susceptibility to fire‐driven nutrient losses. Finally, African savanna trees required substantially larger amounts of nutrients supplied at greater rates, although this varied across plant functional groups. In summary, the ability of nutrients to control transitions emerges at individual and landscape scales, and is regulated through different mechanisms based on spatial (differences in underlying geology), temporal (stage in biome transition) and biological (species traits and community composition) variability.

show abstract

“…One view is that edaphic factors like soil nutrients are the main control of rainforest-savanna mosaics, and fire is not a cause but rather a consequence of vegetation patterns (Lloyd et al, 2008;Veenendaal et al, 2015). Although savanna soils may have sufficient nutrient stocks to support rainforest trees (Bond, 2010;Vourlitis et al, 2015), rainforests are generally found on more nutrient-rich soils compared with savannas (Dantas, Batalha, & Pausas, 2013;Silva et al, 2013). Infertile savanna soils are known to limit expansion of rainforest (Silva et al, 2013), while deeper and more fertile substrates allow rainforest to grow in drier climates (known as "edaphic compensation"; Ash, 1988;Webb, 1968).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Water, land, fire, and forest: Multi‐scale determinants of rainforests in the Australian monsoon tropics

Ondei

Prior

Williamson

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The small rainforest fragments found in savanna landscapes are powerful, yet often overlooked, model systems to understand the controls of these contrasting ecosystems. We analyzed the relative effect of climatic variables on rainforest density at a subcontinental level, and employed high-resolution, regional-level analyses to assess the importance of landscape settings and fire activity in determining rainforest density in a frequently burnt Australian savanna landscape. Estimates of rainforest density (ha/ km 2 ) across the Northern Territory and Western Australia, derived from preexisting maps, were used to calculate the correlations between rainforest density and climatic variables. A detailed map of the northern Kimberley (Western Australia) rainforests was generated and analyzed to determine the importance of geology and topography in controlling rainforests, and to contrast rainforest density on frequently burnt mainland and nearby islands. In the northwestern Australian, tropics rainforest density was positively correlated with rainfall and moisture index, and negatively correlated with potential evapotranspiration. At a regional scale, rainforests showed preference for complex topographic positions and more fertile geology. Compared with mainland areas, islands had significantly lower fire activity, with no differences between terrain types. They also displayed substantially higher rainforest density, even on level terrain where geomorphological processes do not concentrate nutrients or water. Our multiscale approach corroborates previous studies that suggest moist climate, infrequent fires, and geology are important stabilizing factors that allow rainforest fragments to persist in savanna landscapes. These factors need to be incorporated in models to predict the future extent of savannas and rainforests under climate change.

show abstract

Variations in aboveground vegetation structure along a nutrient availability gradient in the Brazilian pantanal

Cited by 24 publications

References 61 publications

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Aboveground Woody Carbon Storage for Cerrado Forests and Woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Aboveground Woody Carbon Storage for Cerrado Forests and Woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Nutrient limitation in tropical savannas across multiple scales and mechanisms

Water, land, fire, and forest: Multi‐scale determinants of rainforests in the Australian monsoon tropics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About