The importance of large-diameter trees in the wet tropical rainforests of Australia.

ABSTRACT: Large trees are keystone structures in many terrestrial ecosystems. They contribute disproportionately to reproduction, recruitment and succession, and influence the structure, dynamics and diversity of forests. Recently, researchers have become concerned about evidence showing rapid declines in large, old trees in a range of ecosystems across the globe. We used ≥10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) stem inventory data from 20, 0.5 ha forest plots spanning the wet tropical rainforest of Queensland, Australia to examine the contribution of large-diameter trees to above ground biomass (AGB), richness, dominance, mortality and recruitment. We show consistencies with tropical rainforest globally in that large-diameter trees (≥70 cm DBH) contribute much of the biomass (33%) from few trees (2.4

SUBMITTER: Bradford M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6493708 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature