Dataset Information

Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network.

ABSTRACT: Our knowledge about the structure and function of Andean forests at regional scales remains limited. Current initiatives to study forests over continental or global scales still have important geographical gaps, particularly in regions such as the tropical and subtropical Andes. In this study, we assessed patterns of structure and tree species diversity along ~ 4000 km of latitude and ~ 4000 m of elevation range in Andean forests. We used the Andean Forest Network (Red de Bosques Andinos, https://redbosques.condesan.org/) database which, at present, includes 491 forest plots (totaling 156.3 ha, ranging from 0.01 to 6 ha) representing a total of 86,964 identified tree stems ? 10 cm diameter at breast height belonging to 2341 identified species, 584 genera and 133 botanical families. Tree stem density and basal area increases with elevation while species richness decreases. Stem density and species richness both decrease with latitude. Subtropical forests have distinct tree species composition compared to those in the tropical region. In addition, floristic similarity of subtropical plots is between 13 to 16% while similarity between tropical forest plots is between 3% to 9%. Overall, plots ~ 0.5-ha or larger may be preferred for describing patterns at regional scales in order to avoid plot size effects. We highlight the need to promote collaboration and capacity building among researchers in the Andean region (i.e., South-South cooperation) in order to generate and synthesize information at regional scale.

SUBMITTER: Malizia A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7170706 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network.

Malizia Agustina A Blundo Cecilia C Carilla Julieta J Osinaga Acosta Oriana O Cuesta Francisco F Duque Alvaro A Aguirre Nikolay N Aguirre Zhofre Z Ataroff Michele M Baez Selene S Calderón-Loor Marco M Cayola Leslie L Cayuela Luis L Ceballos Sergio S Cedillo Hugo H Farfán Ríos William W Feeley Kenneth J KJ Fuentes Alfredo Fernando AF Gámez Álvarez Luis E LE Grau Ricardo R Homeier Juergen J Jadan Oswaldo O Llambi Luis Daniel LD Loza Rivera María Isabel MI Macía Manuel J MJ Malhi Yadvinder Y Malizia Lucio L Peralvo Manuel M Pinto Esteban E Tello Sebastián S Silman Miles M Young Kenneth R KR

PloS one 20200420 4

Our knowledge about the structure and function of Andean forests at regional scales remains limited. Current initiatives to study forests over continental or global scales still have important geographical gaps, particularly in regions such as the tropical and subtropical Andes. In this study, we assessed patterns of structure and tree species diversity along ~ 4000 km of latitude and ~ 4000 m of elevation range in Andean forests. We used the Andean Forest Network (Red de Bosques Andinos, https: ...[more]

PMID: 32311701

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Project description:Tracking the response of forest ecosystems to climate change demands large (≥1 ha) monitoring plots that are repeatedly measured over long time frames and arranged across macro-ecological gradients. Continental scale networks of permanent forest plots have identified links between climate and carbon fluxes by monitoring trends in tree growth, mortality and recruitment. The relationship between tree growth and climate in Australia has been recently articulated through analysis of data from smaller forest plots, but conclusions were limited by (a) absence of data on recruitment and mortality, (b) exclusion of non-eucalypt species, and (c) lack of knowledge of stand age or disturbance histories. To remedy these gaps we established the Ausplots Forest Monitoring Network: a continental scale network of 48 1 ha permanent plots in highly productive tall eucalypt forests in the mature growth stage. These plots are distributed across cool temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical climates (mean annual precipitation 850 to 1900 mm per year; mean annual temperature 6 to 21°C). Aboveground carbon stocks (AGC) in these forests are dominated by eucalypts (90% of AGC) whilst non-eucalypts in the understorey dominated species diversity and tree abundance (84% of species; 60% of stems). Aboveground carbon stocks were negatively related to mean annual temperature, with forests at the warm end of the temperature range storing approximately half the amount of carbon as forests at the cool end of the temperature range. This may reflect thermal constraints on tree growth detected through other plot networks and physiological studies. Through common protocols and careful sampling design, the Ausplots Forest Monitoring Network will facilitate the integration of tall eucalypt forests into established global forest monitoring initiatives. In the context of projections of rapidly warming and drying climates in Australia, this plot network will enable detection of links between climate and growth, mortality and carbon dynamics of eucalypt forests.

Dataset Information

Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network.

Publications

Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network.

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