Variations in Amazon forest productivity correlated with foliar nutrients and modelled rates of photosynthetic carbon supply
Mercado, Lina M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4069-0838; Patino, Sandra; Domingues, Tomas F.; Fyllas, Nikolaos M.; Weedon, Graham P.; Sitch, Stephen; Quesada, Carlos Alberto; Phillips, Oliver L.; Aragao, Luiz E.O.C.; Malhi, Yadvinder; Dolman, A.J.; Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia; Saleska, Scott R.; Baker, Timothy R.; Almeida, Samuel; Higuchi, Niro; Lloyd, Jon. 2011 Variations in Amazon forest productivity correlated with foliar nutrients and modelled rates of photosynthetic carbon supply. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B), 366 (1582). 3316-3329. 10.1098/rstb.2011.0045
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract/Summary
The rate of above-ground woody biomass production, WP, in some western Amazon forests exceeds those in the east by a factor of 2 or more. Underlying causes may include climate, soil nutrient limitations and species composition. In this modelling paper, we explore the implications of allowing key nutrients such as N and P to constrain the photosynthesis of Amazon forests, and also we examine the relationship between modelled rates of photosynthesis and the observed gradients in WP. We use a model with current understanding of the underpinning biochemical processes as affected by nutrient availability to assess: (i) the degree to which observed spatial variations in foliar [N] and [P] across Amazonia affect stand-level photosynthesis; and (ii) how these variations in forest photosynthetic carbon acquisition relate to the observed geographical patterns of stem growth across the Amazon Basin. We find nutrient availability to exert a strong effect on photosynthetic carbon gain across the Basin and to be a likely important contributor to the observed gradient in WP. Phosphorus emerges as more important than nitrogen in accounting for the observed variations in productivity. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of future tropical forests under a changing climate.
Item Type: | Publication - Article |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | 10.1098/rstb.2011.0045 |
Programmes: | CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry |
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas: | Reynard |
ISSN: | 0962-8436 |
Additional Keywords: | modelling photosynthesis, nutrient limitation, Amazon forest |
NORA Subject Terms: | Earth Sciences Atmospheric Sciences |
Date made live: | 22 Feb 2012 10:01 +0 (UTC) |
URI: | https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16753 |
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