Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Gap formation and carbon cycling in the Brazilian Amazon
T2 - measurement using high-resolution optical remote sensing and studies in large forest plots
AU - Espirito-Santo, Fernando D. B.
AU - Keller, Michael M.
AU - Linder, Ernst
AU - Oliveira Junior, Raimundo C.
AU - Pereira, Cleuton
AU - Oliveira, Cleber G.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: The dynamics of gaps plays a role in the regimes of tree mortality, production of coarse woody debris (CWD) and the variability of light in the forest understory.Aims: To quantify the area affected by, and the carbon fluxes associated with, natural gap-phase disturbances in a tropical lowland evergreen rain forest by use of ground measurements and high-resolution satellite images.Methods: We surveyed two large forest inventory plots of 114 and 53 ha of the Tapajos National Forest (TNF) in the Brazilian Amazon during 2008 and 2009, respectively. We mapped all gaps and collected data on light availability, CWD stocks and tree mortality in the field. Gap location, canopy openness (CO) and leaf area index (LAI) estimated in the field were compared with two IKONOS-2 high-resolution satellite images acquired at approximately the time of the field measurements.Results: In the two large plots (167 ha total area) we found 96 gaps. The gaps represented 1.42% of the total area and gapsConclusions: We present the first statistics of CWD production based on gap size in the tropical forest literature. Tree mortality and CWD flux and the forest floor light environment were closely related to gap area. However, less than 30% of the annual tree mortality and CWD flux was associated with gaps, and gaps were difficult to detect using remote sensing methods because of the high proportion of shadow in the images. These results highlight the need for permanent plots in long-term carbon studies.
AB - Background: The dynamics of gaps plays a role in the regimes of tree mortality, production of coarse woody debris (CWD) and the variability of light in the forest understory.Aims: To quantify the area affected by, and the carbon fluxes associated with, natural gap-phase disturbances in a tropical lowland evergreen rain forest by use of ground measurements and high-resolution satellite images.Methods: We surveyed two large forest inventory plots of 114 and 53 ha of the Tapajos National Forest (TNF) in the Brazilian Amazon during 2008 and 2009, respectively. We mapped all gaps and collected data on light availability, CWD stocks and tree mortality in the field. Gap location, canopy openness (CO) and leaf area index (LAI) estimated in the field were compared with two IKONOS-2 high-resolution satellite images acquired at approximately the time of the field measurements.Results: In the two large plots (167 ha total area) we found 96 gaps. The gaps represented 1.42% of the total area and gapsConclusions: We present the first statistics of CWD production based on gap size in the tropical forest literature. Tree mortality and CWD flux and the forest floor light environment were closely related to gap area. However, less than 30% of the annual tree mortality and CWD flux was associated with gaps, and gaps were difficult to detect using remote sensing methods because of the high proportion of shadow in the images. These results highlight the need for permanent plots in long-term carbon studies.
KW - Amazon
KW - canopy opening
KW - coarse wood debris gaps
KW - leaf area index natural disturbances
KW - remote sensing
KW - tropical forest
KW - IKONOS
KW - TROPICAL RAIN-FOREST
KW - IKONOS SATELLITE-OBSERVATIONS
KW - COARSE WOODY DEBRIS
KW - CANOPY GAPS
KW - VEGETATION DYNAMICS
KW - NEOTROPICAL FOREST
KW - LARGE BLOWDOWNS
KW - LOGGED FORESTS
KW - UNITED-STATES
KW - TREEFALL GAPS
U2 - 10.1080/17550874.2013.795629
DO - 10.1080/17550874.2013.795629
M3 - Journal article
VL - 7
SP - 305
EP - 318
JO - Plant Ecology and Diversity
JF - Plant Ecology and Diversity
SN - 1755-0874
IS - 1-2
ER -