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Bastin, J. - F., Rutishauser, E., Kellner, J. R., Saatchi, S., Pélissier, R., Hérault, B., et al. (2018). Pan-tropical prediction of forest structure from the largest trees. Global Ecol Biogeogr, 27(11), 1366–1383.
Abstract: Abstract Aim Large tropical trees form the interface between ground and airborne observations, offering a unique opportunity to capture forest properties remotely and to investigate their variations on broad scales. However, despite rapid development of metrics to characterize the forest canopy from remotely sensed data, a gap remains between aerial and field inventories. To close this gap, we propose a new pan-tropical model to predict plot-level forest structure properties and biomass from only the largest trees. Location Pan-tropical. Time period Early 21st century. Major taxa studied Woody plants. Methods Using a dataset of 867 plots distributed among 118 sites across the tropics, we tested the prediction of the quadratic mean diameter, basal area, Lorey's height, community wood density and aboveground biomass (AGB) from the ith largest trees. Results Measuring the largest trees in tropical forests enables unbiased predictions of plot- and site-level forest structure. The 20 largest trees per hectare predicted quadratic mean diameter, basal area, Lorey's height, community wood density and AGB with 12, 16, 4, 4 and 17.7% of relative error, respectively. Most of the remaining error in biomass prediction is driven by differences in the proportion of total biomass held in medium-sized trees (50?70 cm diameter at breast height), which shows some continental dependency, with American tropical forests presenting the highest proportion of total biomass in these intermediate-diameter classes relative to other continents. Main conclusions Our approach provides new information on tropical forest structure and can be used to generate accurate field estimates of tropical forest carbon stocks to support the calibration and validation of current and forthcoming space missions. It will reduce the cost of field inventories and contribute to scientific understanding of tropical forest ecosystems and response to climate change.
Keywords: carbon; climate change; forest structure; large trees; pan-tropical; Redd+; tropical forest ecology
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Bruelheide, H., Dengler, J., Purschke, O., Lenoir, J., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Hennekens, S. M., et al. (2018). Global trait–environment relationships of plant communities. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2(12), 1906–1917.
Abstract: Plant functional traits directly affect ecosystem functions. At the species level, trait combinations depend on trade-offs representing different ecological strategies, but at the community level trait combinations are expected to be decoupled from these trade-offs because different strategies can facilitate co-existence within communities. A key question is to what extent community-level trait composition is globally filtered and how well it is related to global versus local environmental drivers. Here, we perform a global, plot-level analysis of trait–environment relationships, using a database with more than 1.1 million vegetation plots and 26,632 plant species with trait information. Although we found a strong filtering of 17 functional traits, similar climate and soil conditions support communities differing greatly in mean trait values. The two main community trait axes that capture half of the global trait variation (plant stature and resource acquisitiveness) reflect the trade-offs at the species level but are weakly associated with climate and soil conditions at the global scale. Similarly, within-plot trait variation does not vary systematically with macro-environment. Our results indicate that, at fine spatial grain, macro-environmental drivers are much less important for functional trait composition than has been assumed from floristic analyses restricted to co-occurrence in large grid cells. Instead, trait combinations seem to be predominantly filtered by local-scale factors such as disturbance, fine-scale soil conditions, niche partitioning and biotic interactions.
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Franklin, J., Andrade, R., Daniels, M. L., Fairbairn, P., Fandino, M. C., Gillespie, T. W., et al. (2018). Geographical ecology of dry forest tree communities in the West Indies. J Biogeogr, 45(5), 1168–1181.
Abstract: Abstract Aim Seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) of the Caribbean Islands (primarily West Indies) is floristically distinct from Neotropical SDTF in Central and South America. We evaluate whether tree species composition was associated with climatic gradients or geographical distance. Turnover (dissimilarity) in species composition of different islands or among more distant sites would suggest communities structured by speciation and dispersal limitations. A nested pattern would be consistent with a steep resource gradient. Correlation of species composition with climatic variation would suggest communities structured by broad-scale environmental filtering. Location The West Indies (The Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia), Providencia (Colombia), south Florida (USA) and Florida Keys (USA). Taxon Seed plants?woody taxa (primarily trees). Methods We compiled 572 plots from 23 surveys conducted between 1969 and 2016. Hierarchical clustering of species in plots, and indicator species analysis for the resulting groups of sites, identified geographical patterns of turnover in species composition. Nonparametric analysis of variance, applied to principal components of bioclimatic variables, determined the degree of covariation in climate with location. Nestedness versus turnover in species composition was evaluated using beta diversity partitioning. Generalized dissimilarity modelling partitioned the effect of climate versus geographical distance on species composition. Results Despite a set of commonly occurring species, SDTF tree community composition was distinct among islands and was characterized by spatial turnover on climatic gradients that covaried with geographical gradients. Greater Antillean islands were characterized by endemic indicator species. Northern subtropical areas supported distinct, rather than nested, SDTF communities in spite of low levels of endemism. Main conclusions The SDTF species composition was correlated with climatic variation. SDTF on large Greater Antillean islands (Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba) was characterized by endemic species, consistent with their geological history and the biogeography of plant lineages. These results suggest that both environmental filtering and speciation shape Caribbean SDTF tree communities.
Keywords: beta diversity; Caribbean; community composition; seasonally dry tropical forest; species turnover; tropical dry forest; West Indies
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Courtois, E. A., Stahl, C., Van den Berge, J., Bréchet, L., Van Langenhove, L., Richter, A., et al. (2018). Spatial Variation of Soil CO2, CH4 and N2O Fluxes Across Topographical Positions in Tropical Forests of the Guiana Shield. Ecosystems, 21(7), 1445–1458.
Abstract: The spatial variation of soil greenhouse gas fluxes (GHG; carbon dioxide—CO2, methane—CH4 and nitrous oxide—N2O) remains poorly understood in highly complex ecosystems such as tropical forests. We used 240 individual flux measurements of these three GHGs from different soil types, at three topographical positions and in two extreme hydric conditions in the tropical forests of the Guiana Shield (French Guiana, South America) to (1) test the effect of topographical positions on GHG fluxes and (2) identify the soil characteristics driving flux variation in these nutrient-poor tropical soils. Surprisingly, none of the three GHG flux rates differed with topographical position. CO2 effluxes covaried with soil pH, soil water content (SWC), available nitrogen and total phosphorus. The CH4 fluxes were best explained by variation in SWC, with soils acting as a sink under drier conditions and as a source under wetter conditions. Unexpectedly, our study areas were generally sinks for N2O and N2O fluxes were partly explained by total phosphorus and available nitrogen concentrations. This first study describing the spatial variation of soil fluxes of the three main GHGs measured simultaneously in forests of the Guiana Shield lays the foundation for specific studies of the processes underlying the observed patterns.
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De Deurwaerder, H., Hervé-Fernández, P., Stahl, C., Burban, B., Petronelli, P., Hoffman, B., et al. (2018). Liana and tree below-ground water competition – evidence for water resource partitioning during the dry season. Tree Physiology, 38(7), 1071–1083.
Abstract: To date, reasons for the increase in liana abundance and biomass in the Neotropics are still unclear. One proposed hypothesis suggests that lianas, in comparison with trees, are more adaptable to drought conditions. Moreover, previous studies have assumed that lianas have a deeper root system, which provides access to deeper soil layers, thereby making them less susceptible to drought stress. The dual stable water isotope approach (δ18O and δ2H) enables below-ground vegetation competition for water to be studied. Based on the occurrence of a natural gradient in soil water isotopic signatures, with enriched signatures in shallow soil relative to deep soil, the origin of vegetation water sources can be derived. Our study was performed on canopy trees and lianas reaching canopy level in tropical forests of French Guiana. Our results show liana xylem water isotopic signatures to be enriched in heavy isotopes in comparison with those from trees, indicating differences in water source depths and a more superficial root activity for lianas during the dry season. This enables them to efficiently capture dry season precipitation. Our study does not support the liana deep root water extraction hypothesis. Additionally, we provide new insights into water competition between tropical canopy lianas and trees. Results suggest that this competition is mitigated during the dry season due to water resource partitioning.
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González, A. L., Céréghino, R., Dézerald, O., Farjalla, V. F., Leroy, C., Richardson, B. A., et al. (2018). Ecological mechanisms and phylogeny shape invertebrate stoichiometry: A test using detritus-based communities across Central and South America. Funct Ecol, 32(10), 2448–2463.
Abstract: Stoichiometric differences among organisms can affect trophic interactions and rates of nutrient cycling within ecosystems. However, we still know little about either the underlying causes of these stoichiometric differences or the consistency of these differences across large geographical extents. Here, we analyse elemental (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) composition of 872 aquatic macroinvertebrates (71 species) inhabiting tank bromeliads (n = 140) from five distantly located sites across Central and South America to (i) test phylogenetic, trophic and body size scaling explanations for why organisms differ in elemental composition and (ii) determine whether patterns in elemental composition are universal or context dependent. Taxonomy explained most variance in elemental composition, even though phylogenetic signals were weak and limited to regional spatial extents and to the family level. The highest elemental contents and lowest carbon:nutrient ratios were found in organisms at high trophic levels and with smaller body size, regardless of geographical location. Carnivores may have higher nutrient content and lower carbon:nutrient ratios than their prey, as organisms optimize growth by choosing the most nutrient-rich resources to consume and then preferentially retain nutrients over carbon in their bodies. Smaller organisms grow proportionally faster than large organisms and so are predicted to have higher nutrient requirements to fuel RNA and protein synthesis. Geography influenced the magnitude, more than the direction, of the ecological and/or phylogenetic effects on elemental composition. Overall, our results show that both ecological (i.e. trophic group) and evolutionary drivers explain among-taxa variation in the elemental content of invertebrates, whereas intraspecific variation is mainly a function of body size. Our findings also demonstrate that restricting analyses of macroinvertebrate stoichiometry solely to either the local scale or species level affects inferences of the patterns in invertebrate elemental content and their underlying mechanisms.
Keywords: body size scaling; carnivores; detritivores; ecological stoichiometry; macroinvertebrates; nitrogen; phosphorous; phylogenetic signal
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Rodríguez Pérez, H., Borrel, G., Leroy, C., Carrias, J. - F., Corbara, B., Srivastava, D. S., et al. (2018). Simulated drought regimes reveal community resilience and hydrological thresholds for altered decomposition. Oecologia, 187(1), 267–279.
Abstract: Future climate scenarios forecast a 10–50% decline in rainfall in Eastern Amazonia. Altered precipitation patterns may change important ecosystem functions like decomposition through either changes in physical and chemical processes or shifts in the activity and/or composition of species. We experimentally manipulated hydroperiods (length of wet:dry cycles) in a tank bromeliad ecosystem to examine impacts on leaf litter decomposition. Gross loss of litter mass over 112 days was greatest in continuously submersed litter, lowest in continuously dry litter, and intermediate over a range of hydroperiods ranging from eight cycles of 7 wet:7 dry days to one cycle of 56 wet:56 dry days. The resilience of litter mass loss to hydroperiod length is due to a shift from biologically assisted decomposition (mostly microbial) at short wet:dry hydroperiods to physicochemical release of dissolved organic matter at longer wet:dry hydroperiods. Biologically assisted decomposition was maximized at wet:dry hydroperiods falling within the range of ambient conditions (12–22 consecutive dry days) but then declined under prolonged wet:dry hydroperiods (28 and 56 dry days. Fungal:bacterial ratios showed a similar pattern as biologically assisted decomposition to hydroperiod length. Our results suggest that microbial communities confer functional resilience to altered hydroperiod in tank bromeliad ecosystems. We predict a substantial decrease in biological activity relevant to decomposition under climate scenarios that increase consecutive dry days by 1.6- to 3.2-fold in our study area, whereas decreased frequency of dry periods will tend to increase the physicochemical component of decomposition.
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Dlouhá, J., Alméras, T., Beauchene, J., Clair, B., & Fournier, M. (2018). Biophysical dependences among functional wood traits. Funct Ecol, 32(12), 2652–2665.
Abstract: Abstract Wood properties and especially wood density have been used as functional traits organized along major axes of species life history and strategy. Beyond statistical analyses, a better mechanistic understanding of relationships among wood traits is essential for ecologically relevant interpretation of wood trait variations. A set of theoretical relationships mechanistically linking wood basic density with some other wood traits is derived from cellular material physics. These theoretical models picture basic physical constraints and thus provide null hypotheses for further ecological studies. Analysis is applied to data from two original datasets and several datasets extracted from the literature. Results emphasize the strong physical constraint behind the link between basic density and maximal storable water on the one hand, and elastic modulus on the other hand. Beyond these basic physical constraints, the developed framework reveals physically less expected trends: the amount of free water available for physiological needs increases in less dense wood of fast-growing species, and the cell wall stiffness decreases with density in temperate hardwoods and is higher in sapling stages in the rainforest understorey where competition for light is associated with high mechanical risk. We emphasize the use of theoretically independent traits derived from models of cellular material physics to investigate the functional variation of wood traits together with their environmental and phylogenetic variations. Although the current study is limited to basic density, green wood lumen saturation and wood specific modulus, we further emphasize the identification of complementary independent wood traits representing other biomechanical functions, nutrient storage, hydraulic conductance and resistance to drought. A plain language summary is available for this article.
Keywords: basic density; biomechanical traits; hydraulic traits; wood traits
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Bossu, J., Lehnebach, R., Corn, S., Regazzi, A., Beauchene, J., & Clair, B. (2018). Interlocked grain and density patterns in Bagassa guianensis: changes with ontogeny and mechanical consequences for trees. Trees, 32(6), 1643–1655.
Abstract: Interlocked grain and basic density increase from pith to bark in Bagassa guianensis and greatly improve trunk torsional stiffness and wood tenacity in the radial plane.
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Perrot, T., Schwartz, M., Saiag, F., Salzet, G., Dumarçay, S., Favier, F., et al. (2018). Fungal Glutathione Transferases as Tools to Explore the Chemical Diversity of Amazonian Wood Extractives. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6(10), 13078–13085.
Abstract: The natural durability of wood is linked to its chemical composition and in particular the presence of metabolites called extractives that often possess chemical reactivity. For dealing with these compounds, wood degraders have developed detoxification systems usually involving enzyme families. Among these enzymes, glutathione transferases (GSTs) are involved in the decrease of the reactivity of toxic compounds. In this study, the hypothesis that the detoxification systems of wood decaying fungi could be indicators of the chemical reactivity of wood extracts has been tested. This approach has been evaluated using 32 wood extracts coming from French Guiana species, testing their antimicrobial ability, antioxidative properties, and reactivity against six GSTs from the white rot Trametes versicolor. From the obtained data, a significant correlation between the antimicrobial and antioxidative properties of the tested wood extracts and GST interactions was established. In addition, the chemical analysis performed on one of the most reactive extracts (an acetonic extract of Bagassa guianensis) has demonstrated oxyresveratrol as a major constituent. We were able to cocrystallize one GST with this commercially interesting compound. Taken together, the presented data support the hypothesis that detoxifying enzymes could be used to identify the presence of molecules of industrial interest in wood extracts.
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