Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling.
Sophie Fauset1, Michelle O Johnson1, Manuel Gloor1
1School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Nature Communications
|April 29, 2015
Summary
Amazonian forests concentrate carbon storage and productivity in a few hyperdominant tree species. These key species, though few, significantly impact the global carbon cycle more than their abundance suggests.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forestry
- Carbon Cycle Research
Background:
- Amazonian forests exhibit high tree diversity but are dominated by a small number of hyperdominant species.
- Amazonian trees play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, storing and cycling vast amounts of carbon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if carbon storage and production functions are concentrated in a few tree species.
- To determine if abundant species also dominate carbon cycling.
- To identify functional traits characterizing dominant tree species in the Amazon.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a unique dataset comprising 530 Amazonian forest plots.
- Quantification of woody carbon storage and productivity across species.
- Statistical analysis to link species abundance, functional traits, and carbon cycling dominance.
Main Results:
- Forest carbon functions (storage and productivity) are more concentrated than tree abundance, with ~1% of species responsible for 50% of these functions.
- While abundant species often contribute most to biomass and productivity, maximum species size is also a significant factor.
- The identity and ranking of dominant species differ across functions and geographic regions within the Amazon.
Conclusions:
- A small fraction of Amazonian tree species disproportionately drives ecosystem carbon dynamics.
- Species traits, particularly maximum size, alongside abundance, determine dominance in carbon cycling.
- Understanding these dominant species is critical for effective conservation and carbon management in the Amazon.
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