Biogeosciences
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6
12
2009
10.5194/bg-6-2759-2009
http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/2759/2009/
http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/2759/2009/bg-6-2759-2009.html
http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/2759/2009/bg-6-2759-2009.pdf
2759
2778
2009-12-01
Above- and below-ground net primary productivity across ten Amazonian forests on contrasting soils
L. E. O. C. Aragão
leocaragao@gmail.com
Y. Malhi
D. B. Metcalfe
J. E. Silva-Espejo
E. Jiménez
D. Navarrete
S. Almeida
A. C. L. Costa
N. Salinas
O. L. Phillips
L. O. Anderson
E. Alvarez
T. R. Baker
P. H. Goncalvez
J. Huamán-Ovalle
M. Mamani-Solórzano
P. Meir
A. Monteagudo
S. Patiño
M. C. Peñuela
A. Prieto
C. A. Quesada
A. Rozas-Dávila
A. Rudas
J. A. Silva Jr.
R. Vásquez
Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QY, Oxford, UK
Climate Change and Sustainability Group, School of Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4RJ, UK
Universiadad Nacional San Antonio Abad, Cusco, Peru
Grupo de Estudio de Ecosistemas Terrestres Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Leticia, Colombia
Fundación Puerto Rastrojo, Bogotá, Colombia
Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, 66077-530 Belem, Brazil
Universidade Federal do Para, Belem, Para, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
Institito National de Pesquisas Amazônicas, Manaus, Brazil
Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de BrasÃlia, Brazil
School of Geography, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Jardin Botanico de Missouri, Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru
Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Claustro de San AgustÃn, Villa de Lleva, Boyaca, Colombia
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Apartado 7495, Bogota, Colombia
The net primary productivity (NPP) of tropical forests is one of the most
important and least quantified components of the global carbon cycle. Most
relevant studies have focused particularly on the quantification of the
above-ground coarse wood productivity, and little is known about the carbon
fluxes involved in other elements of the NPP, the partitioning of total NPP
between its above- and below-ground components and the main environmental
drivers of these patterns. In this study we quantify the above- and
below-ground NPP of ten Amazonian forests to address two questions: (1) How
do Amazonian forests allocate productivity among its above- and below-ground
components? (2) How do soil and leaf nutrient status and soil texture affect
the productivity of Amazonian forests? Using a standardized methodology to
measure the major elements of productivity, we show that NPP varies between
9.3±1.3 Mg C ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> (mean±standard error), at a
white sand plot, and 17.0±1.4 Mg C ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> at a very
fertile <i>Terra Preta</i> site, with an overall average of 12.8±0.9 Mg C ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>.
The studied forests allocate on average 64±3% and 36±3% of the total NPP to the above- and below-ground components,
respectively. The ratio of above-ground and below-ground NPP is almost
invariant with total NPP. Litterfall and fine root production both increase
with total NPP, while stem production shows no overall trend. Total NPP
tends to increase with soil phosphorus and leaf nitrogen status. However,
allocation of NPP to below-ground shows no relationship to soil fertility,
but appears to decrease with the increase of soil clay content.
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