Drought Effects on Amazon Forest Productivity
Author Information
Author(s): Brando Paulo M, Nepstad Daniel C, Davidson Eric A, Trumbore Susan E, Ray David, Camargo Plínio
Primary Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM)
Hypothesis
Severe drought decreases litterfall and wood production but potentially has multiple cancelling effects on belowground production.
Conclusion
Multi-year severe drought can substantially reduce Amazon forest carbon stocks.
Supporting Evidence
- Wood production declined by 13% the first year and up to 62% thereafter due to drought.
- Litterfall declined only in the third year of drought, with a maximum difference of 23% below the control plot.
- ANPP was similar between plots in 2000 and declined to a low of 41% below the control plot during the treatment years.
Takeaway
When it doesn't rain much, trees in the Amazon grow less and lose more leaves, which can hurt the forest's ability to store carbon.
Methodology
A 7-year partial throughfall exclusion experiment was conducted in a 1 ha plot to simulate a 35–41% reduction in effective rainfall.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the unreplicated nature of the experiment and the specific environmental conditions of the study site.
Limitations
The study was unreplicated and conducted in a single location, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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