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Spatial and Temporal Variations in Aboveground Woody Carbon Storage for Cerrado Forests and Woodlands of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Author(s) -
Vourlitis George L.,
Zappia Anthony,
Borges Pinto Osvaldo,
Zanella de Arruda Paulo Henrique,
Santanna Franciele Bomfiglio,
Dalmagro Higo J.,
Lobo Francisco de Almeida,
Nogueira José de Souza
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: biogeosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8961
pISSN - 2169-8953
DOI - 10.1029/2019jg005201
Subject(s) - environmental science , woodland , forestry , primary production , tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , agroforestry , soil fertility , carbon sequestration , precipitation , climate change , geography , ecosystem , soil water , ecology , biology , soil science , carbon dioxide , meteorology
Tropical forests and savanna account for nearly 65% of the total global terrestrial net primary production (NPP); however, there are still large uncertainties in tropical forest NPP because of limited field measurements, especially in the structurally diverse Brazilian savanna (cerrado). To address this uncertainty, we measured patterns of aboveground wood C stocks ( C w ) and rates of wood C storage (Δ C w ) over a 7‐year period for cerrado forests and woodlands of southern Mato Grosso, Brazil, arrayed across hydrological and soil fertility gradients. We focused on Δ C w because it is an important component of NPP, and wood is a stable, long‐term, C storage reservoir. Annual rates of Δ C w were significantly affected by estimates of P and cation (K and Ca) availability, and analysis of covariance indicated that relationships between Δ C w and nutrient availability were independent of stand hydrology. Both upland and hyperseasonal stands exhibited a decline in Δ C w during the 2015–16 El Niño event, which was exceptionally warm and dry. A limited analysis of the uncertainty associated with the field measurements ranged from 7% for wood density to 24% for tree density, while the uncertainty associated with derived quantities ranged from 10% for tree height to 41% for C w . Overall, these results suggest that soil fertility and annual precipitation are important drivers of Δ C w and that warming and drying associated with climate change will cause a decline in aboveground woody C storage for these, and similar, tropical forests and woodlands.