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New insights into mechanisms driving carbon allocation in tropical forests
Author(s) -
Hofhansl Florian,
Schnecker Jörg,
Singer Gabriel,
Wanek Wolfgang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.13007
Subject(s) - carbon sequestration , carbon sink , primary production , environmental science , pantropical , carbon cycle , rainforest , ecosystem , tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , tropical forest , productivity , tropics , tropical rainforest , ecology , climate change , agroforestry , carbon dioxide , biology , macroeconomics , economics , genus
Summary The proportion of carbon allocated to wood production is an important determinant of the carbon sink strength of global forest ecosystems. Understanding the mechanisms controlling wood production and its responses to environmental drivers is essential for parameterization of global vegetation models and to accurately predict future responses of tropical forests in terms of carbon sequestration. Here, we synthesize data from 105 pantropical old‐growth rainforests to investigate environmental controls on the partitioning of net primary production to wood production (% WP ) using structural equation modeling. Our results reveal that % WP is governed by two independent pathways of direct and indirect environmental controls. While temperature and soil phosphorus availability indirectly affected % WP via increasing productivity, precipitation and dry season length both directly increased % WP via tradeoffs along the plant economics spectrum. We provide new insights into the mechanisms driving % WP , allowing us to conclude that projected climate change could enhance % WP in less productive tropical forests, thus increasing carbon sequestration in montane forests, but adversely affecting lowland forests.