How forest structure varies with elevation in old growth and secondary forest in Costa Rica

Mazón, Miguel Muñoz; Klanderud, Kari; Finegan, Bryan; Veintimilla, Darío; Bermeo, Diego; Murrieta, Eduardo; Delgado, Diego; Sheil, Douglas

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118191

Cited by 32 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…They found increases in basal area and stem density with precipitation increasing from 843 to 2035 mm. Muñoz Mazón et al [131] also found an increase in basal area with increasing precipitation and decreasing temperature along the Atlantic slope of Talamanca Mountain. Higher basal area and stem density were observed in humid versus dry areas of forest in Brazil, and were attributed to precipitation seasonality [134].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Regarding forest structure, most studies [1,32,[126][127][128] have focused on Himalayan vegetation patterns along altitudinal gradients, though few have mentioned the importance of climate variables in predicting forest stand structure [21,129,130]. Considering forest structure varies with water availability [131], and environmental and biological factors control forest structure at higher elevations [132,133], this study tried to assess differences in forest structure along a precipitation gradient in the Annapurna range. The higher stem density and basal area in Lamjung than Mustang signified a positive relationship between precipitation and forest structure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Forest Structure and Composition under Contrasting Precipitation Regimes in the High Mountains, Western Nepal

et al. 2021

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The high mountains stretch over 20.4% of Nepal’s land surface with diverse climatic conditions and associated vegetation types. An understanding of tree species and forest structural pattern variations across different climatic regions is crucial for mountain ecology. This study strived to carry out a comparative evaluation of species diversity, main stand variables, and canopy cover of forests with contrasting precipitation conditions in the Annapurna range. Firstly, climate data provided by CHELSA version 1.2, were used to identify distinct precipitation regimes. Lamjung and Mustang were selected as two contrasting precipitation regions, and have average annual precipitation of 2965 mm and 723 mm, respectively. Stratified random sampling was used to study 16 plots, each measuring 500 m2 and near the tree line at an elevation range of 3000 to 4000 m across different precipitation conditions. In total, 870 trees were identified and measured. Five hemispherical photos using a fisheye lens were taken in each plot for recording and analyzing canopy cover. Margalef’s index was used to measure species richness, while two diversity indices: the Shannon–Wiener Index and Simpson Index were used for species diversity. Dominant tree species in both study regions were identified through the Important Value Index (IVI). The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was employed to determine the differences in forest structure and composition variables between the two precipitation regimes. In total, 13 species were recorded with broadleaved species predominating in the high precipitation region and coniferous species in the low precipitation region. Higher species richness and species diversity were recorded in the low precipitation region, whereas the main stand variables: basal area and stem density were found to be higher in the high precipitation region. Overall, an inverse J-shaped diameter distribution was found in both precipitation regions signifying uneven-aged forest. A higher proportion of leaning and buttressed trees were recorded in the high precipitation region. However, similar forest canopy cover conditions (>90%) were observed in both study regions. The findings of this research provide a comprehensive narrative of tree species and forest structure across distinct precipitation regimes, which can be crucial to administrators and local people for the sustainable management of resources in this complex region.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Structure and Composition under Contrasting Precipitation Regimes in the High Mountains, Western Nepal

et al. 2021

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“…Soil properties can vary among ecosystems even at small scales, and can be related with the structure and composition of plant communities (Spielvogel et al 2016;Metzger et al 2017). Forest structure can also vary with contrasting spatial scales due to differences in species composition, internal dynamics, and physical factors (Wekesa et al 2019;Muñoz Mazón et al 2020). The structural heterogeneity found within forests can influence local microclimate conditions, hydrological movements, litterfall patterns, and also the soil physical and chemical properties (Krishna and Mohan 2017;Bélanger et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition and stabilization of organic matter in an old-growth tropical riparian forest: effects of soil properties and vegetation structure

et al. 2021

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Background Nutrient cycling in tropical forests has a large importance for primary productivity, and decomposition of litterfall is a major process influencing nutrient balance in forest soils. Although large-scale factors strongly influence decomposition patterns, small-scale factors can have major influences, especially in old-growth forests that have high structural complexity and strong plant-soil correlations. Here we evaluated the effects of forest structure and soil properties on decomposition rates and stabilization of soil organic matter using the Tea Bag Index (TBI) in an old-growth riparian forest in southeastern Brazil. These data sets were described separately using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The main axes for each analysis, together with soil physical properties (clay content and soil moisture), were used to construct structural equations models that evaluated the different parameters of the TBI, decomposition rates and stabilization factor. The best model was selected using Akaike’s criterion. Results Forest structure and soil physical and chemical properties presented large variation among plots within the studied forest. Clay content was strongly correlated with soil moisture and the first PCA axis of soil chemical properties, and model selection indicated that clay content was a better predictor than this axis. Decomposition rates presented a large variation among tea bags (0.009 and 0.098 g·g− 1·d− 1) and were positively related with forest structure, as characterized by higher basal area, tree density and larger trees. The stabilization factor varied between 0.211–0.426 and was related to forest stratification and soil clay content. Conclusions The old-growth forest studied presented high heterogeneity in both forest structure and soil properties at small spatial scales, that influenced decomposition processes and probably contributed to small-scale variation in nutrient cycling. Decomposition rates were only influenced by forest structure, whereas the stabilization factor was influenced by both forest structure and soil properties. Heterogeneity in ecological processes can contribute to the resilience of old-growth forests, highlighting the importance of restoration strategies that consider the spatial variation of ecosystem processes.

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“…Soil properties can vary among ecosystems even at small scales, and can be related with the structure and composition of plant communities (Spielvogel et al 2016;Metzger et al 2017). Forest structure can also vary with contrasting spatial scales due to differences in species composition, internal dynamics, and physical factors (Wekesa et al 2019;Muñoz Mazón et al 2020). The structural heterogeneity found within forests can in uence local microclimate conditions, hydrological movements, litterfall patterns, and also the soil physical and chemical properties (Krishna and Mohan 2017;Bélanger et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition and stabilization of organic matter in an old-growth tropical riparian forest: effects of soil properties and vegetation structure

Fernandes

Souza

Tanaka

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Nutrient cycling in tropical forests has a large importance for primary productivity, and decomposition of litterfall is a major process influencing nutrient balance in forest soils. Although large-scale factors strongly influence decomposition patterns, small-scale factors can have major influences, especially in old-growth forests that have high structural complexity and strong plant-soil correlations. Here we evaluated the effects of forest structure and soil properties on decomposition rates and stabilization of soil organic matter using the Tea Bag Index in an old-growth riparian forest in southeastern Brazil. These data sets were described separately using Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The main axes for each analysis, together with soil physical properties (clay content and soil moisture), were used to construct structural equations models that evaluated the different parameters of the TBI, decomposition rates and stabilization factor. The best model was selected using Akaike’s criterion.Results: Forest structure and soil physical and chemical properties presented large variation among plots within the studied forest. Clay content was strongly correlated with soil moisture and the first PCA axis of soil chemical properties, and model selection indicated that clay content was a better predictor than this axis. Decomposition rates presented a large variation among tea bags (0.009 and 0.098 g g-1 day-1) and were positively related with forest structure, as characterized by higher basal area, tree density and larger trees. The stabilization factor varied between 0.211 – 0.426 and was related to forest stratification and soil clay content.Conclusions: The old-growth forest studied presented high heterogeneity in both forest structure and soil properties at small spatial scales, that influenced decomposition processes and probably contributed to small-scale variation in nutrient cycling. Decomposition rates were only influenced by forest structure, whereas the stabilization factor was influenced by both forest structure and soil properties. Heterogeneity in ecological processes can contribute to the resilience of old-growth forests, highlighting the importance of restoration strategies that consider the spatial variation of ecosystem processes.

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How forest structure varies with elevation in old growth and secondary forest in Costa Rica

Cited by 32 publications

References 78 publications

Forest Structure and Composition under Contrasting Precipitation Regimes in the High Mountains, Western Nepal

Forest Structure and Composition under Contrasting Precipitation Regimes in the High Mountains, Western Nepal

Decomposition and stabilization of organic matter in an old-growth tropical riparian forest: effects of soil properties and vegetation structure

Decomposition and stabilization of organic matter in an old-growth tropical riparian forest: effects of soil properties and vegetation structure

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