Institution
Tropenbos International
Nonprofit•
About: Tropenbos International is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Biodiversity & Deforestation. The organization has 36 authors who have published 66 publications receiving 4351 citations. The organization is also known as: TBI.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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Naturalis1, Utrecht University2, Duke University3, Institut de recherche pour le développement4, Institut national de la recherche agronomique5, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi6, University of California, Berkeley7, University of Leeds8, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária9, National Institute of Amazonian Research10, National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco11, University of Exeter12, World Wide Fund for Nature13, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno14, Norwegian University of Life Sciences15, Max Planck Society16, James Cook University17, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso18, University of Amsterdam19, Silver Spring Networks20, State University of Campinas21, University of Edinburgh22, University of Los Andes23, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute24, National University of Colombia25, University of East Anglia26, Central University of Ecuador27, Centre national de la recherche scientifique28, Humboldt State University29, New York Botanical Garden30, Universidade Federal do Acre31, Paul Sabatier University32, Missouri Botanical Garden33, Amazon.com34, University of Texas at Austin35, University of Florida36, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research37, Environmental Change Institute38, Federal Rural University of Amazonia39, University of São Paulo40, State University of Norte Fluminense41, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee42, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute43, Northern Arizona University44, Aarhus University45, Tropenbos International46, University of Kent47, Royal Botanic Gardens48, University of Missouri–St. Louis49, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana50, Florida International University51, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden52, Wake Forest University53
TL;DR: The finding that Amazonia is dominated by just 227 tree species implies that most biogeochemical cycling in the world’s largest tropical forest is performed by a tiny sliver of its diversity.
Abstract: The vast extent of the Amazon Basin has historically restricted the study of its tree communities to the local and regional scales. Here, we provide empirical data on the commonness, rarity, and richness of lowland tree species across the entire Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield (Amazonia), collected in 1170 tree plots in all major forest types. Extrapolations suggest that Amazonia harbors roughly 16,000 tree species, of which just 227 (1.4%) account for half of all trees. Most of these are habitat specialists and only dominant in one or two regions of the basin. We discuss some implications of the finding that a small group of species—less diverse than the North American tree flora—accounts for half of the world’s most diverse tree community.
963 citations
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University of Leeds1, University of Exeter2, Imperial College London3, James Cook University4, Environmental Change Institute5, University College London6, University of Kent7, Duke University8, National Institute of Amazonian Research9, National Institute for Space Research10, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno11, Wageningen University and Research Centre12, University of Amsterdam13, Florida International University14, Institut national de la recherche agronomique15, Universidade Federal do Acre16, Tropenbos International17, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária18, National Chung Hsing University19, Paul Sabatier University20, National Park Service21, Amazon.com22, Federal University of Pará23, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso24, University of Texas at Austin25, Smithsonian Institution26, World Wide Fund for Nature27, Universidad Mayor28, Field Museum of Natural History29, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana30, University of Los Andes31, National University of Colombia32, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi33, Utrecht University34, Naturalis35, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute36, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee37, Northumbria University38, State University of Campinas39
TL;DR: It is confirmed that Amazon forests have acted as a long-term net biomass sink, but the observed decline of the Amazon sink diverges markedly from the recent increase in terrestrial carbon uptake at the global scale, and is contrary to expectations based on models
Abstract: Atmospheric carbon dioxide records indicate that the land surface has acted as a strong global carbon sink over recent decades, with a substantial fraction of this sink probably located in the tropics, particularly in the Amazon. Nevertheless, it is unclear how the terrestrial carbon sink will evolve as climate and atmospheric composition continue to change. Here we analyse the historical evolution of the biomass dynamics of the Amazon rainforest over three decades using a distributed network of 321 plots. While this analysis confirms that Amazon forests have acted as a long-term net biomass sink, we find a long-term decreasing trend of carbon accumulation. Rates of net increase in above-ground biomass declined by one-third during the past decade compared to the 1990s. This is a consequence of growth rate increases levelling off recently, while biomass mortality persistently increased throughout, leading to a shortening of carbon residence times. Potential drivers for the mortality increase include greater climate variability, and feedbacks of faster growth on mortality, resulting in shortened tree longevity. The observed decline of the Amazon sink diverges markedly from the recent increase in terrestrial carbon uptake at the global scale, and is contrary to expectations based on models.
767 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the extent to which tropical forests sustain timber production, retain species, and conserve carbon stocks is examined, and some improvements in tropical forestry and how their implementation can be promoted.
Abstract: Most tropical forests outside protected areas have been or will be selectively logged so it is essential to maximize the conservation values of partially harvested areas. Here we examine the extent to which these forests sustain timber production, retain species, and conserve carbon stocks. We then describe some improvements in tropical forestry and how their implementation can be promoted. A simple meta-analysis based on >100 publications revealed substantial variability but that: timber yields decline by about 46% after the first harvest but are subsequently sustained at that level; 76% of carbon is retained in once-logged forests; and, 85‐100% of species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, and plants remain after logging. Timber stocks will not regain primary-forest levels within current harvest cycles, but yields increase if collateral damage is reduced and silvicultural treatments are applied. Given that selectively logged forests retain substantial biodiversity, carbon, and timber stocks, this “middle way” between deforestation and total protection deserves more attention from researchers, conservation organizations, and policy-makers. Improvements in forest management are now likely if synergies are enhanced among initiatives to retain forest carbon stocks (REDD+), assure the legality of forest products, certify responsible management, and devolve control over forests to empowered local communities.
508 citations
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University of Leeds1, University of Edinburgh2, University College London3, University of Exeter4, Imperial College London5, National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco6, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno7, National Institute of Amazonian Research8, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso9, Universidade Federal do Acre10, University of Los Andes11, University of Washington12, Environmental Change Institute13, Centre national de la recherche scientifique14, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi15, Lancaster University16, University of Lorraine17, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana18, Smithsonian Institution19, University of Montpellier20, James Cook University21, Wageningen University and Research Centre22, Agro ParisTech23, Naturalis24, University of Amsterdam25, Federal University of Western Pará26, State University of Campinas27, National Institute for Space Research28, Florida International University29, University of São Paulo30, Tropenbos International31, Amazon.com32, Federal University of Pará33, Michigan Technological University34, University of Texas at Austin35, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research36, Polytechnic University of Valencia37, Royal Museum for Central Africa38, Tecnológico de Antioquia39, George Mason University40, Universidad del Tolima41, National University of Colombia42, Paul Sabatier University43, Georgetown University44, University of La Serena45, Forestry Commission46, Federal University of Alagoas47, Duke University48, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences49, University of Nottingham50
TL;DR: A slow shift to a more dry‐affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics consistent with climate‐change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole‐community composition.
Abstract: Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate‐induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long‐term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water‐deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have become increasingly dominated by large‐statured taxa, but to date there has been no detectable change in mean wood density or water deficit affiliation at the community level, despite most forest plots having experienced an intensification of the dry season. However, among newly recruited trees, dry‐affiliated genera have become more abundant, while the mortality of wet‐affiliated genera has increased in those plots where the dry season has intensified most. Thus, a slow shift to a more dry‐affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics (recruits and mortality) consistent with climate‐change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole‐community composition. The Amazon observational record suggests that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is driving a shift within tree communities to large‐statured species and that climate changes to date will impact forest composition, but long generation times of tropical trees mean that biodiversity change is lagging behind climate change.
263 citations
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University of Leeds1, National University of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Cuzco2, University of Exeter3, Environmental Change Institute4, Utrecht University5, Duke University6, Florida International University7, Centre national de la recherche scientifique8, National Institute of Amazonian Research9, James Cook University10, Paul Sabatier University11, University of Turku12, Universidade Federal do Acre13, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno14, Institut national de la recherche agronomique15, University of Los Andes16, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso17, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi18, National Park Service19, National University of Colombia20, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences21, World Wide Fund for Nature22, Wageningen University and Research Centre23, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute24, Georgetown University25, Federal University of Western Pará26, National Institute for Space Research27, Smithsonian Institution28, Tropenbos International29, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences30, Northern Arizona University31, University of Kent32, Central University of Ecuador33, University of Texas at Austin34, University of São Paulo35, University of Michigan36, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research37, State University of Campinas38, Conservation International39, National Agrarian University40, University College London41
TL;DR: It is found that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only ≈1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity.
Abstract: While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few 'hyperdominant' species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only ≈1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region.
229 citations
Authors
Showing all 36 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Pieter A. Zuidema | 44 | 134 | 6493 |
René G. A. Boot | 27 | 47 | 3549 |
Roderick Zagt | 20 | 37 | 2869 |
Marc P. E. Parren | 17 | 21 | 1678 |
Koen Kusters | 12 | 18 | 773 |
Monica Gruezmacher | 8 | 19 | 174 |
Thomas F. G. Insaidoo | 6 | 6 | 146 |
Roderick Zagt | 5 | 5 | 575 |
W. Cano | 4 | 5 | 68 |
Rosalien E. Jezeer | 4 | 6 | 105 |
Sara O.I. Ramirez-Gomez | 4 | 6 | 188 |
Pham D. Chien | 3 | 3 | 161 |
Mario Zenteno | 3 | 3 | 115 |
Rudi van Kanten | 2 | 2 | 50 |
Walter Cano Cardona | 2 | 2 | 23 |