Institution
Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana
Education•Iquitos, Peru•
About: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana is a education organization based out in Iquitos, Peru. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Species richness. The organization has 730 authors who have published 549 publications receiving 10174 citations. The organization is also known as: UNAP & Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana.
Topics: Population, Species richness, Amazon rainforest, Biodiversity, Malaria
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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Utrecht University1, Naturalis2, 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, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute42, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee43, Northern Arizona University44, Aarhus University45, Tropenbos International46, University of Kent47, Royal Botanic Gardens48, University of Missouri–St. Louis49, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana50, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden51, Florida International University52, 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, Naturalis34, Utrecht University35, 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: Habitat specialization in this system results from an interaction of herbivore pressure with soil type when protected from herbivores.
Abstract: In an edaphically heterogeneous area in the Peruvian Amazon, clay soils and nutrient-poor white sands each harbor distinctive plant communities. To determine whether a trade-off between growth and antiherbivore defense enforces habitat specialization on these two soil types, we conducted a reciprocal transplant study of seedlings of 20 species from six genera of phylogenetically independent pairs of edaphic specialist trees and manipulated the presence of herbivores. Clay specialist species grew significantly faster than white-sand specialists in both soil types when protected from herbivores. However, when unprotected, white-sand specialists dominated in white-sand forests and clay specialists dominated in clay forests. Therefore, habitat specialization in this system results from an interaction of herbivore pressure with soil type.
519 citations
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University of Leeds1, Environmental Change Institute2, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi3, National University of Colombia4, Conservation International5, Missouri Botanical Garden6, Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement7, Institut national de la recherche agronomique8, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana9, University of Edinburgh10, National Institute of Amazonian Research11, University of York12, University of Los Andes13, University of Bayreuth14, Universidade Federal do Acre15, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden16, University of Yaoundé I17, Humboldt University of Berlin18, Utrecht University19
TL;DR: It is indicated that repeated droughts would shift the functional composition of tropical forests toward smaller, denser-wooded trees, suggesting the existence of moisture stress thresholds beyond which some tropical forests would suffer catastrophic tree mortality.
Abstract: The rich ecology of tropical forests is intimately tied to their moisture status. Multi-site syntheses can provide a macro-scale view of these linkages and their susceptibility to changing climates. Here, we report pan-tropical and regional-scale analyses of tree vulnerability to drought. We assembled available data on tropical forest tree stem mortality before, during, and after recent drought events, from 119 monitoring plots in 10 countries concentrated in Amazonia and Borneo. In most sites, larger trees are disproportionately at risk. At least within Amazonia, low wood density trees are also at greater risk of drought-associated mortality, independent of size. For comparable drought intensities, trees in Borneo are more vulnerable than trees in the Amazon. There is some evidence for lagged impacts of drought, with mortality rates remaining elevated 2 yr after the meteorological event is over. These findings indicate that repeated droughts would shift the functional composition of tropical forests toward smaller, denser-wooded trees. At very high drought intensities, the linear relationship between tree mortality and moisture stress apparently breaks down, suggesting the existence of moisture stress thresholds beyond which some tropical forests would suffer catastrophic tree mortality.
499 citations
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TL;DR: It is proposed that the growth-defense trade-off is universal and provides an important mechanism by which herbivores govern plant distribution patterns across resource gradients, causing white-sand and clay specialists to evolve divergent strategies.
Abstract: Tropical forests include a diversity of habitats, which has led to specialization in plants. Near Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, nutrient-rich clay forests surround nutrient-poor white-sand forests, each harboring a unique composition of habitat specialist trees. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of impoverished soils and herbivory creates strong natural selection for plant defenses in white-sand forest, while rapid growth is favored in clay forests. Recently, we reported evidence from a reciprocal-transplant experiment that manipulated the presence of herbivores and involved 20 species from six genera, including phylogenetically independent pairs of closely related white-sand and clay specialists. When protected from herbivores, clay specialists exhibited faster growth rates than white-sand specialists in both habitats. But, when unprotected, white-sand specialists outperformed clay specialists in white- sand habitat, and clay specialists outperformed white-sand specialists in clay habitat. Here we test further the hypothesis that the growth-defense trade-off contributes to habitat specialization by comparing patterns of growth, herbivory, and defensive traits in these same six genera of white-sand and clay specialists. While the probability of herbivore attack did not differ between the two habitats, an artificial defoliation experiment showed that the impact of herbivory on plant mortality was significantly greater in white-sand forests. We quantified the amount of terpenes, phenolics, leaf toughness, and available foliar protein for the plants in the experiment. Different genera invested in different defensive strategies, and we found strong evidence for phylogenetic constraint in defense type. Overall, however, we found significantly higher total defense investment for white-sand specialists, relative to their clay specialist congeners. Furthermore, herbivore resistance consistently exhibited a significant trade-off against growth rate in each of the six phylogenetically independent species-pairs. These results confirm theoretical predictions that a trade-off exists between growth rate and defense investment, causing white-sand and clay specialists to evolve divergent strategies. We propose that the growth-defense trade-off is universal and provides an important mechanism by which herbivores govern plant distribution patterns across resource gradients.
447 citations
Authors
Showing all 731 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Laura E. Caulfield | 61 | 208 | 17852 |
Margaret Kosek | 46 | 160 | 8514 |
Søren Brøgger Christensen | 43 | 169 | 6926 |
Adriana Prieto | 27 | 47 | 6959 |
Pablo Peñataro Yori | 27 | 55 | 2964 |
Martin Casapia | 27 | 70 | 7558 |
OraLee H. Branch | 22 | 36 | 1628 |
Italo Mesones | 19 | 29 | 3074 |
Roosevelt García-Villacorta | 17 | 37 | 1940 |
B. Pashanasi | 15 | 17 | 1378 |
Eva H. Clark | 13 | 30 | 540 |
César Grández | 12 | 17 | 511 |
Nállarett Dávila | 12 | 23 | 1878 |
Connie Wiskin | 12 | 31 | 796 |
H. B. Rasmussen | 10 | 15 | 957 |