Climate-growth relationships of Hymenaea courbaril in contrasting sites in the Amazon using tree rings

• Grant number: 21/09767-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Peter Stoltenborg Groenendyk
• Grantee: Carolina da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/01847-0 - DendroGrad: Tree-rings, wood anatomy and hydraulic traits do evaluate long-term CO2-fertilisation effects across environmental gradients on three tropical tree species, AP.JP

Abstract

Climate change is an urgent reality that will affect global ecosystems. There is a crucial need to understand their long-term effects on tropical tree growth and function due to their importance in biogeochemical cycles, carbon stock dynamics and ecosystem service provision. In the last two decades dendrochronological studies are becoming more common in tropical regions, where several species produce annual growth rings, as is the case of Hymenaea courbaril (Fabaceae). This species has great potential for dendrochronological studies, in addition to having a wide geographic distribution allowing a study with rings in gradients addressing spatiotemporal evaluations of the effects of environmental factors on the growth of the species. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of environmental factors on the growth of Hymenaea courbaril trees over time and to reconstruct the previous climatic conditions in three Amazonian sites with contrasting climates and soils. The following questions will be addressed: 1. How interannual variation in growth (ring width) of Hymenaea courbaril is influenced by variation in local climate, eg. precipitation and temperature? 2. How do global climate phenomena (El Niño - ENSO, La Niña - NAO and SST anomalies) affect the local climate and the growth of Hymenaea courbaril? 3. How consistent are the interannual growth patterns of Hymenaea courbaril between contrasting locations in Amazonia? By investigating these questions, we hope to contribute robust timelines to reconstruct past climatic variations. It also improves understanding of the long-term responses induced by climate change, soil nutrients, and altitude and climate gradients to the conflicting demands related to forest growth, functioning and dynamics. (AU)