Tracking the impacts of El Nino drought and fire in human-modified Amazonian forests

Author(s):Show less -

Berenguer, Erika ^{[1, 2]} ; Lennox, Gareth D. ^[1] ; Ferreira, Joice ^{[3, 4, 5]} ; Malhi, Yadvinder ^[2] ; Aragao, Luiz E. O. C. ^{[6, 7]} ; Barreto, Julia Rodrigues ^[8] ; Espirito-Santo, Fernando Del Bon ^{[9, 10]} ; Figueiredo, Axa Emanuelle S. ^[11] ; Franca, Filipe ^[1] ; Gardner, Toby Alan ^[12] ; Joly, Carlos A. ^[13] ; Palmeira, Alessandro F. ^{[4, 5, 14]} ; Quesada, Carlos Alberto ^[11] ; Rossi, Liana Chesini ^[15] ; Moraes de Seixas, Marina Maria ^[3] ; Smith, Charlotte C. ^[1] ; Withey, Kieran ^[1] ; Barlow, Jos ^{[1, 16]}

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Lancaster, Lancaster Environm Ctr, Lancaster LA1 4YQ - England

^[2] Univ Oxford, Sch Geog & Environm, Environm Change Inst, Oxford OX1 3QY - England

^[3] Embrapa Amazonia Oriental, BR-66095100 Belem, Para - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Para, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-6607510 Belem, Para - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Para, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Ambientais, BR-6607510 Belem, Para - Brazil

^[6] Natl Inst Space Res, Remote Sensing Div, BR-12227010 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

^[7] Univ Exeter, Coll Life & Environm Sci, Exeter EX4 4RJ, Devon - England

^[8] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Lab Ecol Paisagens & Conservacao, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[9] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, BR-14040900 Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

^[10] Univ Leicester, Ctr Landscape & Climate Res, Sch Geog Geol & Environm, Inst Space & Earth Observat Sci, Space Pk Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, Leics - England

^[11] Natl Inst Amazonian Res, Coordinat Environm Dynam, BR-69080971 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[12] Stockholm Environm Inst, S-10451 Stockholm - Sweden

^[13] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Vegetal, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[14] Natl Inst Space Res, Ctr Previsao Tempo & Estudos Climat, BR-12227010 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

^[15] Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Ecol, BR-13506900 Rio Claro - Brazil

^[16] Univ Fed Lavras, Setor Ecol & Conservacao, BR-37200900 Lavras - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; v. 118, n. 30 JUL 27 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

With humanity facing an unprecedented climate crisis, the conservation of tropical forests has never been so important - their vast terrestrial carbon stocks can be turned into emissions by climatic and human disturbances. However, the duration of these effects is poorly understood, and it is unclear whether impacts are amplified in forests with a history of previous human disturbance. Here, we focus on the Amazonian epicenter of the 2015-16 El Nino, a region that encompasses 1.2% of the Brazilian Amazon. We quantify, at high temporal resolution, the impacts of an extreme El Nino (EN) drought and extensive forest fires on plant mortality and carbon loss in undisturbed and human-modified forests. Mortality remained higher than pre-El Nino levels for 36 mo in EN-drought-affected forests and for 30 mo in EN-fire-affected forests. In EN-fire-affected forests, human disturbance significantly increased plant mortality. Our investigation of the ecological and physiological predictors of tree mortality showed that trees with lower wood density, bark thickness and leaf nitrogen content, as well as those that experienced greater fire intensity, were more vulnerable. Across the region, the 2015-16 El Nino led to the death of an estimated 2.5 +/- 0.3 billion stems, resulting in emissions of 495 +/- 94 Tg CO2. Three years after the El Nino, plant growth and recruitment had offset only 37% of emissions. Our results show that limiting forest disturbance will not only help maintain carbon stocks, but will also maximize the resistance of Amazonian forests if fires do occur.{*} (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/50392-8 - Fernando Espírito Santo | Lancaster University - Inglaterra
• Grantee: Tomas Ferreira Domingues
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• FAPESP's process: 18/15001-6 - ARBOLES: a trait-based understanding of LATAM forest biodiversity and resilience
• Grantee: Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/51872-5 - ECOFOR: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in degraded and recovering Amazonian and Atlantic Forests
• Grantee: Carlos Alfredo Joly
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants