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Size and frequency of natural forest disturbances and the Amazon forest carbon balance

Author

Listed:
  • Fernando D.B. Espírito-Santo

    (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
    Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire)

  • Manuel Gloor

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds)

  • Michael Keller

    (Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire
    USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry
    EMBRAPA Monitoramento por Satélite)

  • Yadvinder Malhi

    (Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford)

  • Sassan Saatchi

    (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • Bruce Nelson

    (National Institute for Research in Amazonia (INPA), CP 478)

  • Raimundo C. Oliveira Junior

    (EMBRAPA Amazônia Oriental (CPATU))

  • Cleuton Pereira
  • Jon Lloyd

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds
    Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS), School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University)

  • Steve Frolking

    (Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire)

  • Michael Palace

    (Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire)

  • Yosio E. Shimabukuro

    (National Institute for Space Research (INPE))

  • Valdete Duarte

    (National Institute for Space Research (INPE))

  • Abel Monteagudo Mendoza

    (Jardin Botanico de Missouri)

  • Gabriela López-González

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds)

  • Tim R. Baker

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds)

  • Ted R. Feldpausch

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds
    Present address: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK)

  • Roel J.W. Brienen

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds)

  • Gregory P. Asner

    (Carnegie Institution for Science)

  • Doreen S. Boyd

    (School of Geography, University of Nottingham, University Park)

  • Oliver L. Phillips

    (School of Geography, University of Leeds)

Abstract

Forest inventory studies in the Amazon indicate a large terrestrial carbon sink. However, field plots may fail to represent forest mortality processes at landscape-scales of tropical forests. Here we characterize the frequency distribution of disturbance events in natural forests from 0.01 ha to 2,651 ha size throughout Amazonia using a novel combination of forest inventory, airborne lidar and satellite remote sensing data. We find that small-scale mortality events are responsible for aboveground biomass losses of ~1.28 Pg C y−1 over the entire Amazon region. We also find that intermediate-scale disturbances account for losses of ~0.01 Pg C y−1, and that the largest-scale disturbances as a result of blow-downs only account for losses of ~0.003 Pg C y−1. Simulation of growth and mortality indicates that even when all carbon losses from intermediate and large-scale disturbances are considered, these are outweighed by the net biomass accumulation by tree growth, supporting the inference of an Amazon carbon sink.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando D.B. Espírito-Santo & Manuel Gloor & Michael Keller & Yadvinder Malhi & Sassan Saatchi & Bruce Nelson & Raimundo C. Oliveira Junior & Cleuton Pereira & Jon Lloyd & Steve Frolking & Michael Pa, 2014. "Size and frequency of natural forest disturbances and the Amazon forest carbon balance," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-6, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms4434
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4434
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    Cited by:

    1. Thiemo Fetzer & Samuel Marden, 2017. "Take What You Can: Property Rights, Contestability and Conflict," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 0(601), pages 757-783, May.
    2. Stéphane Guitet & Bruno Hérault & Quentin Molto & Olivier Brunaux & Pierre Couteron, 2015. "Spatial Structure of Above-Ground Biomass Limits Accuracy of Carbon Mapping in Rainforest but Large Scale Forest Inventories Can Help to Overcome," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Piponiot, Camille & Derroire, Géraldine & Descroix, Laurent & Mazzei, Lucas & Rutishauser, Ervan & Sist, Plinio & Hérault, Bruno, 2018. "Assessing timber volume recovery after disturbance in tropical forests – A new modelling framework," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 384(C), pages 353-369.
    4. Changjun Gu & Pei Zhao & Qiong Chen & Shicheng Li & Lanhui Li & Linshan Liu & Yili Zhang, 2020. "Forest Cover Change and the Effectiveness of Protected Areas in the Himalaya since 1998," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-24, July.
    5. Thiemo Fetzer & Samuel Marden, 2016. "Take what you can: property rights, contestability and conflict," Working Paper Series 9216, Department of Economics, University of Sussex.
    6. Risely Ferraz-Almeida & Raquel Pinheiro da Mota, 2021. "Routes of Soil Uses and Conversions with the Main Crops in Brazilian Cerrado: A Scenario from 2000 to 2020," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.

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