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Contrasting effects of defaunation on aboveground carbon storage across the global tropics

Author

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  • Anand M. Osuri

    (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
    Nature Conservation Foundation)

  • Jayashree Ratnam

    (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

  • Varun Varma

    (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)

  • Patricia Alvarez-Loayza

    (Center for Tropical Conservation, Duke University)

  • Johanna Hurtado Astaiza

    (La Selva Biological Station, Organization for Tropical Studies)

  • Matt Bradford

    (CSIRO Land and Water, Tropical Forest Research Centre)

  • Christine Fletcher

    (Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM))

  • Mireille Ndoundou-Hockemba

    (Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Congo-Program)

  • Patrick A. Jansen

    (Centre for Tropical Forest Science, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
    Wageningen University)

  • David Kenfack

    (CTFS-ForestGEO, NMNH - MRC 166, Smithsonian Institution)

  • Andrew R. Marshall

    (CIRCLE, University of York
    Flamingo Land Ltd., Kirby Misperton)

  • B. R. Ramesh

    (Institut Français de Pondichéry)

  • Francesco Rovero

    (MUSE – Science Museum of Trento)

  • Mahesh Sankaran

    (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
    School of Biology, University of Leeds)

Abstract

Defaunation is causing declines of large-seeded animal-dispersed trees in tropical forests worldwide, but whether and how these declines will affect carbon storage across this biome is unclear. Here we show, using a pan-tropical data set, that simulated declines of large-seeded animal-dispersed trees have contrasting effects on aboveground carbon stocks across Earth’s tropical forests. In our simulations, African, American and South Asian forests, which have high proportions of animal-dispersed species, consistently show carbon losses (2–12%), but Southeast Asian and Australian forests, where there are more abiotically dispersed species, show little to no carbon losses or marginal gains (±1%). These patterns result primarily from changes in wood volume, and are underlain by consistent relationships in our empirical data (∼2,100 species), wherein, large-seeded animal-dispersed species are larger as adults than small-seeded animal-dispersed species, but are smaller than abiotically dispersed species. Thus, floristic differences and distinct dispersal mode–seed size–adult size combinations can drive contrasting regional responses to defaunation.

Suggested Citation

  • Anand M. Osuri & Jayashree Ratnam & Varun Varma & Patricia Alvarez-Loayza & Johanna Hurtado Astaiza & Matt Bradford & Christine Fletcher & Mireille Ndoundou-Hockemba & Patrick A. Jansen & David Kenfac, 2016. "Contrasting effects of defaunation on aboveground carbon storage across the global tropics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms11351
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11351
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    Cited by:

    1. De Angeli, Kevin & Abbasi, Eeman & Gan, Alan & Ingram, Daniel J. & Giam, Xingli & Chang, Charlotte H., 2021. "Modeling the impact of wild harvest on plant–disperser mutualisms," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 439(C).
    2. Brodie, Jedediah F., 2018. "Carbon Costs and Bushmeat Benefits of Hunting in Tropical Forests," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 22-26.
    3. Bello, Carolina & Culot, Laurence & Ruiz Agudelo, Cesar Augusto & Galetti, Mauro, 2021. "Valuing the economic impacts of seed dispersal loss on voluntary carbon markets," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).

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