Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements

Marion Pfeifer; Alemu Gonsamo; William Woodgate; Luis Cayuela; Andrew Robert Marshall; Alicia Ledo; Timothy C. E. Paine; Rob Marchant; Andrew Burt; Kim Calders; Colin John Courtney-Mustaphi; Aida Cuni Sanchez; Nicolas John Deere; Dereje Denu; Jose Gonzalez de Tanago; Robin Martin Hayward; Alvaro Lau; Manuel J. Macía; Pieter I. Olivier; Petri Pellikka; Seki Hamidu; Deo Shirima; Rebecca Trevithick; Beatrice Wedeux; Charlotte Wheeler; Pantaleon K T Munishi; Thomas  Martin; Abdul  Mustari; Philip John Platts

doi:10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7

Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements

Marion Pfeifer, Alemu Gonsamo, William Woodgate, Luis Cayuela, Andrew Robert Marshall, Alicia Ledo, Timothy C. E. Paine, Rob Marchant, Andrew Burt, Kim Calders, Colin John Courtney-Mustaphi, Aida Cuni Sanchez, Nicolas John Deere, Dereje Denu, Jose Gonzalez de Tanago, Robin Martin Hayward, Alvaro Lau, Manuel J. Macía, Pieter I. Olivier, Petri PellikkaSeki Hamidu, Deo Shirima, Rebecca Trevithick, Beatrice Wedeux, Charlotte Wheeler, Pantaleon K T Munishi, Thomas Martin, Abdul Mustari, Philip John Platts

Environment and Geography

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Abstract

Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index (LAI), fractional vegetation cover (FCover) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Here, we introduce the Global LAI database: a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas). We use these measurements to test for climate -dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active (within protected areas) and passive measures (through topography). Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures (e.g. human population) do not improve the model. We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	Forest Ecosystems
Volume	5
Issue number	7
Early online date	8 Jan 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 8 Jan 2018

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10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7Licence: CC BY

s40663-017-0118-7
© The Author(s). 2018.
Final published version, 1.31 MBLicence: CC BY

Andy Marshall
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Pfeifer, M., Gonsamo, A., Woodgate, W., Cayuela, L., Marshall, A. R., Ledo, A., Paine, T. C. E., Marchant, R., Burt, A., Calders, K., Courtney-Mustaphi, C. J., Cuni Sanchez, A., Deere, N. J., Denu, D., de Tanago, J. G., Hayward, R. M., Lau, A., Macía, M. J., Olivier, P. I., ... Platts, P. J. (2018). Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements. Forest Ecosystems, 5(7), 1-14. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7

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title = "Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements",

abstract = "Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index (LAI), fractional vegetation cover (FCover) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Here, we introduce the Global LAI database: a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas). We use these measurements to test for climate -dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active (within protected areas) and passive measures (through topography). Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures (e.g. human population) do not improve the model. We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.",

author = "Marion Pfeifer and Alemu Gonsamo and William Woodgate and Luis Cayuela and Marshall, {Andrew Robert} and Alicia Ledo and Paine, {Timothy C. E.} and Rob Marchant and Andrew Burt and Kim Calders and Courtney-Mustaphi, {Colin John} and {Cuni Sanchez}, Aida and Deere, {Nicolas John} and Dereje Denu and {de Tanago}, {Jose Gonzalez} and Hayward, {Robin Martin} and Alvaro Lau and Mac{\'i}a, {Manuel J.} and Olivier, {Pieter I.} and Petri Pellikka and Seki Hamidu and Deo Shirima and Rebecca Trevithick and Beatrice Wedeux and Charlotte Wheeler and Munishi, {Pantaleon K T} and Thomas Martin and Abdul Mustari and Platts, {Philip John}",

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doi = "10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7",

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Pfeifer, M, Gonsamo, A, Woodgate, W, Cayuela, L, Marshall, AR, Ledo, A, Paine, TCE, Marchant, R, Burt, A, Calders, K, Courtney-Mustaphi, CJ , Cuni Sanchez, A, Deere, NJ, Denu, D, de Tanago, JG, Hayward, RM, Lau, A, Macía, MJ, Olivier, PI, Pellikka, P, Hamidu, S, Shirima, D, Trevithick, R, Wedeux, B, Wheeler, C, Munishi, PKT, Martin, T, Mustari, A & Platts, PJ 2018, 'Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements', Forest Ecosystems, vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7

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T1 - Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance

T2 - Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements

AU - Pfeifer, Marion

AU - Gonsamo, Alemu

AU - Woodgate, William

AU - Cayuela, Luis

AU - Marshall, Andrew Robert

AU - Ledo, Alicia

AU - Paine, Timothy C. E.

AU - Marchant, Rob

AU - Burt, Andrew

AU - Calders, Kim

AU - Courtney-Mustaphi, Colin John

AU - Cuni Sanchez, Aida

AU - Deere, Nicolas John

AU - Denu, Dereje

AU - de Tanago, Jose Gonzalez

AU - Hayward, Robin Martin

AU - Lau, Alvaro

AU - Macía, Manuel J.

AU - Olivier, Pieter I.

AU - Pellikka, Petri

AU - Hamidu, Seki

AU - Shirima, Deo

AU - Trevithick, Rebecca

AU - Wedeux, Beatrice

AU - Wheeler, Charlotte

AU - Munishi, Pantaleon K T

AU - Martin, Thomas

AU - Mustari, Abdul

AU - Platts, Philip John

PY - 2018/1/8

Y1 - 2018/1/8

N2 - Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index (LAI), fractional vegetation cover (FCover) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Here, we introduce the Global LAI database: a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas). We use these measurements to test for climate -dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active (within protected areas) and passive measures (through topography). Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures (e.g. human population) do not improve the model. We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.

AB - Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index (LAI), fractional vegetation cover (FCover) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Here, we introduce the Global LAI database: a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas). We use these measurements to test for climate -dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active (within protected areas) and passive measures (through topography). Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures (e.g. human population) do not improve the model. We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.

U2 - 10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7

DO - 10.1186/s40663-017-0118-7

M3 - Article

SN - 2197-5620

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - Forest Ecosystems

JF - Forest Ecosystems

IS - 7

ER -

Tropical forest canopies and their relationships with climate and disturbance: Results from a global dataset of consistent field-based measurements

Abstract

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Andy Marshall

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