Determinants of above-ground carbon stocks and productivity in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes

Esteban Pinto; Francisco Cuesta; Antonella Bernardi; Mellisa Llerena-Zambrano; Álvaro J. Pérez; Masha T. van der Sande; William D. Gosling; Kevin S. Burgess

doi:10.1080/17550874.2023.2274844

Determinants of above-ground carbon stocks and productivity in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes

Esteban Pinto, Francisco Cuesta, Antonella Bernardi, Mellisa Llerena-Zambrano, Álvaro J. Pérez, Masha T. van der Sande, William D. Gosling, Kevin S. Burgess

Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Secondary montane forests, covering 30% of forested lands in the Andes, play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of carbon release. However, the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration in the above-ground biomass of these forests are not well quantified. Aims: Understanding the determinants of above-ground carbon (AGC) dynamics in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Andes to assess their mitigation potential. Methods: We assessed how abiotic and biotic conditions and past human disturbances were related to forest structure and composition, AGC stocks and productivity within sixteen 0.36-ha plots established in secondary forest stands of 30–35 years of age. Results: Structural equation models revealed that changes in temperature conditions along the elevation gradient shaped leaf functional composition, which in turn controlled AGC dynamics. Productivity and temperature decreased with increasing elevation and decreased tree community leaf area. Disturbance legacy (Tree mortality) increased with competitive thinning and low soil fertility. Conclusions: We show that temperature drives AGC dynamics by changing the functional trait composition. This highlights the importance of preserving these forests along elevation gradients and implies potentially strong future changes due to global warming.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	127-146
Number of pages	20
Journal	Plant Ecology and Diversity
Volume	16
Issue number	3-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2023.2274844
State	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Funding

The work was supported by the Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit [81028631]; Global Environment Fund [4750]; Fundación Futuro [UDLA-001]; Universidad de las Américas, Quito, Ecuador [FGE.FCC.19.02]. This study was carried out under permit No. N029-2019 IC-FLO-DNB/MA of the Ministry of Environment, Ecuador. We would like to express our gratitude to the owners and administrators of the private reserves where the forest dynamics permanent plots are established: Alejandro Solano, María Emilia Arcos and Oliver Torres from Mashpi Shungo and Pambiliño; Carolina Proaño-Castro, Felipe Andrade and Mateo Roldán from Mashpi Lodge/Fundación Futuro, Sonia Saltos from Río Bravo, Juan Diego Ortíz and Sol Acosta from Sacha Urcu, Inti Arcos and Nina Duarte from Intyllacta, Richard Parson and Favio Fernández from Bellavista Cloud Forest, Germán Toasa from El Cedral Ecolodge, María Elisa Vizuete and Enrique Maldonado from Verdecocha and the Jocotoco foundation from Yanacocha Reserve. We thank the Universidad de las Americas for financially supporting this research (Grant No. FGE.FCC.20.02) and the Andean Forest Program of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Grant No. 81028631). We acknowledge the continuous support of Fundación Futuro to sustain and strengthen the long-term research plot network of the Pichincha Transect. Moreover, the above-ground productivity estimates derived from this research are currently being used by Fundación Futuro in their carbon compensation Program (https://nftree.com.ec/). MvdS was supported by the Veni research programme with project number VI.Veni.192.027, of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and by the European Research Council Advanced Grant PANTROP 834775. This study was carried out under permit No. N029-2019 IC-FLO-DNB/MA of the Ministry of Environment, Ecuador. We would like to express our gratitude to the owners and administrators of the private reserves where the forest dynamics permanent plots are established: Alejandro Solano, María Emilia Arcos and Oliver Torres from Mashpi Shungo and Pambiliño; Carolina Proaño-Castro, Felipe Andrade and Mateo Roldán from Mashpi Lodge/Fundación Futuro, Sonia Saltos from Río Bravo, Juan Diego Ortíz and Sol Acosta from Sacha Urcu, Inti Arcos and Nina Duarte from Intyllacta, Richard Parson and Favio Fernández from Bellavista Cloud Forest, Germán Toasa from El Cedral Ecolodge, María Elisa Vizuete and Enrique Maldonado from Verdecocha and the Jocotoco foundation from Yanacocha Reserve. We thank the Universidad de las Americas for financially supporting this research (Grant No. FGE.FCC.20.02) and the Andean Forest Program of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Grant No. 81028631). We acknowledge the continuous support of Fundación Futuro to sustain and strengthen the long-term research plot network of the Pichincha Transect. Moreover, the above-ground productivity estimates derived from this research are currently being used by Fundación Futuro in their carbon compensation Program ( https://nftree.com.ec/ ). MvdS was supported by the Veni research programme with project number VI.Veni.192.027, of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and by the European Research Council Advanced Grant PANTROP 834775.

Funders	Funder number
Fundación Futuro	UDLA-001
Jocotoco foundation from Yanacocha Reserve
Mashpi Lodge/Fundación Futuro
Universidad de las Américas - Ecuador	N029-2019 IC-FLO-DNB/MA, FGE.FCC.19.02
Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit	81028631, VI.Veni.192.027
Universidad de Las Américas Chile	FGE.FCC.20.02
European Research Council	PANTROP 834775
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Ministry of Environment

Keywords

Climate mitigation
ecosystem resilience
forest carbon sink
montane forest
restoration
temperature

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/17550874.2023.2274844

Cite this

Pinto, E., Cuesta, F., Bernardi, A., Llerena-Zambrano, M., Pérez, Á. J., van der Sande, M. T., Gosling, W. D., & Burgess, K. S. (2023). Determinants of above-ground carbon stocks and productivity in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 16(3-4), 127-146. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2023.2274844

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abstract = "Background: Secondary montane forests, covering 30% of forested lands in the Andes, play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of carbon release. However, the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration in the above-ground biomass of these forests are not well quantified. Aims: Understanding the determinants of above-ground carbon (AGC) dynamics in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Andes to assess their mitigation potential. Methods: We assessed how abiotic and biotic conditions and past human disturbances were related to forest structure and composition, AGC stocks and productivity within sixteen 0.36-ha plots established in secondary forest stands of 30–35 years of age. Results: Structural equation models revealed that changes in temperature conditions along the elevation gradient shaped leaf functional composition, which in turn controlled AGC dynamics. Productivity and temperature decreased with increasing elevation and decreased tree community leaf area. Disturbance legacy (Tree mortality) increased with competitive thinning and low soil fertility. Conclusions: We show that temperature drives AGC dynamics by changing the functional trait composition. This highlights the importance of preserving these forests along elevation gradients and implies potentially strong future changes due to global warming.",

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author = "Esteban Pinto and Francisco Cuesta and Antonella Bernardi and Mellisa Llerena-Zambrano and P{\'e}rez, {{\'A}lvaro J.} and {van der Sande}, {Masha T.} and Gosling, {William D.} and Burgess, {Kevin S.}",

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doi = "10.1080/17550874.2023.2274844",

language = "English",

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T1 - Determinants of above-ground carbon stocks and productivity in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes

AU - Pinto, Esteban

AU - Cuesta, Francisco

AU - Bernardi, Antonella

AU - Llerena-Zambrano, Mellisa

AU - Pérez, Álvaro J.

AU - van der Sande, Masha T.

AU - Gosling, William D.

AU - Burgess, Kevin S.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Background: Secondary montane forests, covering 30% of forested lands in the Andes, play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of carbon release. However, the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration in the above-ground biomass of these forests are not well quantified. Aims: Understanding the determinants of above-ground carbon (AGC) dynamics in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Andes to assess their mitigation potential. Methods: We assessed how abiotic and biotic conditions and past human disturbances were related to forest structure and composition, AGC stocks and productivity within sixteen 0.36-ha plots established in secondary forest stands of 30–35 years of age. Results: Structural equation models revealed that changes in temperature conditions along the elevation gradient shaped leaf functional composition, which in turn controlled AGC dynamics. Productivity and temperature decreased with increasing elevation and decreased tree community leaf area. Disturbance legacy (Tree mortality) increased with competitive thinning and low soil fertility. Conclusions: We show that temperature drives AGC dynamics by changing the functional trait composition. This highlights the importance of preserving these forests along elevation gradients and implies potentially strong future changes due to global warming.

AB - Background: Secondary montane forests, covering 30% of forested lands in the Andes, play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of carbon release. However, the mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration in the above-ground biomass of these forests are not well quantified. Aims: Understanding the determinants of above-ground carbon (AGC) dynamics in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Andes to assess their mitigation potential. Methods: We assessed how abiotic and biotic conditions and past human disturbances were related to forest structure and composition, AGC stocks and productivity within sixteen 0.36-ha plots established in secondary forest stands of 30–35 years of age. Results: Structural equation models revealed that changes in temperature conditions along the elevation gradient shaped leaf functional composition, which in turn controlled AGC dynamics. Productivity and temperature decreased with increasing elevation and decreased tree community leaf area. Disturbance legacy (Tree mortality) increased with competitive thinning and low soil fertility. Conclusions: We show that temperature drives AGC dynamics by changing the functional trait composition. This highlights the importance of preserving these forests along elevation gradients and implies potentially strong future changes due to global warming.

KW - Climate mitigation

KW - ecosystem resilience

KW - forest carbon sink

KW - montane forest

KW - restoration

KW - temperature

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JO - Plant Ecology and Diversity

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Determinants of above-ground carbon stocks and productivity in secondary forests along a 3000-m elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this