Above-ground forest biomass is not consistently related to wood density in tropical forests

It is increasingly accepted that the mean wood density of trees within a forest is tightly coupled to above-ground forest biomass. It is unknown, however, if a positive relationship between forest biomass and mean community wood density is a general phenomenon across forests. Here we evaluated the generality of a positive biomass–wood density relationship within and among six tropical forests. Individual stem data, including diameter at breast height and spatial position, for six forest dynamics plots were merged with an extensive wood density database. Individual stem biomass values were calculated from these data using published statistical models. Total above ground biomass, total basal area and mean community wood density were also quantified across a range of subcommunity plot sizes within each forest. Among forests, biomass did not vary with mean community wood density. The relationship between subcommunity biomass and mean wood density within a forest varied from negative to null to positive depending on the size of subcommunities and forest identity. The direction of correlation was determined by the associated total basal area–mean wood density correlation, the slope of which increased strongly with whole forest mean wood density. There is no general relationship between forest biomass and wood density, and in some forests, stored carbon is highest where wood density is lowest. Our results suggest that declining wood density, due to global change, will result in decreased or increased stored carbon in forests with high or low mean wood density, respectively.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	121577 Stegen, James C. University of Arizona, Tucson, USA, 122594 Swenson, Nathan G. (autor/a) Harvard University, Cambridge, USA, 126840 Valencia, Renato (autor/a) Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador, 65091 Enquist, Brian J. (autor/a) University of Arizona, Tucson, USA : The Santa Fe Institute, USA : Center for Applied Biodiversity, Arlington, USA, Thompson, Jill (autor/a)
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	eng
Published:	Nueva Jersey (Estados Unidos) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2009
Subjects:	BOSQUE TROPICAL, LIANAS, DENSIDAD DE LA MADERA, BIOMASA, ALMACENAMIENTO DE CARBONO, CICLO DEL CARBONO, BOSQUE FRAGMENTADO, ECUACIONES ALOMETRICAS, ATMOSFERA, NITROGENO, CAMBIO GLOBAL, TROPICAL FORESTS, BIOMASS, CARBON CYCLE, ATMOSPHERE, NITROGEN,
Online Access:	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00471.x
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