Abstract
BackgroundTropical forests play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle. However, tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood. Montane forests are highly endangered due to logging, land-use and climate change. Our objective was to analyse how the carbon balance changes during forest succession.MethodsIn this study, we used a method to estimate local carbon balances that combined forest inventory data with process-based forest models. We utilised such a forest model to study the carbon balance of a tropical montane forest in South Ecuador, comparing two topographical slope positions (ravines and lower slopes vs upper slopes and ridges).ResultsThe simulation results showed that the forest acts as a carbon sink with a maximum net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of 9.3 Mg C∙(ha∙yr)−1 during its early successional stage (0–100 years). In the late successional stage, the simulated NEE fluctuated around zero and had a variation of 0.77 Mg C∙(ha∙yr) –1. The simulated variability of the NEE was within the range of the field data. We discovered several forest attributes (e.g., basal area or the relative amount of pioneer trees) that can serve as predictors for NEE for young forest stands (0–100 years) but not for those in the late successional stage (500–1,000 years). In case of young forest stands these correlations are high, especially between stand basal area and NEE.ConclusionIn this study, we used an Ecuadorian study site as an example of how to successfully link a forest model with forest inventory data, for estimating stem-diameter distributions, biomass and aboveground net primary productivity. To conclude, this study shows that process-based forest models can be used to investigate the carbon balance of tropical montane forests. With this model it is possible to find hidden relationships between forest attributes and forest carbon fluxes. These relationships promote a better understanding of the role of tropical montane forests in the context of global carbon cycle, which in future will become more relevant to a society under global change.
Highlights
IntroductionTropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood
Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle
These techniques allow for the exploration of the dynamics of aboveground biomass and net ecosystem exchange for different successional stages
Summary
Tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood. Montane forests are highly endangered due to logging, land-use and climate change. Tropical forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle. In the global carbon cycle, tropical forests are considered to act as a carbon sink Tropical montane forests have been studied less than tropical lowland forests, and their role in carbon storage is not well understood (Spracklen and Righelato 2014); they are highly endangered due to logging, land-use and climate change (Beck et al 2008; Colwell et al 2008). The Tropical Andean forests are considered to be one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots (Brummitt and Lughadha 2003), but they experience one of the highest deforestation
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