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Sensitivity of South American tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly

Author

Listed:
  • Amy C. Bennett

    (University of Leeds)

  • Thaiane Rodrigues de Sousa

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza

    (Jardín Botánico de Missouri)

  • Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert

    (University of Birmingham
    University of Birmingham)

  • Paulo S. Morandi

    (UNEMAT—Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso)

  • Fernanda Coelho de Souza

    (University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro)

  • Wendeson Castro

    (Universidade Federal do Acre)

  • Luisa Fernanda Duque

    (Socioecosistemas y Cambio Climatico, Fundación Con Vida)

  • Gerardo Flores Llampazo

    (Universidad Nacional Jorge Basadre de Grohmann)

  • Rubens Manoel dos Santos

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Eliana Ramos

    (Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica)

  • Emilio Vilanova Torre

    (Wildlife Conservation Society)

  • Esteban Alvarez-Davila

    (National Open University and Distance
    Fundación Con Vida)

  • Timothy R. Baker

    (University of Leeds)

  • Flávia R. C. Costa

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Simon L. Lewis

    (University of Leeds
    University College London)

  • Beatriz S. Marimon

    (UNEMAT—Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso)

  • Juliana Schietti

    (Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM))

  • Benoît Burban

    (UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane))

  • Erika Berenguer

    (University of Oxford
    Lancaster University)

  • Alejandro Araujo-Murakami

    (Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno)

  • Zorayda Restrepo Correa

    (Socioecosistemas y Cambio Climatico, Fundación Con Vida)

  • Wilmar Lopez

    (Universidad Nacional de Colombia
    Universidad Nacional de Colombia)

  • Flávia Delgado Santana

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Laura Jessica Viscarra

    (Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno)

  • Fernando Elias

    (Universidade Federal do Pará)

  • Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez

    (Jardín Botánico de Missouri)

  • Ben Hur Marimon-Junior

    (UNEMAT - Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso)

  • David Galbraith

    (University of Leeds)

  • Martin J. P. Sullivan

    (Manchester Metropolitan University)

  • Thaise Emilio

    (University of Campinas (UNICAMP))

  • Nayane C. C. S. Prestes

    (UNEMAT—Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso)

  • Jos Barlow

    (Lancaster University)

  • Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Edmar Almeida de Oliveira

    (UNEMAT—Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso)

  • Patricia Alvarez Loayza

    (Duke University)

  • Luciana F. Alves

    (University of California)

  • Simone Aparecida Vieira

    (Universidade Estadual de Campinas)

  • Vinícius Andrade Maia

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Luiz E. O. C. Aragão

    (National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
    University of Exeter)

  • Eric J. M. M. Arets

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Luzmila Arroyo

    (Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno)

  • Olaf Bánki

    (Naturalis Biodiversity Center)

  • Christopher Baraloto

    (Florida International University)

  • Plínio Barbosa Camargo

    (Universidade de São Paulo)

  • Jorcely Barroso

    (Universidade Federal do Acre)

  • Wilder Bento da Silva

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Damien Bonal

    (Université de Lorraine, INRAE, UMR Silva, AgroParisTech)

  • Alisson Borges Miranda Santos

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Roel J. W. Brienen

    (University of Leeds)

  • Foster Brown

    (Woods Hole Research Center)

  • Carolina V. Castilho

    (Embrapa Roraima, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA))

  • Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro

    (Universidade Federal do Acre)

  • Victor Chama Moscoso

    (Jardín Botánico de Missouri
    Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco)

  • Ezequiel Chavez

    (Museo Noel Kempff)

  • James A. Comiskey

    (Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Park Service
    Smithsonian Institution)

  • Fernando Cornejo Valverde

    (Proyecto Castaña)

  • Nállarett Dávila Cardozo

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Natália Aguiar-Campos

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Lia Oliveira Melo

    (Universidade Federal do Oeste do Para)

  • Jhon Aguila Pasquel

    (Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana
    Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana)

  • Géraldine Derroire

    (UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane))

  • Mathias Disney

    (University College London
    NERC National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO))

  • Maria Socorro
  • Aurélie Dourdain

    (UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane))

  • Ted R. Feldpausch

    (University of Exeter)

  • Joice Ferreira

    (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA))

  • Valeria Forni Martins

    (University of Campinas (UNICAMP)
    Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar))

  • Toby Gardner

    (Stockholm Environment Institute)

  • Emanuel Gloor

    (University of Leeds)

  • Gloria Gutierrez Sibauty

    (Jardin Botanico Municipal de Santa Cruz)

  • René Guillen

    (Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado ‘Kaa-iya del Gran Chaco’)

  • Eduardo Hase

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Bruno Hérault

    (CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés
    Univ Montpellier, CIRAD)

  • Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado

    (University of St Andrews)

  • Walter Huaraca Huasco

    (Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad de Cusco)

  • John P. Janovec

    (Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina)

  • Eliana Jimenez-Rojas

    (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)

  • Carlos Joly

    (University of Campinas (UNICAMP))

  • Michelle Kalamandeen

    (University of Cambridge
    Laurentian University)

  • Timothy J. Killeen

    (Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado)

  • Camila Lais Farrapo

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • Aurora Levesley

    (University of Leeds)

  • Leon Lizon Romano

    (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)
    Universidade Federal do Pará
    Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi)

  • Gabriela Lopez Gonzalez

    (University of Leeds)

  • Flavio Antonio Maës dos Santos

    (University of Campinas (UNICAMP))

  • William E. Magnusson

    (Coordenação da Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Yadvinder Malhi

    (University of Oxford)

  • Simone Matias de Almeida Reis

    (UNEMAT—Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
    Universidade Federal do Acre
    University of Oxford)

  • Karina Melgaço

    (University of Leeds)

  • Omar A. Melo Cruz

    (Universidad del Tolima)

  • Irina Mendoza Polo

    (Jardín Botánico de Medellín)

  • Tatiana Montañez

    (Universidad del Tolima)

  • Jean Daniel Morel

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras)

  • M Percy Núñez Vargas

    (Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad de Cusco)

  • Raimunda Oliveira de Araújo

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho

    (University of Leeds
    Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad de Cusco)

  • Alexander Parada Gutierrez

    (Herbario Universitario (PORT))

  • Toby Pennington

    (University of Exeter)

  • Georgia C. Pickavance

    (University of Leeds)

  • John Pipoly

    (Broward County Parks & Recreation
    Florida Atlantic University)

  • Nigel C. A. Pitman

    (Keller Science Action Center, Field Museum)

  • Carlos Quesada

    (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA))

  • Freddy Ramirez Arevalo

    (Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana)

  • Hirma Ramírez‐Angulo

    (Universidad de Los Andes)

  • Rafael Flora Ramos

    (Universidade Estadual de Campinas)

  • James E. Richardson

    (University College Cork
    Universidad del Rosario
    Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
    University College Cork)

  • Cléber Rodrigo de Souza

    (Universidade Federal de Lavras
    brCarbon Serviços Ambientais)

  • Anand Roopsind

    (Conservation International)

  • Gustavo Schwartz

    (Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA))

  • Richarlly C. Silva

    (Universidade Federal do Acre)

  • Javier Silva Espejo

    (Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad de Cusco)

  • Marcos Silveira

    (Universidade Federal do Acre)

  • James Singh

    (Guyana Forestry Commission)

  • Yhan Soto Shareva

    (Jardín Botánico de Missouri)

  • Marc Steininger

    (University of Maryland)

  • Juliana Stropp

    (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (MNCN-CSIC))

  • Joey Talbot

    (University of Leeds
    University of Leeds)

  • Hans Steege

    (Naturalis Biodiversity Center
    Utrecht University)

  • John Terborgh

    (University of Florida
    James Cook University)

  • Raquel Thomas

    (Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development)

  • Luis Valenzuela Gamarra

    (Jardín Botánico de Missouri)

  • Geertje Heijden

    (University of Nottingham)

  • Peter Hout

    (Van der Hout Forestry Consulting)

  • Roderick Zagt

    (Tropenbos International)

  • Oliver L. Phillips

    (University of Leeds)

Abstract

The tropical forest carbon sink is known to be drought sensitive, but it is unclear which forests are the most vulnerable to extreme events. Forests with hotter and drier baseline conditions may be protected by prior adaptation, or more vulnerable because they operate closer to physiological limits. Here we report that forests in drier South American climates experienced the greatest impacts of the 2015–2016 El Niño, indicating greater vulnerability to extreme temperatures and drought. The long-term, ground-measured tree-by-tree responses of 123 forest plots across tropical South America show that the biomass carbon sink ceased during the event with carbon balance becoming indistinguishable from zero (−0.02 ± 0.37 Mg C ha−1 per year). However, intact tropical South American forests overall were no more sensitive to the extreme 2015–2016 El Niño than to previous less intense events, remaining a key defence against climate change as long as they are protected.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy C. Bennett & Thaiane Rodrigues de Sousa & Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza & Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert & Paulo S. Morandi & Fernanda Coelho de Souza & Wendeson Castro & Luisa Fernanda Duque & Gerardo Flore, 2023. "Sensitivity of South American tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(9), pages 967-974, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:13:y:2023:i:9:d:10.1038_s41558-023-01776-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01776-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simon L. Lewis & Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez & Bonaventure Sonké & Kofi Affum-Baffoe & Timothy R. Baker & Lucas O. Ojo & Oliver L. Phillips & Jan M. Reitsma & Lee White & James A. Comiskey & Marie-Noël Dj, 2009. "Increasing carbon storage in intact African tropical forests," Nature, Nature, vol. 457(7232), pages 1003-1006, February.
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