Carbon recovery dynamics following disturbance by selective logging in Amazonian forests

  1. Camille Piponiot  Is a corresponding author
  2. Plinio Sist
  3. Lucas Mazzei
  4. Marielos Peña-Claros
  5. Francis E Putz
  6. Ervan Rutishauser
  7. Alexander Shenkin
  8. Nataly Ascarrunz
  9. Celso P de Azevedo
  10. Christopher Baraloto
  11. Mabiane França
  12. Marcelino Guedes
  13. Eurídice N Honorio Coronado
  14. Marcus VN d'Oliveira
  15. Ademir R Ruschel
  16. Kátia E da Silva
  17. Eleneide Doff Sotta
  18. Cintia R de Souza
  19. Edson Vidal
  20. Thales AP West
  21. Bruno Hérault  Is a corresponding author
  1. Université de la Guyane, UMR EcoFoG, France
  2. Cirad, UR Forests and Societies, France
  3. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Brazil
  4. Wageningen University, Netherlands
  5. University of Florida, United States
  6. CarbonForExpert, Switzerland
  7. University of Oxford, United Kingdom
  8. Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal, Bolivia
  9. Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Brazil
  10. Florida International University, United States
  11. Embrapa Amapa, Brazil
  12. Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana, Peru
  13. Embrapa Acre, Brazil
  14. University of São Paulo, Brazil
  15. Cirad, UMR EcoFoG, France

Abstract

When 2 Mha of Amazonian forests are disturbed by selective logging each year, more than 90 Tg of carbon (C) is emitted to the atmosphere. Emissions are then counterbalanced by forest regrowth. With an original modelling approach, calibrated on a network of 133 permanent forest plots (175 ha total) across Amazonia, we link regional differences in climate, soil and initial biomass with survivors' and recruits' C fluxes to provide Amazon-wide predictions of post-logging C recovery. We show that net aboveground C recovery over 10 years is higher in the Guiana Shield and in the west (21{plus minus}3 MgC ha-1) than in the south (12{plus minus}3 MgC ha-1) where environmental stress is high (low rainfall, high seasonality). We highlight the key role of survivors in the forest regrowth and elaborate a comprehensive map of post-disturbance C recovery potential in Amazonia.

Data availability

The following data sets were generated

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Camille Piponiot

    Université de la Guyane, UMR EcoFoG, Kourou, France
    For correspondence
    camille.piponiot@gmail.com
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-3473-1982
  2. Plinio Sist

    Cirad, UR Forests and Societies, Montpellier, France
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  3. Lucas Mazzei

    Oriental, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  4. Marielos Peña-Claros

    Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  5. Francis E Putz

    Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  6. Ervan Rutishauser

    CarbonForExpert, Hermance, Switzerland
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  7. Alexander Shenkin

    Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  8. Nataly Ascarrunz

    Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  9. Celso P de Azevedo

    Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  10. Christopher Baraloto

    International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  11. Mabiane França

    Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  12. Marcelino Guedes

    Embrapa Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  13. Eurídice N Honorio Coronado

    Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana, Iquitos, Peru
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-2314-590X
  14. Marcus VN d'Oliveira

    Embrapa Acre, Rio Branco, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  15. Ademir R Ruschel

    Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  16. Kátia E da Silva

    Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  17. Eleneide Doff Sotta

    Embrapa Amapa, Macapa, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  18. Cintia R de Souza

    Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental, Belém, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  19. Edson Vidal

    Departamento de Ciências Florestais, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  20. Thales AP West

    Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  21. Bruno Hérault

    Cirad, UMR EcoFoG, Kourou, France
    For correspondence
    Bruno.Herault@ecofog.gf
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-LABEX-0025)

  • Camille Piponiot

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP: 2013/16262-4 and 2013/50718-5)

  • Edson Vidal

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

© 2016, Piponiot et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

Metrics

  • 3,134
    views
  • 597
    downloads
  • 50
    citations

Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.

Download links

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21394

Further reading

    1. Ecology
    2. Evolutionary Biology
    Vendula Bohlen Šlechtová, Tomáš Dvořák ... Joerg Bohlen
    Research Article

    Eurasia has undergone substantial tectonic, geological, and climatic changes throughout the Cenozoic, primarily associated with tectonic plate collisions and a global cooling trend. The evolution of present-day biodiversity unfolded in this dynamic environment, characterised by intricate interactions of abiotic factors. However, comprehensive, large-scale reconstructions illustrating the extent of these influences are lacking. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of the freshwater fish family Nemacheilidae across Eurasia and spanning most of the Cenozoic on the base of 471 specimens representing 279 species and 37 genera plus outgroup samples. Molecular phylogeny using six genes uncovered six major clades within the family, along with numerous unresolved taxonomic issues. Dating of cladogenetic events and ancestral range estimation traced the origin of Nemacheilidae to Indochina around 48 mya. Subsequently, one branch of Nemacheilidae colonised eastern, central, and northern Asia, as well as Europe, while another branch expanded into the Burmese region, the Indian subcontinent, the Near East, and northeast Africa. These expansions were facilitated by tectonic connections, favourable climatic conditions, and orogenic processes. Conversely, aridification emerged as the primary cause of extinction events. Our study marks the first comprehensive reconstruction of the evolution of Eurasian freshwater biodiversity on a continental scale and across deep geological time.

    1. Ecology
    2. Neuroscience
    Kathleen T Quach, Gillian A Hughes, Sreekanth H Chalasani
    Research Article

    Prey must balance predator avoidance with feeding, a central dilemma in prey refuge theory. Additionally, prey must assess predatory imminence—how close threats are in space and time. Predatory imminence theory classifies defensive behaviors into three defense modes: pre-encounter, post-encounter, and circa-strike, corresponding to increasing levels of threat—–suspecting, detecting, and contacting a predator. Although predatory risk often varies in spatial distribution and imminence, how these factors intersect to influence defensive behaviors is poorly understood. Integrating these factors into a naturalistic environment enables comprehensive analysis of multiple defense modes in consistent conditions. Here, we combine prey refuge and predatory imminence theories to develop a model system of nematode defensive behaviors, with Caenorhabditis elegans as prey and Pristionchus pacificus as predator. In a foraging environment comprised of a food-rich, high-risk patch and a food-poor, low-risk refuge, C. elegans innately exhibits circa-strike behaviors. With experience, it learns post- and pre-encounter behaviors that proactively anticipate threats. These defense modes intensify with predator lethality, with only life-threatening predators capable of eliciting all three modes. SEB-3 receptors and NLP-49 peptides, key stress regulators, vary in their impact and interdependence across defense modes. Overall, our model system reveals fine-grained insights into how stress-related signaling regulates defensive behaviors.