Paulo H. L. Gonçalves

Effect of 7 yr of experimental drought on vegetation dynamics and biomass storage of an eastern Amazonian rainforest

*At least one climate model predicts severe reductions of rainfall over Amazonia during this century. Long-term throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiments represent the best available means to investigate the resilience of the Amazon rainforest to such droughts. *Results are presented from a 7 yr TFE study at Caxiuanã National Forest, eastern Amazonia. We focus on the impacts of the drought on tree mortality, wood production and above-ground biomass. *Tree mortality in the TFE plot over the experimental period was 2.5% yr(-1), compared with 1.25% yr(-1) in a nearby control plot experiencing normal rainfall. Differences in stem mortality between plots were greatest in the largest (> 40 cm diameter at breast height (dbh)) size class (4.1% yr(-1) in the TFE and 1.4% yr(-1) in the control). Wood production in the TFE plot was c. 30% lower than in the control plot. Together, these changes resulted in a loss of 37.8 +/- 2.0 Mg carbon (C) ha(-1) in the TFE plot (2002-2008), compared with no change in the control. *These results are remarkably consistent with those from another TFE (at Tapajós National Forest), suggesting that eastern Amazonian forests may respond to prolonged drought in a predictable manner.

Fluxos de CO2 do solo na floresta nacional de Caxiuanã, Pará, durante o experimento ESECAFLOR/LBA

The ESECAFLOR/LBA experiment was carried out at the Caxiuana National Forest, Para State, and this article intends to investigate the effect of hydrological stress on the total soil respiration. Two adjacent 1 hectare plots were defined in January 2002. One plot remained in its natural conditions and was used as a control (A), while in the exclusion plot (B) plastic cover panels were installed in order to drain about 70% of the total rainfall to outside of the plot. Accumulated monthly rainfall was recorded from 2005 January to December. During 2005 the rainfall over the ECFPn was 2,211.6 mm, or 9.96% above the mean of 2,011.2 mm. The average soil moisture was 15.6±9.2 and 9.5±3.4% in the plots A and B, respectively. The average soil temperature was 25.6±0.4 and 25.7±0.5 oC, for the A and B plots, respectively. The average soil CO2 flux was 3.46±0.44 and 3.21±0.84 μmolCO2 m-2s-1 in the A and B plots, respectively. With the exclusion of part of rain in plot B, it had a reduction of 7.23% in the soil CO2 flux (0.25 μmolCO2 m-2s-1), 39.1% in the soil humidity (6.1p.p.), and an increase of 0.39% in the soil temperature (0.1oC). The soil moisture in parcel B was lesser than in the parcel A, due to the exclusion system of rain. However at the beginning of the year, site B undergone some changes causing the measuring values to be about the same on both areas.

Soil CO2 Efflux in Caxiuan National Forest, Par, during the ESECAFLOR/LBA experiment [Fluxos de CO2 do solo na Floresta Nacional de Caxiuana, Para, durante o experimento ESECAFLOR/LBA]

The ESECAFLOR/LBA experiment was carried out at the Caxiuana National Forest, Para State, and this article intends to investigate the effect of hydrological stress on the total soil respiration. Two adjacent 1 hectare plots were defined in January 2002. One plot remained in its natural conditions and was used as a control (A), while in the exclusion plot (B) plastic cover panels were installed in order to drain about 70% of the total rainfall to outside of the plot. Accumulated monthly rainfall was recorded from 2005 January to December. During 2005 the rainfall over the ECFPn was 2,211.6 mm, or 9.96% above the mean of 2,011.2 mm. The average soil moisture was 15.6±9.2 and 9.5±3.4% in the plots A and B, respectively. The average soil temperature was 25.6±0.4 and 25.7±0.5 oC, for the A and B plots, respectively. The average soil CO2 flux was 3.46±0.44 and 3.21±0.84 μmolCO2 m-2s-1 in the A and B plots, respectively. With the exclusion of part of rain in plot B, it had a reduction of 7.23% in the soil CO2 flux (0.25 μmolCO2 m-2s-1), 39.1% in the soil humidity (6.1p.p.), and an increase of 0.39% in the soil temperature (0.1oC). The soil moisture in parcel B was lesser than in the parcel A, due to the exclusion system of rain. However at the beginning of the year, site B undergone some changes causing the measuring values to be about the same on both areas.

INFLUÊNCIA DA TEMPERATURA DO SOLO NO EFLUXO DE CO2 DO SOLO EM UMA FLORESTA TROPICAL DA AMAZÔNIA ORIENTAL

It was studied the variability of the average hourly flux of CO2associated with the soil temperature and soil moisture in an area of tropicalrain forest in Amazonia, in the experimental site of the NationalForest Caxiuana, State of Para. Purpose was to evaluate the influence oftemperature and soil moisture on CO2 efflux from soil and estimate thevalue of Q10. The soil temperature did not get a good correlation withsoil CO2 efflux.