Rainfall input, throughfall and stemflow of nutrients in a central African rain forest dominated by ectomycorrhizal trees

Incident rainfall is a major source of nutrient input to a forest ecosystem and the consequent throughfall and stemflow contribute to nutrient cycling. These rain-based fluxes were measured over 12 mo in two forest types in Korup National Park, Cameroon, one with low (LEM) and one with high (HEM) ectomycorrhizal abundances of trees. Throughfall was 96.6 and 92.4% of the incident annual rainfall (5370 mm) in LEM and HEM forests respectively; stemflow was correspondingly 1.5 and 2.2%. Architectural analysis showed that ln(funneling ratio) declined linearly with increasing ln(basal area) of trees. Mean annual inputs of N, P, K, Mg and Ca in incident rainfall were 1.50, 1.07, 7.77, 5.25 and 9.27 kg ha^–1, and total rain-based inputs to the forest floor were 5.0, 3.2, 123.4, 14.4 and 37.7 kg ha^–1 respectively. The value for K is high for tropical forests and that for N is low. Nitrogen showed a significantly lower loading of throughfall and stemflow in HEM than in LEM forest, this being associated in the HEM forest with a greater abundance of epiphytic bryophytes which may absorb more N. Incident rainfall provided c. 35% of the gross input of P to the forest floor (i.e., rain-based plus small litter inputs), a surprisingly high contribution given the sandy P-poor soils. At the start of the wet season leaching of K from the canopy was particularly high. Calcium in the rain was also highest at this time, most likely due to washing off of dry-deposited Harmattan dusts. It is proposed that throughfall has an important 'priming' function in the rapid decomposition of litter and mineralization of P at the start of the wet season. The contribution of P inputted from the atmosphere appears to be significant when compared to the rates of P mineralization from leaf litter.     

Water inputs across a tropical montane landscape in Veracruz,Mexico: synergistic effects of land cover,rain and fog seasonality,and interannual precipitation variability

Land‐cover change can alter the spatiotemporal distribution of water inputs to mountain ecosystems, an important control on land‐surface and land‐atmosphere hydrologic fluxes. In eastern Mexico, we examined the influence of three widespread land‐cover types, montane cloud forest, coffee agroforestry, and cleared areas, on total and net water inputs to soil. Stand structural characteristics, as well as rain, fog, stemflow, and throughfall (water that falls through the canopy) water fluxes were measured across 11 sites during wet and dry seasons from 2005 to 2008. Land‐cover type had a significant effect on annual and seasonal net throughfall (NTF <0=canopy water retention plus canopy evaporation; NTF >0=fog water deposition). Forest canopies retained and/or lost to evaporation (i.e. NTF<0) five‐ to 11‐fold more water than coffee agroforests. Moreover, stemflow was fourfold higher under coffee shade than forest trees. Precipitation seasonality and phenological patterns determined the magnitude of these land‐cover differences, as well as their implications for the hydrologic cycle. Significant negative relationships were found between NTF and tree leaf area index (R²=0.38, P<0.002), NTF and stand basal area (R²=0.664, P<0.002), and stemflow and epiphyte loading (R²=0.414, P<0.001). These findings indicate that leaf and epiphyte surface area reductions associated with forest conversion decrease canopy water retention/evaporation, thereby increasing throughfall and stemflow inputs to soil. Interannual precipitation variability also altered patterns of water redistribution across this landscape. Storms and hurricanes resulted in little difference in forest‐coffee wet season NTF, while El Niño Southern Oscillation was associated with a twofold increase in dry season rain and fog throughfall water deposition. In montane headwater regions, changes in water delivery to canopies and soils may affect infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration, with implications for provisioning (e.g. water supply) and regulating (e.g. flood mitigation) ecosystem services.     

中亚热带红壤区油桐(Vernicia fordii)林冠水文效应特征

于从2004年7月到2005年9月,对南方红壤区油桐人工林的穿透雨、树干流和林冠截留的水文特征进行了监测,并对其影响因素进行初步分析,结果表明：在整个测定期间,油桐林穿透雨占总降雨量75.6%±8.6%,树干流占3.6%±1.1%,而截留量占20.8%±9.1%。油桐林冠对降雨的再分配受到降雨量和降雨强度的影响,随着雨量的增加,穿透雨、树干流和截留量相应地提高,并且树干流和截留量在高的雨量下逐渐趋于稳定;随着降雨强度的增加,穿透雨率逐渐升高,而树干流率和截留率降低。在不同雨量级间,油桐穿透雨具有显著性的差异,但树干流的差异不显著。油桐林下水分输入存在明显的空间异质性,穿透雨在不同观测点间具有显著性差异,靠近树干的林冠内部穿透雨低于林冠边缘,而且随着降雨量或降雨强度的增加,穿透雨的空间异质性(穿透雨率的变异系数CV)降低;树干流对降雨也具有明显的汇集作用,在树干周围输入的雨量是林外降雨量20~70倍,并且随着降雨量的增加,这种汇集效应（漏斗比率）先提高后降低。同时油桐单株树干流(cm³•mm^-1)与胸径、树高和冠层面积均呈显著正相关(p<0.05),但是与枝下高的相关性不显著(p>0.05)。     

Do storm synoptic patterns affect biogeochemical fluxes from temperate deciduous forest canopies?

The volumetric quantity and biogeochemical quality of throughfall and stemflow in forested ecosystems are influenced by biological characteristics as well environmental and storm meteorological conditions. Previous attempts at connecting forest water and nutrient cycles to storm characteristics have focused on individual meteorological variables, but we propose a unified approach by examining the storm system in its entirety. In this study, we use methods from synoptic climatology to distinguish sub-canopy biogeochemical fluxes between storm events to understand the response of forest ecosystems to daily weather patterns. For solute inputs tied to atmospheric deposition (NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, Na⁺, Cl^?), stagnant air masses resulted in high inputs in rainfall (273.42, 81.81, 52.30, 156.99, 128.70 μmol L^?1), throughfall (355.05, 130.66, 83.24, 239.55, 261.32 μmol L^?1), and stemflow (338.34, 182.75, 153.74, 125.75, 272.88 μmol L^?1). For inputs tied to canopy exchange (DOC, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), a clear distinction was observed between throughfall and stemflow pathways. The largest throughfall concentrations were in the Great Lakes Low (1794.80, 352.96, 72.75, 74.37 μmol L^?1) while the largest stemflow concentrations were in the Weak Upper Trough (3681.78, 497.34, 82.36, 72.46 μmol L^?1). Stemflow leaching is likely derived from a larger reservoir of leachable cations in the tree canopy than throughfall, with stemflow fluxes maximized during synoptic types with greater rainfall amounts and throughfall fluxes diluted. For flux-based enrichment ratios, water volume, storm magnitude, antecedent dry period, and seasonality were important factors, further illustrating the influence of synoptic characteristics on wash-off, leaching and, ultimately, dilution processes within the canopy.     

Organic carbon fluxes by precipitation,throughfall and stemflow in an olive orchard in Southern Spain

In forests and grasslands, canopy-derived carbon fluxes have been shown to be an important part of the carbon cycle, yet very few data are available for permanent agricultural crops. Concentration of total (TOC), dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) was measured during an entire hydrological year in direct rainfall throughfall and stemflow in a mature olive orchard. Throughfall accounted for 68% of incoming rainfall, but TOC concentration was on average 14 times higher than in rainfall (7.63 vs. 106.12 mg/L). Stemflow on the other hand represented only a small fraction of gross precipitation, on average less than 1%, while its TOC concentration was on average 10-fold higher than in rainfall (74.13 mg/L). Dynamics of OC enrichment were mainly driven by precipitation patterns, as well as plant phenology, whereas a dramatic increase happened during flowering. Stemflow and throughfall were proven to be important sources of organic carbon supplying 13.5 g C/m²/year beneath the canopy of each tree, while 2.41 g C/m²/year reached the soil through gross precipitation. This large fraction of carbon is a mean of recirculating important carbon compounds that may help mobilize soil nutrients and maintain water holding capacity in the circumscribed area below olive canopies.     

Stocks and dynamics of carbon in trees across a rainfall gradient in a tropical savanna

In this study, systematic variation in tree morphology across a rainfall gradient in Australia's tropical savanna biome and its implications for carbon stocks and dynamics were quantified. The aim was to support efforts to manage fire regimes to increase vegetative carbon stocks as a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. The height of trees for a given trunk diameter declines with decreasing rainfall from 2000 to 300 mm and increasing dry season length across the Australian savanna biome. It is likely that increasing dry season length is the main driver of this decline rather declining rainfall per se. By taking account of the response of total basal area to rainfall and soil type, stand structure, and tree height and diameter relationships, the carbon stocks in live trees were estimated to decline from about 34 t ha^?1 in the wetter savannas to 6 t ha^?1 in the drier savannas. These values are broadly consistent with field‐based estimates. Because of the declining ratio of height to trunk diameter, trees of a given diameter in drier regions will be more likely to be killed by fires of a given intensity than trees in wetter regions. Thus single fires of given intensity are likely to have a greater proportionate impact on live tree carbon stock in drier savannas, but a much greater absolute impact in wetter savannas due to the greater total carbon stock. Projected decreases in early wet season rainfall under climate change scenarios, despite projections of little change in total precipitation in northern Australia, may lead to decreased carbon stock in live trees through two mechanisms: a reduction in total basal area and decreases in tree height for given trunk diameters.     

模拟降雨条件下玉米植株对降雨再分配过程的影响

为系统测定玉米(Zea mays)不同生长阶段的穿透雨、茎秆流和冠层截留,采用室内模拟降雨法测定了不同降雨强度、不同叶面积指数玉米冠下穿透雨和茎秆流,采用喷雾法测定了玉米不同生长阶段的冠层截留。对其进行了量化分析,并探讨了三者与玉米叶面积指数和降雨强度的关系,阐明了玉米冠下穿透雨的空间分布特征。结果表明:玉米冠下穿透雨量占冠上总降雨量比例为30.97%—94.02%,平均为63.92%;茎秆流量占降雨量比例的变化范围为5.68%—75.70%,平均为35.28%;冠层截留量在其全生育期内变化范围为0.02—0.43 mm,平均为0.16 mm,所占总降雨量比例最大仅为1%。随玉米生长,穿透雨量逐渐降低,茎秆流量和冠层截留量逐渐增加。穿透雨与茎秆流呈现此消彼长的关系,其中穿透雨率平均由93.55%降至36.23%;茎秆流率平均由5.98%增加至70.42%。降雨强度与穿透雨量和茎秆流量呈正相关关系,但是二者占总降雨量的比例与降雨强度关系不显著(P0.05)。随着玉米生长,穿透雨冠下空间分布由均匀逐渐趋向于不均匀,使降雨经过冠层后趋于向行中汇集,但在玉米生长后期,集中于行中的穿透雨量也因叶片衰败而随之降低。揭示了玉米对降雨的再分配作用特征,可为农田水分有效利用、农田生态水文过程机理和坡耕地土壤侵蚀防治提供理论依据。     

Stemflow nutrient inputs to soil in a successional hardwood forest

Stemflow and throughfall from a regenerating (8-year-old) southern Appalachian hardwood forest were collected to examine the relative importance of tree bole nutrient leaching in response to acid deposition. Samples from nine (2 m²) stemflow collection plots were analyzed for four dormant season and 11 growing season rainstorm events. Results showed that, relative to throughfall fluxes, stemflow accounted, on average, for approximately 8.5% of total water reaching the forest floor during both dormant and growing season storms. Relative to foliar leaching, K-, SO₄-, and PO₄ ions appear to be the most easily leached ions from young tree stems. Proportional nitrate and base cation stemflow fluxes increased significantly (p<0.05) with growing-season storm-event duration, suggesting that the stemsurface nutrient pool is depleted by precipitation more slowly than the foliar pool. On average, proportional stemflow fluxes of SO₄ (12%) and K (14%) were consistently higher than reported maximum values for more mature forest stands, which indicates that small-scale stemflow inputs of ions such as these to the forest floor may be important in early successional ecosystems.     

Influence of rainfall and grazing on herbage dynamics in a seasonally dry tropical savanna

Species composition and herbage dynamics in relation to rainfall variability and cattle grazing were studied in permanently protected, grazed, and temporarily fenced treatments on three sites in a seasonally dry tropical savanna. Permanently protected sites, established between 1979 and 1984, were 55–79% similar with each other in species composition, and 14–25% similar with grazed sites during the period 1986–1988. Similarity among grazed sites was only 36–43%. Number of species was greater in the grazed treatment than in the permanently protected treatment. The percentages of annual grasses and non-leguminous forbs were greater in grazed savanna than in permanently protected savanna. Species diversity was higher in grazed savanna than in the corresponding permanently protected savanna. Species the two annual cycles studied, peak live shoot biomass was 614 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna, 109 g m^-2 in grazed savanna, and 724 g m^-2 in temporarily fenced savanna. Live shoot biomass in temporarily fenced savanna was 18 to 44% greater than in permanently protected savanna. Peak canopy biomass ranged from 342 to 700 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna. It was related with total rainy season rainfall, and was particularly sensitive to late rainy season rainfall. On the other hand, peak canopy biomass in grazed savanna ranged from 59 to 169 g m^-2 and was related to grazing intensity rather than either total rainy season rainfall or late rainy season rainfall. Coefficient of variation of green biomass in permanently protected savanna was related with rainfall variability indicating it to be a pulsed system which responds quickly to rainfall events. Biomass of woody species ranged from 2466 to 5298 g m^-2 in permanently protected savanna and from 744 to 1433 g m^–2 in the grazed savanna. Green foliage biomass was 3.7 to 6.4% of the woody biomass in permanently protected and 5.6 to 5.9% in grazed savanna, and supplements substantially the fodder resource during the dry periods of the year.     

Stemflow as a nutrient source for nikau palm (Rhopalostylis sapida) in a New Zealand forest

The hypothesis that stemflow is important in contributing to the nutrient requirements of nikau palm Rhopalostylis sapida individuals is examined. Stemflow directs many times more sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium to the base of the palm than is required for annual net production. There are three sources for nutrients found in stemflow: (1) atmospheric inputs (wet and dry deposition); (2) foliar leaching; and (3) alien litter leaching and decomposition. Sources I and 3 together, representing nutrient input, contribute substantially more nutrients than are required for net annual production in mature individuals.     

Fluxes of elements in rain passing through forest canopies in south-eastern Australia

The elemental content of rainfall (bulk deposition), throughfall and stemflow was measured inPinus radiata D. Don andEucalyptus forests in Gippsland, Victoria. Accessions in rainfall (mg m^–2 year^–1) averaged: organic-C 551, NO₃ ^–-N 96, NH₄ ⁺-N 62, total-N 303, K⁺ 382, Na⁺ 2250, Ca²⁺ 1170, and Mg²⁺ 678. The mean pH of rainfall was 5.9. Concentrations of all elements were greater in throughfall than in rainfall, and generally greater in stemflow than in throughfall. However, pH of pine throughfall was higher than that of rainfall, and pH of eucalypt throughfall was lower than that of rainfall. There was a net efflux of inorganic-N from pine crowns to rainfall, whilst in eucalypts there was generally net sorption of inorganic-N from rainfall. In both species organic-N was leached from the crowns and the net efflux of total-N from eucalypt crowns (50 mg m^–2 year^–1) averaged one-quarter of that in pines. Increases in the organic-C content of throughfall relative to rainfall in eucalypts were two to four times those in pines. Increases in the content of other elements in throughfall were comparable in pines and eucalypts and within the ranges K⁺ 615–1360, Na⁺ 480–-1840, Ca²⁺ 123–780 and Mg²⁺ 253–993 mg m^–2 year^–1. However, enrichment of Ca²⁺ may have been due to dust trapped in the canopies. Stemflow contributed significantly to the total amounts of elements reaching the forest floor in water.     

Stemflow in two xerophytic shrubs and its significance to soil water and nutrient enrichment

Shrub canopies are expected to funnel substantial amounts of intercepted rainwater with enriched nutrients as stemflow to shrub base in the desert ecosystems characterized by limited water and nutrients. However, lacking are quantitative studies on the water and nutrient enrichment of stemflow at the shrub basal area. In this study, stemflow were quantified for two xerophytic shrubs (Caragana korshinskii and Artemisia ordosica) in a revegetated desert ecosystem of Shapotou area in northwestern China. We also measured the ion concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphors (TP), NH₄ ⁺–N, NO₃ ^?–N, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2? and the pH and electric conductivity (EC) in stemflow, throughfall and bulk precipitation. Results indicated that stemflow accounted for 8.8 and 2.8 % of the gross rainfall for C. korshinskii and A. ordosica, respectively. Individual stemflow linearly increased with increasing rainfall depth. Stemflow increased with rainfall intensity when rainfall intensity was less than 2 mm h^?1 but showed decreased tendency thereafter. An antecedent precipitation of 1.3 and 1.6 mm was necessary for stemflow initiation for C. korshinskii and A. ordosica, respectively. The mean (confidence intervals, α = 0.05) funneling ratio was 82 (17) for C. korshinskii and 26 (7) for A. ordosica. Ion concentrations in stemflow were higher than in throughfall, and the concentration of most of the ions measured were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in stemflow than in bulk precipitation, with a nutrient enrichment ratio ranged 122.8–1677.0 for C. korshinskii and 12.6–1306.0 for A. ordosica among measured ions, respectively. Overall, the larger funneling ratios and enrichment ratios for the two shrubs suggest that stemflow plays a significant positive role in soil water replenishment and nutrient enrichment at deeper soil profile of root zone in the revegetated ecosystems under arid desert conditions.     

Contribution of vines to the evapotranspiration of a secondary forest in eastern Amazonia

The contribution of vines to the evapotranspiration (ET) of a secondary forest in eastern Amazonia was estimated based on field measurements of vine and tree transpiration, and seasonal changes in soil water content to 12 meters depth. Transpiration of vines and trees was measured with sapflow gauges placed around stems or branches. Total ET of the secondary forest was estimated as the sum of rainfall and reductions in soil moisture measured using Time Domain Reflectometry sensors installed in the walls of soil shafts. Our results suggest that vines transpire more than trees with stems of similar diameter, and with similar leaf crown exposure to sunlight. Trees experienced a smaller reduction in transpiration from the wet to the dry season than did vines. During the dry season, vines represented 8% (0.4 mm d^–1) of total secondary forest ET (5.4 mm d^–1), but they represented only 5.5% (0.5 m² ha^–1) of total secondary forest basal area (9.6 m² ha^–1). Considering that transpiration corresponds to 66–90% of forest ET, vines may contribute 9–12% to the transpiration of the forest. Hence, vine cutting, which is a commonly recommended management practice to favor the growth of tropical timber trees, may result in a proportionally larger reduction in evapotranspiration than in forest basal area.     

岷江上游亚高山川滇高山栎林的降雨再分配

基于2007年6-9月岷江上游地区的气象数据,采用定位研究方法对该区川滇高山栎林的降雨再分配进行了研究.结果表明：研究期间,林外总降雨量486.7 mm,林内穿透雨量、树干茎流量和林冠截留量分别占总降雨量的82.6%、0.9%和16.5%;穿透雨量和树干茎流量与降雨量均呈极显著的线性关系(P<0.01,n=49),穿透雨率和树干茎流率与降雨量的关系可用非线性曲线表示;当林外降雨量>3.2 mm时开始出现树干茎流,且树干茎流量(L)与树干基面积(cm²)呈明显的指数关系(R²=0.623).林冠截留率随降雨量(mm)的增加呈双曲线递减;林冠截留率与降雨量、降雨持续时间、降雨强度、降雨时空气相对湿度均呈极显著负相关(P<0.01,n=49),而与风速呈极显著正相关(P<0.01,n=49).     

太岳山不同郁闭度油松人工林降水分配特征

利用2011年5-9月生长季观测的30场降雨数据,分析了山西太岳山不同郁闭度下油松人工林林冠截留、穿透雨以及树干茎流与降雨量的关系,以及林冠截留过程的特点.结果表明:(1)实验观测期间,该地区降雨总量为634.79mm,单次平均降雨量为21.16mm,单次最大降雨量为58.15mm,单次最小降雨量为0.54mm.其中,8月份的降雨总量最大,为190.77mm,6月份的降雨总量最小,为41.81mm.(2)郁闭度为0.8的油松人工林林冠截留量与降雨量呈一元线性关系,郁闭度为0.7、0.6和0.5均呈幂函数关系;对于各郁闭度的油松人工林,其林冠截留率与降雨量均呈对数函数关系;穿透雨量、树干茎流量与降雨量均呈明显的一元线性关系,穿透雨量和树干茎流量都随着降雨量的增加而增加.(3)不同郁闭度油松人工林之间林冠截留、穿透雨和树干茎流不同,总的趋势为随着郁闭度的减小,林冠截留量减小,穿透雨量增大,树干茎流量增大.林冠截留量与郁闭度表现出正相关关系,而穿透雨量、树干茎流量都与郁闭度表现出负相关关系.(4)各郁闭度林冠截留量、穿透雨量和树干茎流量的月动态变化与总降水量的月变化基本一致.     

鼎湖山人为干扰下马尾松林水文生态功能

在鼎湖山马尾松林中,林外降水量年平均为2209．0mm,其中83．8％－84．5％的降水休中在春夏两季,而秋冬两季仅占15．5％－16．2％。林外降水到达冠重新分配,穿透雨占了82．7％,林冠截留17．2％,茎汉0．15％。林外降水进入该生态系统后,34％以径流形式流出,其余的通过蒸散形式返回大气层。林冠截留率随林外降水量的增加而减少,但随着降水的增大,其降幅逐渐减小。茎流率的变化与林冠截留率相似,单株茎流量与胸径和枝下高的大小呈显著的直线关系（P＜0．01）,但与林冠大小关系不明显,径流仅发生在每年的4－10月份,年平均径流率为0．34。     

Water and element input into native, agri- and silvicultural ecosystems of the Brazilian savanna

The interaction of rain water with the vegetation canopy results in changes of the water quantity and quality. We examined these canopy effects in different ecosystems of the Brazilian savanna, the Cerrado. The ecosystems were 20 yr-old Pinus caribaea Morelet plantations (PI), productive (PP) and degraded Brachiaria decumbens Stapf pastures (DP), continuous corn-soybean rotation (CC), and native typical cerrado (CE). We collected rainfall, throughfall, and, in PI and CE, stemflow from three plots of each ecosystem. Dry deposition and canopy leaching were estimated with a Na-tracer method. Between May 1997 and April 1999, the mean annual rainfall was 1656 mm of which 145 mm fell during the dry season (May–September). The throughfall percentage of the rainfall increased in the order, PI (75–85%) < CC (76–89%) < CE (89–100%) < PP (90–100%) < DP (99–100%); stemflow was < 1% of the rainfall. The volume-weighted mean (VWM) pH in rainfall was higher in the dry (6.5) than in the rainy season (5.4). The VWM pH in throughfall decreased in the order, CC (rainy season: 5.9/dry season: 6.2) > PP (5.5/6.0) > CE (5.2/6.0) > DP (5.2/5.6) > PI (4.8/5.7). The rainfall deposition of the dry season contributed one third of the annual element input with rainfall because of higher element concentrations than in the rainy season. The mean Na deposition ratios, i.e. the ratio of throughfall (+ stemflow) to rainfall deposition as a measure for dry deposition, increased in the order, CE (1.5) = CC (1.5) < PP (1.7) < PI (1.9) < (DP 2.1). Total deposition (rainfall + dry deposition) accounted for 104–164% of the K and Ca fertilizer application in PP and for 6.1–12% of the K, Ca, and Mg fertilizer application in CC. The P concentrations were below the detection limit of 0.2 mg L^–1 in all samples. Net canopy uptake, i.e. a smaller throughfall(+ stemflow) than rainfall + dry deposition, of Ca, K, Mg, S, Cu, and Zn in at least one of CE, PI, DP, and PP indicate that plant growth may be limited in part by these nutrients. During the vegetation period, between 28 and 50% of the applied K and Ca were leached from the canopy in PP and between 8.7 and 17% of the applied K, Ca, Mg, and S in CC. Our results demonstrate that PI causes larger water losses and enhanced acid inputs to the soil compared with all other ecosystems. However, the PI and pasture canopies scavenge more nutrients from the atmosphere than CE and CC.     

High within-stream replication is needed to predict litter fluxes in wet–dry tropical streams

1. Streams draining forested landscapes are fuelled by terrestrial plant litter, which can be transported downstream or retained and broken down locally. However, fluxes of plant litter in streams can vary at multiple spatio-temporal scales, affecting the availability of this key resource in heterotrophic stream food webs.
2. To explore this question we quantified several processes related to litter dynamics (i.e. litter inputs, storage, losses by transport and losses by breakdown) by sampling litter at multiple sites in three streams of the Brazilian Cerrado biome (which has a tropical wet–dry climate) for 2 years. We assessed the relative contribution of different spatial (among and within streams) and temporal scales (annual, seasonal and monthly) to total variability of these processes (hereafter fluxes).
3. Spatial and temporal variability of fluxes were both high, but spatial variation was 1.67-fold greater than temporal variation (61 versus 37%, respectively), especially at the within-stream scale (50% overall); an exception was litterfall, which varied less spatially than temporally (24 versus 76%). Temporal variation of litter storage (and hence availability to consumers) was mostly seasonal and due to differences in net transport.
4. Inputs and transport were higher in the wet than the dry season (wet versus dry season, 1.45 versus 0.92 and 1.43 versus 0.06 g litter m⁻² day⁻¹), while breakdown was similar between both seasons (0.88 versus 0.94 g litter m⁻² day⁻¹). Storage (i.e. accumulation) rate was positive and negative in the dry and wet season, respectively, indicating that litter was stored in the dry season and exported in the wet season. The transitional dry–wet season showed the highest inputs, breakdown and storage (3.21, 1.63 g litter m⁻² day⁻¹ and 145 g litter m⁻²), while the wet–dry season showed lower inputs (as in the dry season), higher transport (as in the wet season) and lower breakdown and storage than the other seasons (0.93, 0.65, 0.31 g litter m⁻² day⁻¹ and 24 g litter m⁻²).
5. Our results underscore the role of variation in biophysical drivers of litter fluxes within streams (e.g. pool–riffle configuration, substrate features, biological communities), and suggest that high within-stream replication is necessary to study litter fluxes at larger scales and over time. The seasonal patterns suggested potential changes in litter dynamics under future climate scenarios in the tropics, including increased storage due to reduced transport in a drier climate.

     

Above-ground biomass estimation in closed canopy Neotropical forests using lidar remote sensing: factors affecting the generality of relationships

Aim Previous studies have developed strong, site‐specific relationships between canopy metrics from lidar (light detecting and ranging) remote sensing data and forest structural characteristics such as above‐ground biomass (AGBM), but the generality of these relationships is unknown. In this study, we examine the generality of relationships between lidar metrics and forest structural characteristics, including AGBM, from two study areas in Central America with different precipitation patterns. Location A series of tropical moist forest sites in Panama and a tropical wet forest in Costa Rica. Methods Canopy metrics (e.g. canopy height) were calculated from airborne lidar data. Basal area, mean stem diameter and AGBM were calculated from measurements taken as a part of ongoing forest dynamics studies in both areas. We examined the generality of relationship between lidar metrics and forest structure, and possible environmental effects (e.g. leaf phenology). Results We found that lidar metrics were strongly correlated (R²: 0.65–0.92) with mean stem diameter, basal area and AGBM in both regions. We also show that the relationships differed between these regions. Deciduousness of canopy trees in the tropical moist forest area accounted for the differences in predictive equations for stem diameter and basal area. The relationships between lidar metrics and AGBM, however, remained significantly different between the two study areas even after adjusting for leaf drop. We attribute this to significant differences in the underlying allometric relationships between stem diameter and AGBM in tropical wet and moist forests. Conclusions Important forest structural characteristics can be estimated reliably across a variety of conditions sampled in these closed‐canopy tropical forests. Environmental factors such as drought deciduousness have an important influence on these relationships. Future efforts should continue to examine climatic factors that may influence the generality of the relationships between lidar metrics and forest structural characteristics and assess more rigorously the generality of field‐derived allometric relationships.     

Is productivity of mesic savannas light limited or water limited? Results of a simulation study

A soil–plant–atmosphere model was used to estimate gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) of a tropical savanna in Australia. This paper describes model modifications required to simulate the substantial C4 grass understory together with C3 trees. The model was further improved to include a seasonal distribution of leaf area and foliar nitrogen through 10 canopy layers. Model outputs were compared with a 5‐year eddy covariance dataset. Adding the C4 photosynthesis component improved the model efficiency and root‐mean‐squared error (RMSE) for total ecosystem GPP by better emulating annual peaks and troughs in GPP across wet and dry seasons. The C4 photosynthesis component had minimal impact on modelled values of ET. Outputs of GPP from the modified model agreed well with measured values, explaining between 79% and 90% of the variance and having a low RMSE (0.003–0.281 g C m^?2 day^?1). Approximately, 40% of total annual GPP was contributed by C4 grasses. Total (trees and grasses) wet season GPP was approximately 75–80% of total annual GPP. Light‐use efficiency (LUE) was largest for the wet season and smallest in the dry season and C4 LUE was larger than that of the trees. A sensitivity analysis of GPP revealed that daily GPP was most sensitive to changes in leaf area index (LAI) and foliar nitrogen (N_f) and relatively insensitive to changes in maximum carboxylation rate (V_cmax), maximum electron transport rate (J_max) and minimum leaf water potential (ψ_min). The modified model was also able to represent daily and seasonal patterns in ET, (explaining 68–81% of variance) with a low RMSE (0.038–0.19 mm day^?1). Current values of N_f, LAI and other parameters appear to be colimiting for maximizing GPP. By manipulating LAI and soil moisture content inputs, we show that modelled GPP is limited by light interception rather than water availability at this site.