Seeing the Woods from the Trees: A large scale assessment of the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Seeing the Woods from the Trees: A large scale assessment of the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances on tropical forests Erika Berenguer erikaberenguer@gmail.com @Erika_Berenguer

Carbon Stocks and Biodiversity

Human Disturbance on Standing Forests

A Widespread Problem - 850 million ha of tropical forests are disturbed (ITTO 2002) - 80% of Borneo and Brunei have been disturbed (Bryan et. al. 2013) - Human disturbances affected twice the area that was deforested in the Brazilian Amazon in 2008 (Prodes 2013) Most of the world’s tropical forests are human -disturbed (Parrotta et al. 2012)

Knowledge Gap Research in disturbed forests: - Few - Small scale - Only one type of disturbance Limited hability to understand the magnitude of impacts of anthropogenic disturbances on carbon stocks and biodiversity

Objectives What are the effects of human- induced disturbance on: 1 – Above and belowground carbon stocks? 2 – Plant diversity?

Study Regions – Santarém and Paragominas Paragominas Santarém

Selecting Study Catchments – Santarém Forest Cover (%) Catchments

Plot Classification – Disturbance legacy Undisturbed Forest Secondary Forest

Plot Classification – Disturbance legacy Undisturbed Forest Logged Forest Logged-and- Secondary Forest Burned Forest

Sampling Design 1 - Aboveground pool – live trees, palms, lianas ≥2cm dbh 2 - Dead wood pool – dead trees, palms ≥2cm dbh, coarse woody debris 3 - Litter pool – litter and fine woody debris 4 - Soil pool 5 - Roots pool 10m 250m

A Lot of Samples…. Components Number of Samples Trees, palms, lianas 70,293 Coarse woody debris 8,611 Fine woody debris 1,125 Litter samples 2,250 Soil samples 4,725 225 plots (10x250m)

Logistical Difficulties

Logistical Difficulties

Logistical Difficulties

OBJECTIVE 1 What are the effects of human-induced disturbance on above and belowground carbon stocks?

Disturbance Effects on Aboveground Carbon Pool c d

Disturbance Effects on Aboveground Carbon Pool Paragominas Santarém 400 400 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 Aboveground stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) 300 300 a a 200 200 ab b b 100 100 c c d 0 0

Disturbance Effects on Other Carbon Pools Paragominas Santarém 100 100 A A A B A A A B 80 80 Carbon (Mg ha-1) Dead Wood Pool 60 60 40 40 20 20 0 0 16 16 Carbon (Mg ha-1) 12 12 Litter Pool 8 8 4 4 0 0 180 180 c A B AB AB 150 d 150 Carbon (Mg ha-1) 120 120 Soil Pool 90 90 60 60 30 30 0 0 UF LF LBF SF UF LF LBF SF

The Hidden Effects of Human Disturbance Aboveground stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) 400 400 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 300 300 200 200 100 100 0 0

The Hidden Effects of Human Disturbance Aboveground stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) 400 400 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 Estimates of total 300 300 area disturbed by 200 200 selective logging and/or wildfire in 100 100 2010 (INPE 2013) by 0 0

The Hidden Effects of Human Disturbance Aboveground stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) 400 400 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 Estimates of total 300 300 area disturbed by 200 200 selective logging and/or wildfire in 100 100 2010 (INPE 2013) by 0 0 Carbon loss through human disturbances = 1/3 of the carbon loss through deforestation

Conclusions Objective 1 stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) 400 400 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 Human disturbance in standing forests Aboveground 300 300 severely affects the aboveground carbon 200 200 pool, particularly after logging and fire 100 100 0 0 100 100 A A A B A A A B 80 80 Dead Wood Pool Carbon (Mg ha-1) 60 60 40 40 20 20 The dead wood, litter and soil carbon 0 0 16 16 Carbon (Mg ha-1) 12 12 pool seem resistant to selective logging Litter Pool 8 8 and understory fire 4 4 0 0 180 180 A B AB AB 150 150 Carbon (Mg ha-1) 120 120 Soil Pool 90 90 60 60 30 30 0 0 UF LF LBF SF UF LF LBF SF stocks (Mg C ha -1 ) Human disturbance in the Brazilian 400 400 n=13 n=44 n=44 n=16 n=17 n=26 n=24 n=34 Aboveground 300 300 Amazon leads to severe carbon loss, 200 200 corresponding to a third of that resulting 100 100 from deforestation 0 0

OBJECTIVE 2 What are the effects of human-induced disturbance on plant diversity?

The Effects of Different Types of Human Disturbance on Plant Communities Paragominas Stress = 0.16 2 1 MDS 2 Undisturbed 0 Logged Logged-and-Burned Secondary -1 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 MDS 1

The Effects of Different Types of Human Disturbance on Plant Communities Paragominas Stress = 0.16 2 1 MDS 2 Undisturbed 0 Logged Logged-and-Burned Secondary -1 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 MDS 1 All significantly different

The Effects of Different Types of Human Disturbance on Plant Communities Santarém Paragominas Stress = 0.16 Stress = 0.17 2 2 1 1 MDS 2 Undisturbed 0 0 Logged Logged-and-Burned Secondary -1 -1 -2 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 -2 -1 0 1 2 MDS 1 MDS 1 All significantly different No significant difference between: Undisturbed X Logged Forest

The Effects of Santarém Paragominas Stress = 0.16 Stress = 0.17 2 2 Different Types of 1 1 MDS 2 0 0 Human -1 -1 Disturbance on -2 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 -2 -1 0 1 2 Plant Communities MDS 1 MDS 1

The Effects of Santarém Paragominas Stress = 0.16 Stress = 0.17 2 2 Different Types of 1 1 MDS 2 0 0 Human -1 -1 Disturbance on -2 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 -2 -1 0 1 2 Plant Communities MDS 1 MDS 1 * The combination of fire and logging had a greater impact than selective logging alone. * Differences in the effects of selective logging between regions, may be related to differences in logging intensity.

Which species are the most affected by human disturbances?

Which species are the most affected by human disturbances? Paragominas 1.0 A B C C Mean wood density 0.8 Large Stems 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Undist Logged LBF Second

Which species are the most affected by human disturbances? Paragominas 1.0 A B C C 0.8 Mean wood density Large Stems 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Undist Logged LBF Second

Which species are the most affected by human disturbances? Santarém Paragominas 1.0 A B C C A A B C 0.8 Mean wood density Large Stems 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Undist Logged LBF Second Undist Logged LBF Second

Which species are the Santarém Paragominas 1.0 A B C C A A B C most affected by 0.8 Mean wood density Large Stems 0.6 human disturbances? 0.4 0.2 0 Undist Logged LBF Second Undist Logged LBF Second Logged-and-burned 1046% (STM) - 36961% (PGM)

Which species are the Santarém Paragominas 1.0 A B C C A A B C most affected by 0.8 Mean wood density Large Stems 0.6 human disturbances? 0.4 0.2 0 Undist Logged LBF Second Undist Logged LBF Second Slow growing climax species Fast growing pioneers Highly disturbed forests are becoming increasingly similar to secondary forests

Conclusions of Objective 2 Human disturbances are affecting Paragominas Stress = 0.16 Santarém Stress = 0.17 2 2 1 1 biodiversity, but their impacts may MDS 2 0 0 vary according to disturbance type -1 -1 and intensity. -2 -2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 -2 -1 0 1 2 MDS 1 MDS 1 Substitution of old-growth species by Santarém Paragominas 1.0 A B C C A A B C 0.8 Mean wood density fast growing pioneers, with possible Large Stems 0.6 0.4 consequences for long-term provision 0.2 of ecosystem services 0 Undist Logged LBF Second Undist Logged LBF Second

Take Home Message Human disturbances cannot and should not be overlooked by both decision makers and scientists, given their severe effects on carbon stocks and plant diversity.

Rede Amazônia Sustentável www.redeamazoniasustentavel.org

Unsung Heroes In memorian 1985-2011 www.redeamazoniasustentavel.org erikaberenguer@gmail.com

Sampling Design 10m 10m 250m Legend: Canopy openness Hemispherical photos 10 x 250m transect Trees, lianas, and palms ≥ 10cm DBH 50 x 50 cm quadrat Palms with leaves ≥ 3m length Leaf litter 3 strata: 0-10cm, 10-20cm, 20-30cm 5 x 20m plot Soil Coarse woody debris ≥ 10cm DBH 2cm DBH ≤ trees, lianas, and palms < 10cm DBH Pit 50x 50cm: 3 strata: 0-10cm, 10-20cm, 20-30cm 2m ≤ palms with leaves <3m length Soil density 2 x 5m plot 50 x 50 cm quadrat 2cm DBH ≤ fine woody debris < 10cm DBH Leaf litter Understorey openness Photos of the understorey