Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests

Martin J. P. Sullivan (), Oliver L. Phillips, David Galbraith, Everton Almeida, Edmar Almeida Oliveira, Jarcilene Almeida, Esteban Álvarez Dávila, Luciana F. Alves, Ana Andrade, Luiz Aragão, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Luzmila Arroyo, Omar Aurelio Melo Cruz, Fabrício Baccaro, Timothy R. Baker, Olaf Banki, Christopher Baraloto, Jos Barlow, Jorcely Barroso, Erika Berenguer, Lilian Blanc, Cecilia Blundo, Damien Bonal, Frans Bongers, Kauane Maiara Bordin, Roel J. W. Brienen, Igor S. Broggio, Benoit Burban, George Cabral, José Luís Camargo, Domingos Cardoso, Maria Antonia Carniello, Wendeson Castro, Haroldo Cavalcante Lima, Larissa Cavalheiro, Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro, Sonia Cesarina Palacios Ramos, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jerôme Chave, Fernanda Coelho, James A. Comiskey, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Flávia Costa, Italo Antônio Cotta Coutinho, Antonio Carlos Lola Costa, Marcelo Brilhante Medeiros, Jhon Aguila Pasquel, Géraldine Derroire, Kyle G. Dexter, Mat Disney, Mário M. Espírito Santo, Tomas F. Domingues, Aurélie Dourdain, Alvaro Duque, Cristabel Durán Rangel, Fernando Elias, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, William Farfan-Rios, Sophie Fauset, Ted Feldpausch, G. Wilson Fernandes, Joice Ferreira, Yule Roberta Ferreira Nunes, João Carlos Gomes Figueiredo, Karina Garcia Cabreara, Roy Gonzalez, Lionel Hernández, Rafael Herrera, Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado, Walter Huaraca Huasco, Mariana Iguatemy, Carlos A. Joly, Michelle Kalamandeen, Timothy Killeen, Joice Klipel, Bente Klitgaard, Susan G. Laurance, William F. Laurance, Aurora Levesley, Simon L. Lewis, Maurício Lima Dan, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, William Magnusson, Yadvinder Malhi, Lucio Malizia, Augustina Malizia, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Jose Luis Marcelo Peña, Beatriz S. Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Johanna Andrea Martínez-Villa, Simone Matias Reis, Thiago Metzker, William Milliken, Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza, Peter Moonlight, Paulo S. Morandi, Pamela Moser, Sandra C. Müller, Marcelo Nascimento, Daniel Negreiros, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Percy Núñez Vargas, Washington L. Oliveira, Walter Palacios, Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo Molina, Karla Maria Pedra de Abreu, Marielos Peña-Claros, Pablo José Francisco Pena Rodrigues, R. Toby Pennington, Georgia C. Pickavance, John Pipoly, Nigel C. A. Pitman, Maureen Playfair, Aline Pontes-Lopes, Lourens Poorter, Nayane Cristina Candida dos Santos Prestes, Hirma Ramírez-Angulo, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Carlos Reynel Rodriguez, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Priscyla M. S. Rodrigues, Domingos Jesus Rodrigues, Thaiane Rodrigues Sousa, José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Gina M. Rodriguez M., Katherine Roucoux, Kalle Ruokolainen, Casey M. Ryan, Norma Salinas Revilla, Rafael Salomão, Rubens M. Santos, Tiina Sarkinen, Andressa Scabin, Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin, Juliana Schietti, Milton Serpa Meira Junior, Julio Serrano, Miles Silman, Richarlly C. Silva, Camila V. J. Silva, Jhonathan Oliveria Silva, Marcos Silveira, Marcelo F. Simon, Yahn Carlos Soto-Shareva, Priscila Souza, Rodolfo Souza, Tereza Sposito, Joey Talbot, Hans Steege, John Terborgh, Raquel Thomas, Marisol Toledo, Armando Torres-Lezama, William Trujillo, Peter Hout, Maria das Dores Magalhães Veloso, Simone A. Vieira, Emilio Vilanova, Jeanneth M. Villalobos Cayo, Dora M. Villela, Laura Jessica Viscarra, Vincent A. Vos, Verginia Wortel, Francoise Yoko Ishida, Pieter A. Zuidema and Joeri A. Zwerts
Additional contact information
Martin J. P. Sullivan: Manchester Metropolitan University
Oliver L. Phillips: University of Leeds
David Galbraith: University of Leeds
Everton Almeida: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Edmar Almeida Oliveira: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Jarcilene Almeida: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Esteban Álvarez Dávila: National Open University and Distance
Luciana F. Alves: Los Angeles
Ana Andrade: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Luiz Aragão: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)
Alejandro Araujo-Murakami: Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno
Eric Arets: Wageningen Environmental Research
Luzmila Arroyo: Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno
Omar Aurelio Melo Cruz: Universidad del Tolma
Fabrício Baccaro: UFAM- Universidade Federal do Amazonas
Timothy R. Baker: University of Leeds
Olaf Banki: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Christopher Baraloto: Florida International University
Jos Barlow: Lancaster University
Jorcely Barroso: Universidade Federal do Acre
Erika Berenguer: Lancaster University
Lilian Blanc: CIRAD
Cecilia Blundo: Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Damien Bonal: UMR Silva
Frans Bongers: Wageningen University
Kauane Maiara Bordin: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Roel J. W. Brienen: University of Leeds
Igor S. Broggio: Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF)
Benoit Burban: INRA
George Cabral: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
José Luís Camargo: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Domingos Cardoso: Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Maria Antonia Carniello: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Wendeson Castro: Universidade Federal do Acre
Haroldo Cavalcante Lima: Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
Larissa Cavalheiro: Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro: Universidade Federal do Acre
Sonia Cesarina Palacios Ramos: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
Victor Chama Moscoso: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Jerôme Chave: Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
Fernanda Coelho: University of Leeds
James A. Comiskey: National Park Service
Fernando Cornejo Valverde: Proyecto Castaña
Flávia Costa: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)
Italo Antônio Cotta Coutinho: Uso e Conservação da Biodiversidade
Antonio Carlos Lola Costa: Universidade Federal do Para
Marcelo Brilhante Medeiros: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)
Jhon Aguila Pasquel: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana
Géraldine Derroire: CIRAD
Kyle G. Dexter: The University of Edinburgh
Mat Disney: University College London
Mário M. Espírito Santo: Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros
Tomas F. Domingues: Universidade de São Paulo
Aurélie Dourdain: CIRAD
Alvaro Duque: Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Cristabel Durán Rangel: University of Freiburg
Fernando Elias: Universidade Federal do Pará
Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert: University of Birmingham
William Farfan-Rios: Wake Forest University
Sophie Fauset: University of Plymouth
Ted Feldpausch: University of Exeter
G. Wilson Fernandes: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Joice Ferreira: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)
Yule Roberta Ferreira Nunes: Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros
João Carlos Gomes Figueiredo: Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros
Karina Garcia Cabreara: Wake Forest University
Roy Gonzalez: Institutio Alexander von Humboldt
Lionel Hernández: Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana
Rafael Herrera: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC)
Eurídice N. Honorio Coronado: University of St Andrews
Walter Huaraca Huasco: University of Oxford
Mariana Iguatemy: International Institute for Sustainability
Carlos A. Joly: University of Campinas
Michelle Kalamandeen: University of Leeds
Timothy Killeen: Agteca
Joice Klipel: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Bente Klitgaard: Richmond
Susan G. Laurance: James Cook University
William F. Laurance: James Cook University
Aurora Levesley: University of Leeds
Simon L. Lewis: University of Leeds
Maurício Lima Dan: Incaper
Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez: University of Leeds
William Magnusson: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)
Yadvinder Malhi: University of Oxford
Lucio Malizia: Universidad Nacional de Jujuy
Augustina Malizia: Universidad Nacional de Tucumán
Angelo Gilberto Manzatto: Universidade Federal de Rondônia
Jose Luis Marcelo Peña: Universidad Nacional de Jaén
Beatriz S. Marimon: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Ben Hur Marimon Junior: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Johanna Andrea Martínez-Villa: Université du Québec
Simone Matias Reis: Universidade Federal do Acre
Thiago Metzker: IBAM - Instituto Bem Ambiental / Grupo Myr
William Milliken: Richmond
Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza: Jardín Botánico de Missouri
Peter Moonlight: School of Natural Science, Trinity College Dublin
Paulo S. Morandi: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Pamela Moser: University of Brasília
Sandra C. Müller: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Marcelo Nascimento: Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense
Daniel Negreiros: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Adriano Nogueira Lima: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)
Percy Núñez Vargas: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Washington L. Oliveira: University of Brasília
Walter Palacios: Universidad Tecnica del Norte
Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho: University of Leeds
Alexander Parada Gutierrez: Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno
Guido Pardo Molina: Universidad Autónoma del Beni José Ballivián
Karla Maria Pedra de Abreu: Ciência e Tecnologia do Espírito Santo
Marielos Peña-Claros: Wageningen University
Pablo José Francisco Pena Rodrigues: Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro
R. Toby Pennington: Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh
Georgia C. Pickavance: University of Leeds
John Pipoly: Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
Nigel C. A. Pitman: Field Museum of Natural History
Maureen Playfair: Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS)
Aline Pontes-Lopes: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)
Lourens Poorter: Wageningen University
Nayane Cristina Candida dos Santos Prestes: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso
Hirma Ramírez-Angulo: Universidad de los Andes
Maxime Réjou-Méchain: INRAE
Carlos Reynel Rodriguez: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina
Gonzalo Rivas-Torres: Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Priscyla M. S. Rodrigues: Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco
Domingos Jesus Rodrigues: Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Thaiane Rodrigues Sousa: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)
José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto: Universidade de Brasília
Gina M. Rodriguez M.: Fundación Ecosistemas Secos de Colombia
Katherine Roucoux: University of St Andrews
Kalle Ruokolainen: University of Turku
Casey M. Ryan: The University of Edinburgh
Norma Salinas Revilla: Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru
Rafael Salomão: Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia/CAPES
Rubens M. Santos: Universidade Federal de Lavras
Tiina Sarkinen: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Andressa Scabin: Instituto Juruá
Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Juliana Schietti: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)
Milton Serpa Meira Junior: Universidade de Brasília
Julio Serrano: Universidad de los Andes
Miles Silman: Wake Forest University
Richarlly C. Silva: Ciência e Tecnologia do Acre
Camila V. J. Silva: Lancaster University
Jhonathan Oliveria Silva: Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco
Marcos Silveira: Universidade Federal do Acre
Marcelo F. Simon: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)
Yahn Carlos Soto-Shareva: Jardín Botánico de Missouri
Priscila Souza: Climate Policy Initiative
Rodolfo Souza: Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Tereza Sposito: IBAM - Instituto Bem Ambiental
Joey Talbot: University of Leeds
Hans Steege: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
John Terborgh: Duke University
Raquel Thomas: Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development
Marisol Toledo: Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno
Armando Torres-Lezama: Universidad de los Andes
William Trujillo: Fundación Reserva Natural La Palmita
Peter Hout: Van der Hoult Forestry Consulting
Maria das Dores Magalhães Veloso: Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros
Simone A. Vieira: Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Emilio Vilanova: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Jeanneth M. Villalobos Cayo: Universidad de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca
Dora M. Villela: Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense
Laura Jessica Viscarra: Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno
Vincent A. Vos: Universidad Autónoma del Beni José Ballivián
Verginia Wortel: Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname (CELOS)
Francoise Yoko Ishida: James Cook University
Pieter A. Zuidema: Wageningen University
Joeri A. Zwerts: Utrecht University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Wood density is a critical control on tree biomass, so poor understanding of its spatial variation can lead to large and systematic errors in forest biomass estimates and carbon maps. The need to understand how and why wood density varies is especially critical in tropical America where forests have exceptional species diversity and spatial turnover in composition. As tree identity and forest composition are challenging to estimate remotely, ground surveys are essential to know the wood density of trees, whether measured directly or inferred from their identity. Here, we assemble an extensive dataset of variation in wood density across the most forested and tree-diverse continent, examine how it relates to spatial and environmental variables, and use these relationships to predict spatial variation in wood density over tropical and sub-tropical South America. Our analysis refines previously identified east-west Amazon gradients in wood density, improves them by revealing fine-scale variation, and extends predictions into Andean, dry, and Atlantic forests. The results halve biomass prediction errors compared to a naïve scenario with no knowledge of spatial variation in wood density. Our findings will help improve remote sensing-based estimates of aboveground biomass carbon stocks across tropical South America.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

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