Basin-wide variation in tree hydraulic safety margins predicts the carbon balance of Amazon forests

Julia Valentim Tavares (), Rafael S. Oliveira, Maurizio Mencuccini, Caroline Signori-Müller, Luciano Pereira, Francisco Carvalho Diniz, Martin Gilpin, Manuel J. Marca Zevallos, Carlos A. Salas Yupayccana, Martin Acosta, Flor M. Pérez Mullisaca, Fernanda de V. Barros, Paulo Bittencourt, Halina Jancoski, Marina Corrêa Scalon, Beatriz S. Marimon, Imma Oliveras Menor, Ben Hur Marimon, Max Fancourt, Alexander Chambers-Ostler, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Lucy Rowland, Patrick Meir, Antonio Carlos Lola da Costa, Alex Nina, Jesus M. B. Sanchez, Jose S. Tintaya, Rudi S. C. Chino, Jean Baca, Leticia Fernandes, Edwin R. M. Cumapa, João Antônio R. Santos, Renata Teixeira, Ligia Tello, Maira T. M. Ugarteche, Gina A. Cuellar, Franklin Martinez, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Everton Almeida, Wesley Jonatar Alves Cruz, Jhon Aguila Pasquel, Luís Aragāo, Timothy R. Baker, Plinio Barbosa Camargo, Roel Brienen, Wendeson Castro, Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro, Fernanda Coelho de Souza, Eric G. Cosio, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Richarlly Costa Silva, Mathias Disney, Javier Silva Espejo, Ted R. Feldpausch, Leandro Ferreira, Leandro Giacomin, Niro Higuchi, Marina Hirota, Euridice Honorio, Walter Huaraca Huasco, Simon Lewis, Gerardo Flores Llampazo, Yadvinder Malhi, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Paulo Morandi, Victor Chama Moscoso, Robert Muscarella, Deliane Penha, Mayda Cecília Rocha, Gleicy Rodrigues, Ademir R. Ruschel, Norma Salinas, Monique Schlickmann, Marcos Silveira, Joey Talbot, Rodolfo Vásquez, Laura Vedovato, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Oliver L. Phillips, Emanuel Gloor and David R. Galbraith
Additional contact information
Julia Valentim Tavares: University of Leeds
Rafael S. Oliveira: University of Campinas
Maurizio Mencuccini: CREAF, Campus UAB
Caroline Signori-Müller: University of Leeds
Luciano Pereira: University of Campinas
Francisco Carvalho Diniz: University of Leeds
Martin Gilpin: University of Leeds
Manuel J. Marca Zevallos: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Carlos A. Salas Yupayccana: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Martin Acosta: Universidade Federal do Acre
Flor M. Pérez Mullisaca: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Fernanda de V. Barros: University of Exeter
Paulo Bittencourt: University of Campinas
Halina Jancoski: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Marina Corrêa Scalon: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Beatriz S. Marimon: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Imma Oliveras Menor: University of Oxford
Ben Hur Marimon: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Max Fancourt: University of Leeds
Alexander Chambers-Ostler: University of Leeds
Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert: University of Birmingham
Lucy Rowland: University of Exeter
Patrick Meir: University of Edinburgh
Antonio Carlos Lola da Costa: Universidade Federal do Pará
Alex Nina: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Jesus M. B. Sanchez: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Jose S. Tintaya: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Rudi S. C. Chino: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Jean Baca: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana
Leticia Fernandes: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Edwin R. M. Cumapa: Universidade Federal do Pará
João Antônio R. Santos: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Renata Teixeira: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Ligia Tello: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana
Maira T. M. Ugarteche: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Gina A. Cuellar: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Franklin Martinez: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Alejandro Araujo-Murakami: Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado
Everton Almeida: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Wesley Jonatar Alves Cruz: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Jhon Aguila Pasquel: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana (UNAP)
Luís Aragāo: National Institute for Space Research (INPE)
Timothy R. Baker: University of Leeds
Plinio Barbosa Camargo: Universidade de Sāo Paulo (USP)
Roel Brienen: University of Leeds
Wendeson Castro: Universidade Federal do Acre
Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro: Universidade Federal do Acre
Fernanda Coelho de Souza: University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro
Eric G. Cosio: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Nallaret Davila Cardozo: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana
Richarlly Costa Silva: Universidade Federal do Acre
Mathias Disney: University College London
Javier Silva Espejo: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Ted R. Feldpausch: University of Exeter
Leandro Ferreira: Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi
Leandro Giacomin: Universidade Federal da Paraíba
Niro Higuchi: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Marina Hirota: University of Campinas
Euridice Honorio: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana
Walter Huaraca Huasco: University of Oxford
Simon Lewis: University of Leeds
Gerardo Flores Llampazo: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana
Yadvinder Malhi: University of Oxford
Abel Monteagudo Mendoza: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Paulo Morandi: Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT)
Victor Chama Moscoso: Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
Robert Muscarella: Uppsala University
Deliane Penha: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Mayda Cecília Rocha: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Gleicy Rodrigues: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia
Ademir R. Ruschel: Embrapa Amazonia Oriental
Norma Salinas: University of Oxford
Monique Schlickmann: Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
Marcos Silveira: Universidade Federal do Acre
Joey Talbot: University of Leeds
Rodolfo Vásquez: Jardín Botánico de Missouri
Laura Vedovato: University of Exeter
Simone Aparecida Vieira: Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Oliver L. Phillips: University of Leeds
Emanuel Gloor: University of Leeds
David R. Galbraith: University of Leeds

Nature, 2023, vol. 617, issue 7959, 111-117

Abstract: Abstract Tropical forests face increasing climate risk1,2, yet our ability to predict their response to climate change is limited by poor understanding of their resistance to water stress. Although xylem embolism resistance thresholds (for example, $$\varPsi $$ Ψ 50) and hydraulic safety margins (for example, HSM50) are important predictors of drought-induced mortality risk3–5, little is known about how these vary across Earth’s largest tropical forest. Here, we present a pan-Amazon, fully standardized hydraulic traits dataset and use it to assess regional variation in drought sensitivity and hydraulic trait ability to predict species distributions and long-term forest biomass accumulation. Parameters $$\varPsi $$ Ψ 50 and HSM50 vary markedly across the Amazon and are related to average long-term rainfall characteristics. Both $$\varPsi $$ Ψ 50 and HSM50 influence the biogeographical distribution of Amazon tree species. However, HSM50 was the only significant predictor of observed decadal-scale changes in forest biomass. Old-growth forests with wide HSM50 are gaining more biomass than are low HSM50 forests. We propose that this may be associated with a growth–mortality trade-off whereby trees in forests consisting of fast-growing species take greater hydraulic risks and face greater mortality risk. Moreover, in regions of more pronounced climatic change, we find evidence that forests are losing biomass, suggesting that species in these regions may be operating beyond their hydraulic limits. Continued climate change is likely to further reduce HSM50 in the Amazon6,7, with strong implications for the Amazon carbon sink.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05971-3

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