Leaf development and demography explain photosynthetic seasonality in Amazon evergreen forests
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Abstract
In evergreen tropical forests, the extent, magnitude, and controls on photosynthetic seasonality are poorly resolved and inadequately represented in Earth system models. Combining camera observations with ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes at forests across rainfall gradients in Amazônia, we show that aggregate canopy phenology, not seasonality of climate drivers, is the primary cause of photosynthetic seasonality in these forests. Specifically, synchronization of new leaf growth with dry season litterfall shifts canopy composition toward younger, more light-use efficient leaves, explaining large seasonal increases (~27%) in ecosystem photosynthesis. Coordinated leaf development and demography thus reconcile seemingly disparate observations at different scales and indicate that accounting for leaf-level phenology is critical for accurately simulating ecosystem-scale responses to climate change.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Leaf development and demography explain photosynthetic seasonality in Amazon evergreen forests |
| Series title | Science |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.aad5068 |
| Volume | 351 |
| Issue | 6276 |
| Year Published | 2016 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| Publisher location | New York |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Geographic Science Center |
| Description | 5 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Science |
| First page | 972 |
| Last page | 976 |
| Other Geospatial | Amazon Rainforest |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |