1. The Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research Group (ABERG)
Variation of forest ecosystems with elevation: insights from a 3500 m elevation gradient in the Andes
The Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystems Research Group (ABERG)
Y. Malhi, M. Silman, P. Meir, K. Feeley, N. Salinas, S. Saatchi, M. Bird
L. Aragao, C. Girardin, J. Fisher, T. Marthews, D. Metcalfe, J. Espejo, W. Farfan, K. Garcia, A. Nottingham, J. Whittaker, M. Zimmerman, K. Feeley, J. Rapp. J. Lloyd, R. Guerreri, O. Atkin and many more
University of Oxford UK,
Wake Forest University USA,
University of Edinburgh UK,
Univesidad San Antonio Abad ,Cuzco, Peru
Pontoficia Universidad de Lima, Peru
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA

2. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

3. Kosñipata Valley and adjoining Amazon lowlands
Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group:

4. 200m
2000m
1250m
2250m
1750m
1000m
1500m
2500m
2750m
Show transect of plots
3000m
3250m
3450m

5. 26.4oC 15.3oC 21oC 14.8oC 16.7oC 22.1oC 19oC 13.3oC 11.9oC 10.5oC
Malhi, Y. et al (2010) Elevation gradients in the tropics: laboratories for ecosystem ecology and global change research, Global Change Biology, 16, 12,

6. Malhi, Y. et al (2010) Elevation gradients in the tropics: laboratories for ecosystem ecology and global change research, Global Change Biology, 16, 12, 6

10. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

11. Temperature and rainfall gradients
1 ha plots
Trees 10cm dbh
>60 ha

12. Tree Species Diversity
Lowland levels of diversity
maintained to ~1700 m * *

13. Most species have narrow elevation ranges
Elevation (m)
Tree species ranking

14. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

15. gem.tropicalforests.ox.ac.uk
Measuring Tropical Forest Carbon Allocation and Cycling: A RAINFOR-GEM Field Manual for Intensive Census Plots (v2.2). Manual, Global Ecosystems Monitoring network,

16. The carbon cycle of a forest at Tambopata. Peru
GPP= 36.15±3.97
NPPTotal = 15.14±0.83
NPPAG = 9.96±0.41
NPPBG = 5.18±0.72
NPP litterfall = 5.61±0.32
NPP herbivory = 0.76±0.05
R leaf =8.86±2.78
NPP branch turnover = 0.95±0.10
R stem = 5.85±2.50
D fine litterfall
5.61±0.32
NPP ACW= 2.64±0.24
R cwd
R soil =12.98±0.82
D CWD 3.59±0.26
R coarseroot
1.23±0.62
R rhizosphere
5.07±0.86
NPP coarse roots = 0.51±0.05
NPP fine roots = 4.67±0.72
D root 5.18±0.72
R soilhet = 7.14±0.49
Malhi et al, Plant Ecology and Diversity, 2014

17. GPP and NPP decline with elevation
but the transition is abrupt at around m asl
(dry season cloud base)

18. Canopy photosynthetic capacity and leaf area index do
not show a strong decline or abrupt transition with elevation
Max photosynthesis
under high light
Leaf Area Index
Once cloud immersion is factored out, autotrophic processes may have little dependence
on mean temperature

19. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

20. Exploring heterotrophic processes

21. Translocation of root-free soil
Zimmermann et al. (2010)

22. Large-scale leaf and wood translocation experiment
Salinas et al. (2011) New Phytologist

23. Translocation experiments along the elevation gradient
Leaf litter
4725 litter bags
Q10 = 3.06±0.28
(r2 = 0.97, p = 0.002)
Salinas et al.,
New Phytologist, 2011
Fine wood litter
1575 litter bags
Q10 = 4.0±0.56
(r2 = 0.95, p = 0.004)
Salinas et al.
In review.

24. The sensitivity of heterotrophic decomposition is so high because
soil microbial and macrofaunal communities completely change at
warmer temperatures
Microbial biomass increases with elevation
Increased dominance of fungi relative to bacteria at high elevation
Termites are only abundant in the lowlands
Palin et al. (2011) Biotropica
Palin et al. (2001) Biotropica
Whittaker et al. (2014) Journal of Ecology

25. Implications under warming
Autotrophic processes may be very insensitive to temperature (within the range observed) because of acclimation and community turnover
Heterotrophic processes may be very sensitive to temperature because of community turnover
Hence warming would be expected to increase loss of carbon from soil more than it increases gain of carbon in tree biomass

26. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

27. Niches from collection data

28. MIGRATION RATE (m yr-1)
PLOT
The mean plant community in most plots has been increasing over last 10 years by 2.0m yr-1 (+0.5 – +3.5m yr-1).
Feeley et al JBioGeo 28

29. Required migration rate for climate equilibrium
Perú:
Costa Rica:
Required migration rate for climate equilibrium
MIGRATION RATE (m yr-1)
+2.0m yr-1 (+0.6 – +3.6m yr-1)
+2.0m yr-1 (+0.5 – +3.5m yr-1).
Feeley, et al. 2013, Global Change Biology

30. Talk structure Study region Plant diversity and distributions
Ecosystem productivity
Heterotrophic processes
Plant distribution change
Tree line studies

31. So tree species are shifting upslope.
Is the forest biome also shifting?

32. 1963
2005

33. 1963
2005

34. 1963 2005 1963 US Air Force Recon aerial photography IKONOS satellite
imagery
2005

35. Results: Andean timberline migration
Across study area, ~80% of timberline did not change
Upslope migration more likely in protected areas
Upslope migration rates decreased with increasing elevation
Overall migration rates far slower than required to maintain equilibrium with climate change
Status
Annualized migration rate (m y-1)
Years to 2100 climate equilibrium (+5⁰C)
Timberline
Protected
0.24
3,750
Unprotected
0.05
18,000

36. The Grass Ceiling?
Ecotone migration rates are 12 to 110 times slower than the observed species migration rates in our valley
Protected areas help, but management may be needed interventions are needed to assist migration

38. Large changes in composition with elevation
DCA Axis 2

39. Composition and Elevation (1 ha plots)
DCA Axis 1
Elevation (m)