How do tropical tree species respond to nitrogen fertilisation? Tree growth along elevational and nutritional gradients in Southern Ecuador.

Spannl S, Pfautsch W, Bräuning A (2012)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Abstract of a poster

Publication year: 2012

Pages Range: 165

Conference Proceedings Title: Islands in land- and seascape: The challenges of fragmentation

Event location: Erlangen DE

ISBN: 978-3-00-037462-3

Open Access Link: http://www.soctropecol.eu/PDF/gtoe_Erlangen_2012.pdf

Abstract

The tropical mountain forests of southern Ecuador are strongly threatened by environmental effects. In the near future increasing drought-events and higher nitrogen depositions in the air are expected (IPCC 2007) thereby affecting tree-physiognomic processes in a major way. As part of a scientific nutrient manipulation experiment (NUMEX) tree growth of seven different tropical tree species (Podocarpus oleifolius, Graffenrieda emarginata, Persea feruginea, Alchornea grandiflora, Prunus sp., Weinmannia elliptica, Weinmannia ovata, Graffenrieda harlingii and Prumnopitys montana) were examined in a tropical mountain forest in southern Ecuador (Reserva Biológica San Francisco) along elevational (2000m and 3000m) and nutritional (nitrogen-manipulated plot and non-manipulated plot) gradients. Since July 2010 stem-diameter variations of these tree species have been measured in 30 minutes intervals by 16 high resolution dendrometers detecting the impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization on stem diameter variations. Preliminary results reveal that beside Graffenrieda emarginata, all individuals growing on N-manipulated plots show more stem diameter growth compared to the individuals at the non-manipulated reference plots. These stem diameter variations were linked to climatic factors. During periods of several successive days without rainfall stem diameters decrease and vary synchronously even between the different tree species of different plant functional types. These first results are extremely useful for the intra-annual analyses of stable isotopes which will be discussed in this study as well.

Authors with CRIS profile

Susanne Spannl Lehrstuhl für Geographie (Physische Geographie) Achim Bräuning Lehrstuhl für Geographie (Physische Geographie)

How to cite

APA:

Spannl, S., Pfautsch, W., & Bräuning, A. (2012). How do tropical tree species respond to nitrogen fertilisation? Tree growth along elevational and nutritional gradients in Southern Ecuador. Poster presentation at Annual Conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö): Islands in land- and seascape: The challenges of fragmentation., Erlangen, DE.

MLA:

Spannl, Susanne, Wolfgang Pfautsch, and Achim Bräuning. "How do tropical tree species respond to nitrogen fertilisation? Tree growth along elevational and nutritional gradients in Southern Ecuador." Presented at Annual Conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö): Islands in land- and seascape: The challenges of fragmentation., Erlangen Ed. Bräuning A., Richter M., Peters T., 2012.

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