Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling

Sophie Fauset; Michelle O. Johnson; Manuel Gloor; Timothy R. Baker; Abel Monteagudo M.; Roel J.W. Brienen; Ted R. Feldpausch; Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez; Yadvinder Malhi; Hans Ter Steege; Nigel C.A. Pitman; Christopher Baraloto; Julien Engel; Pascal Pétronelli; Ana Andrade; José Luís C. Camargo; Susan G.W. Laurance; William F. Laurance; Jerôme Chave; Elodie Allie; Percy Núñez Vargas; John W. Terborgh; Kalle Ruokolainen; Marcos Silveira; Gerardo A. Aymard C.; Luzmila Arroyo; Damien Bonal; Hirma Ramirez-Angulo; Alejandro Araujo-Murakami; David Neill; Bruno Hérault; Aurélie Dourdain; Armando Torres-Lezama; Beatriz S. Marimon; Rafael P. Salomão; James A. Comiskey; Maxime Réjou-Méchain; Marisol Toledo; Juan Carlos Licona; Alfredo Alarcón; Adriana Prieto; Agustín Rudas; Peter J. Van Der Meer; Timothy J. Killeen; Ben Hur Marimon Junior; Lourens Poorter; Rene G.A. Boot; Basil Stergios; Emilio Vilanova Torre; Flávia R.C. Costa; Carolina Levis; Juliana Schietti; Priscila Souza; Nikée Groot; Eric Arets; Victor Chama Moscoso; Wendeson Castro; Euridice N.Honorio Coronado; Marielos Peña-Claros; Clement Stahl; Jorcely Barroso; Joey Talbot; Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira; Geertje Van Der Heijden; Raquel Thomas; Vincent A. Vos; Everton C. Almeida; Esteban Álvarez Davila; Luiz E.O.C. Aragão; Terry L. Erwin; Paulo S. Morandi; Edmar Almeida De Oliveira; Marco B.X. Valadão; Roderick J. Zagt; Peter Van Der Hout; Patricia Alvarez Loayza; John J. Pipoly; Ophelia Wang; Miguel Alexiades; Carlos E. Cerón; Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco; Anthony Di Fiore; Julie Peacock; Nadir C.Pallqui Camacho; Ricardo K. Umetsu; Plínio Barbosa De Camargo; Robyn J. Burnham; Rafael Herrera; Carlos A. Quesada; Juliana Stropp; Simone A. Vieira; Marc Steininger; Carlos Reynel Rodríguez; Zorayda Restrepo; Adriane Esquivel Muelbert; Simon L. Lewis; Georgia C. Pickavance; Oliver L. Phillips

doi:10.1038/ncomms7857

Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling

Sophie Fauset, Michelle O. Johnson, Manuel Gloor, Timothy R. Baker, Abel Monteagudo M., Roel J.W. Brienen, Ted R. Feldpausch, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Yadvinder Malhi, Hans Ter Steege, Nigel C.A. Pitman, Christopher Baraloto, Julien Engel, Pascal Pétronelli, Ana Andrade, José Luís C. Camargo, Susan G.W. Laurance, William F. Laurance, Jerôme Chave, Elodie AlliePercy Núñez Vargas, John W. Terborgh, Kalle Ruokolainen, Marcos Silveira, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Luzmila Arroyo, Damien Bonal, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, David Neill, Bruno Hérault, Aurélie Dourdain, Armando Torres-Lezama, Beatriz S. Marimon, Rafael P. Salomão, James A. Comiskey, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Marisol Toledo, Juan Carlos Licona, Alfredo Alarcón, Adriana Prieto, Agustín Rudas, Peter J. Van Der Meer, Timothy J. Killeen, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Lourens Poorter, Rene G.A. Boot, Basil Stergios, Emilio Vilanova Torre, Flávia R.C. Costa, Carolina Levis, Juliana Schietti, Priscila Souza, Nikée Groot, Eric Arets, Victor Chama Moscoso, Wendeson Castro, Euridice N.Honorio Coronado, Marielos Peña-Claros, Clement Stahl, Jorcely Barroso, Joey Talbot, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, Geertje Van Der Heijden, Raquel Thomas, Vincent A. Vos, Everton C. Almeida, Esteban Álvarez Davila, Luiz E.O.C. Aragão, Terry L. Erwin, Paulo S. Morandi, Edmar Almeida De Oliveira, Marco B.X. Valadão, Roderick J. Zagt, Peter Van Der Hout, Patricia Alvarez Loayza, John J. Pipoly, Ophelia Wang, Miguel Alexiades, Carlos E. Cerón, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Anthony Di Fiore, Julie Peacock, Nadir C.Pallqui Camacho, Ricardo K. Umetsu, Plínio Barbosa De Camargo, Robyn J. Burnham, Rafael Herrera, Carlos A. Quesada, Juliana Stropp, Simone A. Vieira, Marc Steininger, Carlos Reynel Rodríguez, Zorayda Restrepo, Adriane Esquivel Muelbert, Simon L. Lewis, Georgia C. Pickavance, Oliver L. Phillips

School of Geography & Sustainable Development

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

222 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few â € hyperdominantâ €™ species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only â ‰1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region.

Original language	English
Article number	6857
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7857
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2015

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10.1038/ncomms7857

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Fauset, S., Johnson, M. O., Gloor, M., Baker, T. R., Monteagudo M., A., Brienen, R. J. W., Feldpausch, T. R., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Malhi, Y., Ter Steege, H., Pitman, N. C. A., Baraloto, C., Engel, J., Pétronelli, P., Andrade, A., Camargo, J. L. C., Laurance, S. G. W., Laurance, W. F., Chave, J., ... Phillips, O. L. (2015). Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling. Nature Communications, 6, Article 6857. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7857

@article{7288f56d853e4cfd84c96e3909f016b6,

title = "Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling",

abstract = "While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few {\^a} € hyperdominant{\^a} €{\texttrademark} species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only {\^a} ‰1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region.",

author = "Sophie Fauset and Johnson, {Michelle O.} and Manuel Gloor and Baker, {Timothy R.} and {Monteagudo M.}, Abel and Brienen, {Roel J.W.} and Feldpausch, {Ted R.} and Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez and Yadvinder Malhi and {Ter Steege}, Hans and Pitman, {Nigel C.A.} and Christopher Baraloto and Julien Engel and Pascal P{\'e}tronelli and Ana Andrade and Camargo, {Jos{\'e} Lu{\'i}s C.} and Laurance, {Susan G.W.} and Laurance, {William F.} and Jer{\^o}me Chave and Elodie Allie and Vargas, {Percy N{\'u}{\~n}ez} and Terborgh, {John W.} and Kalle Ruokolainen and Marcos Silveira and {Aymard C.}, {Gerardo A.} and Luzmila Arroyo and Damien Bonal and Hirma Ramirez-Angulo and Alejandro Araujo-Murakami and David Neill and Bruno H{\'e}rault and Aur{\'e}lie Dourdain and Armando Torres-Lezama and Marimon, {Beatriz S.} and Salom{\~a}o, {Rafael P.} and Comiskey, {James A.} and Maxime R{\'e}jou-M{\'e}chain and Marisol Toledo and Licona, {Juan Carlos} and Alfredo Alarc{\'o}n and Adriana Prieto and Agust{\'i}n Rudas and {Van Der Meer}, {Peter J.} and Killeen, {Timothy J.} and {Marimon Junior}, {Ben Hur} and Lourens Poorter and Boot, {Rene G.A.} and Basil Stergios and Torre, {Emilio Vilanova} and Costa, {Fl{\'a}via R.C.} and Carolina Levis and Juliana Schietti and Priscila Souza and Nik{\'e}e Groot and Eric Arets and Moscoso, {Victor Chama} and Wendeson Castro and Coronado, {Euridice N.Honorio} and Marielos Pe{\~n}a-Claros and Clement Stahl and Jorcely Barroso and Joey Talbot and Vieira, {Ima C{\'e}lia Guimar{\~a}es} and {Van Der Heijden}, Geertje and Raquel Thomas and Vos, {Vincent A.} and Almeida, {Everton C.} and Davila, {Esteban {\'A}lvarez} and Arag{\~a}o, {Luiz E.O.C.} and Erwin, {Terry L.} and Morandi, {Paulo S.} and {De Oliveira}, {Edmar Almeida} and Valad{\~a}o, {Marco B.X.} and Zagt, {Roderick J.} and {Van Der Hout}, Peter and Loayza, {Patricia Alvarez} and Pipoly, {John J.} and Ophelia Wang and Miguel Alexiades and Cer{\'o}n, {Carlos E.} and Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco and {Di Fiore}, Anthony and Julie Peacock and Camacho, {Nadir C.Pallqui} and Umetsu, {Ricardo K.} and {De Camargo}, {Pl{\'i}nio Barbosa} and Burnham, {Robyn J.} and Rafael Herrera and Quesada, {Carlos A.} and Juliana Stropp and Vieira, {Simone A.} and Marc Steininger and Rodr{\'i}guez, {Carlos Reynel} and Zorayda Restrepo and Muelbert, {Adriane Esquivel} and Lewis, {Simon L.} and Pickavance, {Georgia C.} and Phillips, {Oliver L.}",

note = "Funding Information: This paper is a product of the RAINFOR network, supported by a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant, the European Union{\textquoteright}s Seventh Framework Programme (283080, {\textquoteleft}GEOCARBON{\textquoteright}; 282664, {\textquoteleft}AMAZALERT{\textquoteright}; ERC grant {\textquoteleft}Tropical Forests in the Changing Earth System{\textquoteright}), and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency Grant and NERC Consortium Grants {\textquoteleft}AMAZONICA{\textquoteright} (NE/F005806/1), {\textquoteleft}TROBIT{\textquoteright} (NE/ D005590/1) and {\textquoteleft}Niche evolution of South American trees{\textquoteright} (NE/I028122/1). Additional data were included from the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring network (a collaboration between Conservation International, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and partly funded by these institutions, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and other donors), the Alwyn H. Gentry Forest Transect Dataset (Missouri Botanical Garden), the PPBio network (supported by PRONEX—FAPEAM/CNPq (1600/2006), Hidroveg FAPESP/ FAPEAM, Universal/CNPq (473308/2009-6) and INCT-CENBAM), the PPBio Biota do Cerrado network (Fitogeografia da Transic¸{\~a}o Amaz{\^o}nia/Cerrado CNPq 457602/2012-0), and the CNPq/PELD network (Transic¸{\~a}o Amaz{\^o}nia/Cerrado 403725/2012-7). Additional data collection was funded by Investissement d{\textquoteright}Avenir grants of the French ANR (CEBA: ANR-10-LABX-0025; TULIP: ANR-10-LABX-0041) and a productivity grant funded by CNPq to BHMJr and BSM. S.F., M.G., M.O.J., G.L.-G. and O.L.P. are partly funded by the NERC project grant {\textquoteleft}ECOFOR{\textquoteright} (grant ref: NE/K01644X/1). O.L.P. is supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. R.J.W.B. is funded independently by a research fellowship from NERC (grant ref: NE/I021160/1). L.P., M.P.C. E.A., and M.T. are partially funded by the EU FP7 project {\textquoteleft}ROBIN{\textquoteright} (283093), with co-funding for E.A. from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (KB-14-003-030). This is study 653 of the technical series of the BDFFP (INPA/ STRI). The field data summarized here involve contributions from numerous field assistants and rural communities, many of whom have been specifically acknowledged in Mitchard et al. (2014, Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr.). We also thank Jon Lloyd, Rodolfo V{\'a}squez Mart{\'i}nez, Olaf Banki, Paul Berry, Wemo Beitan, Lilian Blanc, Foster Brown, Alvaro Cogollo, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Massiel Corrales Medina, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Lola da Costa, Renske Ek, Washington Galiano, Ren{\'e} Guill{\'e}n Villaroel, Niro Higuchi, Eliana Jimenez, Antonio S. Lima, Jo{\~a}o Lima de Freitas J{\'u}nior, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Casimiro Mendoza, Walter A. Palacios, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo, Maria Cristina Pe{\~n}uela, Freddy Ramirez Arevalo, Victor Rojas, Anand Roopsind, Mario Saldias, James Singh, Daniel Soto, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Gorky Villa and Barbara Vinceti. We further thank those colleagues who contributed in many ways but who are no longer with us: Alwyn Gentry, Jean Pierre Veillon, Samuel Almeida, Sandra Pati{\~n}o and Rai-mundo Saraiva. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.",

year = "2015",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms7857",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature publishing group",

}

Fauset, S, Johnson, MO, Gloor, M, Baker, TR, Monteagudo M., A, Brienen, RJW, Feldpausch, TR, Lopez-Gonzalez, G, Malhi, Y, Ter Steege, H, Pitman, NCA, Baraloto, C, Engel, J, Pétronelli, P, Andrade, A, Camargo, JLC, Laurance, SGW, Laurance, WF, Chave, J, Allie, E, Vargas, PN, Terborgh, JW, Ruokolainen, K, Silveira, M, Aymard C., GA, Arroyo, L, Bonal, D, Ramirez-Angulo, H, Araujo-Murakami, A, Neill, D, Hérault, B, Dourdain, A, Torres-Lezama, A, Marimon, BS, Salomão, RP, Comiskey, JA, Réjou-Méchain, M, Toledo, M, Licona, JC, Alarcón, A, Prieto, A, Rudas, A, Van Der Meer, PJ, Killeen, TJ, Marimon Junior, BH, Poorter, L, Boot, RGA, Stergios, B, Torre, EV, Costa, FRC, Levis, C, Schietti, J, Souza, P, Groot, N, Arets, E, Moscoso, VC, Castro, W, Coronado, ENH, Peña-Claros, M, Stahl, C, Barroso, J, Talbot, J, Vieira, ICG, Van Der Heijden, G, Thomas, R, Vos, VA, Almeida, EC, Davila, EÁ, Aragão, LEOC, Erwin, TL, Morandi, PS, De Oliveira, EA, Valadão, MBX, Zagt, RJ, Van Der Hout, P, Loayza, PA, Pipoly, JJ, Wang, O, Alexiades, M, Cerón, CE, Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, I, Di Fiore, A, Peacock, J, Camacho, NCP, Umetsu, RK, De Camargo, PB, Burnham, RJ, Herrera, R, Quesada, CA, Stropp, J, Vieira, SA, Steininger, M, Rodríguez, CR, Restrepo, Z, Muelbert, AE, Lewis, SL, Pickavance, GC & Phillips, OL 2015, 'Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling', Nature Communications, vol. 6, 6857. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7857

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling

AU - Fauset, Sophie

AU - Johnson, Michelle O.

AU - Gloor, Manuel

AU - Baker, Timothy R.

AU - Monteagudo M., Abel

AU - Brienen, Roel J.W.

AU - Feldpausch, Ted R.

AU - Lopez-Gonzalez, Gabriela

AU - Malhi, Yadvinder

AU - Ter Steege, Hans

AU - Pitman, Nigel C.A.

AU - Baraloto, Christopher

AU - Engel, Julien

AU - Pétronelli, Pascal

AU - Andrade, Ana

AU - Camargo, José Luís C.

AU - Laurance, Susan G.W.

AU - Laurance, William F.

AU - Chave, Jerôme

AU - Allie, Elodie

AU - Vargas, Percy Núñez

AU - Terborgh, John W.

AU - Ruokolainen, Kalle

AU - Silveira, Marcos

AU - Aymard C., Gerardo A.

AU - Arroyo, Luzmila

AU - Bonal, Damien

AU - Ramirez-Angulo, Hirma

AU - Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro

AU - Neill, David

AU - Hérault, Bruno

AU - Dourdain, Aurélie

AU - Torres-Lezama, Armando

AU - Marimon, Beatriz S.

AU - Salomão, Rafael P.

AU - Comiskey, James A.

AU - Réjou-Méchain, Maxime

AU - Toledo, Marisol

AU - Licona, Juan Carlos

AU - Alarcón, Alfredo

AU - Prieto, Adriana

AU - Rudas, Agustín

AU - Van Der Meer, Peter J.

AU - Killeen, Timothy J.

AU - Marimon Junior, Ben Hur

AU - Poorter, Lourens

AU - Boot, Rene G.A.

AU - Stergios, Basil

AU - Torre, Emilio Vilanova

AU - Costa, Flávia R.C.

AU - Levis, Carolina

AU - Schietti, Juliana

AU - Souza, Priscila

AU - Groot, Nikée

AU - Arets, Eric

AU - Moscoso, Victor Chama

AU - Castro, Wendeson

AU - Coronado, Euridice N.Honorio

AU - Peña-Claros, Marielos

AU - Stahl, Clement

AU - Barroso, Jorcely

AU - Talbot, Joey

AU - Vieira, Ima Célia Guimarães

AU - Van Der Heijden, Geertje

AU - Thomas, Raquel

AU - Vos, Vincent A.

AU - Almeida, Everton C.

AU - Davila, Esteban Álvarez

AU - Aragão, Luiz E.O.C.

AU - Erwin, Terry L.

AU - Morandi, Paulo S.

AU - De Oliveira, Edmar Almeida

AU - Valadão, Marco B.X.

AU - Zagt, Roderick J.

AU - Van Der Hout, Peter

AU - Loayza, Patricia Alvarez

AU - Pipoly, John J.

AU - Wang, Ophelia

AU - Alexiades, Miguel

AU - Cerón, Carlos E.

AU - Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Isau

AU - Di Fiore, Anthony

AU - Peacock, Julie

AU - Camacho, Nadir C.Pallqui

AU - Umetsu, Ricardo K.

AU - De Camargo, Plínio Barbosa

AU - Burnham, Robyn J.

AU - Herrera, Rafael

AU - Quesada, Carlos A.

AU - Stropp, Juliana

AU - Vieira, Simone A.

AU - Steininger, Marc

AU - Rodríguez, Carlos Reynel

AU - Restrepo, Zorayda

AU - Muelbert, Adriane Esquivel

AU - Lewis, Simon L.

AU - Pickavance, Georgia C.

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

N1 - Funding Information: This paper is a product of the RAINFOR network, supported by a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant, the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (283080, ‘GEOCARBON’; 282664, ‘AMAZALERT’; ERC grant ‘Tropical Forests in the Changing Earth System’), and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency Grant and NERC Consortium Grants ‘AMAZONICA’ (NE/F005806/1), ‘TROBIT’ (NE/ D005590/1) and ‘Niche evolution of South American trees’ (NE/I028122/1). Additional data were included from the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring network (a collaboration between Conservation International, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and partly funded by these institutions, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and other donors), the Alwyn H. Gentry Forest Transect Dataset (Missouri Botanical Garden), the PPBio network (supported by PRONEX—FAPEAM/CNPq (1600/2006), Hidroveg FAPESP/ FAPEAM, Universal/CNPq (473308/2009-6) and INCT-CENBAM), the PPBio Biota do Cerrado network (Fitogeografia da Transic¸ão Amazônia/Cerrado CNPq 457602/2012-0), and the CNPq/PELD network (Transic¸ão Amazônia/Cerrado 403725/2012-7). Additional data collection was funded by Investissement d’Avenir grants of the French ANR (CEBA: ANR-10-LABX-0025; TULIP: ANR-10-LABX-0041) and a productivity grant funded by CNPq to BHMJr and BSM. S.F., M.G., M.O.J., G.L.-G. and O.L.P. are partly funded by the NERC project grant ‘ECOFOR’ (grant ref: NE/K01644X/1). O.L.P. is supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. R.J.W.B. is funded independently by a research fellowship from NERC (grant ref: NE/I021160/1). L.P., M.P.C. E.A., and M.T. are partially funded by the EU FP7 project ‘ROBIN’ (283093), with co-funding for E.A. from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (KB-14-003-030). This is study 653 of the technical series of the BDFFP (INPA/ STRI). The field data summarized here involve contributions from numerous field assistants and rural communities, many of whom have been specifically acknowledged in Mitchard et al. (2014, Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr.). We also thank Jon Lloyd, Rodolfo Vásquez Martínez, Olaf Banki, Paul Berry, Wemo Beitan, Lilian Blanc, Foster Brown, Alvaro Cogollo, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Massiel Corrales Medina, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Lola da Costa, Renske Ek, Washington Galiano, René Guillén Villaroel, Niro Higuchi, Eliana Jimenez, Antonio S. Lima, João Lima de Freitas Júnior, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Casimiro Mendoza, Walter A. Palacios, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo, Maria Cristina Peñuela, Freddy Ramirez Arevalo, Victor Rojas, Anand Roopsind, Mario Saldias, James Singh, Daniel Soto, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Gorky Villa and Barbara Vinceti. We further thank those colleagues who contributed in many ways but who are no longer with us: Alwyn Gentry, Jean Pierre Veillon, Samuel Almeida, Sandra Patiño and Rai-mundo Saraiva. Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

PY - 2015/4/28

Y1 - 2015/4/28

N2 - While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few â € hyperdominantâ €™ species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only â ‰1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region.

AB - While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few â € hyperdominantâ €™ species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only â ‰1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84928901690&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms7857

DO - 10.1038/ncomms7857

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84928901690

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 6

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 6857

ER -

Hyperdominance in Amazonian forest carbon cycling

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