Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests

Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert; Oliver L. Phillips; Roel J.W. Brienen; Sophie Fauset; Martin J.P. Sullivan; Timothy R. Baker; Kuo Jung Chao; Ted R. Feldpausch; Emanuel Gloor; Niro Higuchi; Jeanne Houwing-Duistermaat; Jon Lloyd; Haiyan Liu; Yadvinder Malhi; Beatriz Marimon; Ben Hur Marimon Junior; Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza; Lourens Poorter; Marcos Silveira; Emilio Vilanova Torre; Esteban Alvarez Dávila; Jhon del Aguila Pasquel; Everton Almeida; Patricia Alvarez Loayza; Ana Andrade; Luiz E.O.C. Aragão; Alejandro Araujo-Murakami; Eric Arets; Luzmila Arroyo; Gerardo A. Aymard C; Michel Baisie; Christopher Baraloto; Plínio Barbosa Camargo; Jorcely Barroso; Lilian Blanc; Damien Bonal; Frans Bongers; René Boot; Foster Brown; Benoit Burban; José Luís Camargo; Wendeson Castro; Victor Chama Moscoso; Jerome Chave; James Comiskey; Fernando Cornejo Valverde; Antonio Lola da Costa; Nallaret Davila Cardozo; Anthony Di Fiore; Eurídice Honorio Coronado

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3

Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests

Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert^*, Oliver L. Phillips, Roel J.W. Brienen, Sophie Fauset, Martin J.P. Sullivan, Timothy R. Baker, Kuo Jung Chao, Ted R. Feldpausch, Emanuel Gloor, Niro Higuchi, Jeanne Houwing-Duistermaat, Jon Lloyd, Haiyan Liu, Yadvinder Malhi, Beatriz Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza, Lourens Poorter, Marcos Silveira, Emilio Vilanova TorreEsteban Alvarez Dávila, Jhon del Aguila Pasquel, Everton Almeida, Patricia Alvarez Loayza, Ana Andrade, Luiz E.O.C. Aragão, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Luzmila Arroyo, Gerardo A. Aymard C, Michel Baisie, Christopher Baraloto, Plínio Barbosa Camargo, Jorcely Barroso, Lilian Blanc, Damien Bonal, Frans Bongers, René Boot, Foster Brown, Benoit Burban, José Luís Camargo, Wendeson Castro, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jerome Chave, James Comiskey, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Antonio Lola da Costa, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Anthony Di Fiore, Eurídice Honorio Coronado

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Geography & Sustainable Development

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

Abstract

The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality.

Original language	English
Article number	5515
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3
Publication status	Published - 9 Nov 2020

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AEMuelbert/AmazonTreeMortality: Release for paper submission
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3979106
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1 Comment/debate

Author Correction: Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (5515), 10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3)
Esquivel-Muelbert, A., Phillips, O. L., Brienen, R. J. W., Fauset, S., Sullivan, M. J. P., Baker, T. R., Chao, K. J., Feldpausch, T. R., Gloor, E., Higuchi, N., Houwing-Duistermaat, J., Lloyd, J., Liu, H., Malhi, Y., Marimon, B., Marimon Junior, B. H., Monteagudo-Mendoza, A., Poorter, L., Silveira, M. & Torre, E. V. & 30 others, Dávila, E. A., del Aguila Pasquel, J., Almeida, E., Loayza, P. A., Andrade, A., Aragão, L. E. O. C., Araujo-Murakami, A., Arets, E., Arroyo, L., Aymard C, G. A., Baisie, M., Baraloto, C., Camargo, P. B., Barroso, J., Blanc, L., Bonal, D., Bongers, F., Boot, R., Brown, F., Burban, B., Camargo, J. L., Castro, W., Moscoso, V. C., Chave, J., Comiskey, J., Valverde, F. C., da Costa, A. L., Cardozo, N. D., Di Fiore, A. & Honorio Coronado, E., 4 Jan 2021, In: Nature Communications. 12, 1, 209.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

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Esquivel-Muelbert, A., Phillips, O. L., Brienen, R. J. W., Fauset, S., Sullivan, M. J. P., Baker, T. R., Chao, K. J., Feldpausch, T. R., Gloor, E., Higuchi, N., Houwing-Duistermaat, J., Lloyd, J., Liu, H., Malhi, Y., Marimon, B., Marimon Junior, B. H., Monteagudo-Mendoza, A., Poorter, L., Silveira, M., ... Honorio Coronado, E. (2020). Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests. Nature Communications, 11, Article 5515. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3

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title = "Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests",

abstract = "The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality.",

author = "Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and Brienen, {Roel J.W.} and Sophie Fauset and Sullivan, {Martin J.P.} and Baker, {Timothy R.} and Chao, {Kuo Jung} and Feldpausch, {Ted R.} and Emanuel Gloor and Niro Higuchi and Jeanne Houwing-Duistermaat and Jon Lloyd and Haiyan Liu and Yadvinder Malhi and Beatriz Marimon and {Marimon Junior}, {Ben Hur} and Abel Monteagudo-Mendoza and Lourens Poorter and Marcos Silveira and Torre, {Emilio Vilanova} and D{\'a}vila, {Esteban Alvarez} and {del Aguila Pasquel}, Jhon and Everton Almeida and Loayza, {Patricia Alvarez} and Ana Andrade and Arag{\~a}o, {Luiz E.O.C.} and Alejandro Araujo-Murakami and Eric Arets and Luzmila Arroyo and {Aymard C}, {Gerardo A.} and Michel Baisie and Christopher Baraloto and Camargo, {Pl{\'i}nio Barbosa} and Jorcely Barroso and Lilian Blanc and Damien Bonal and Frans Bongers and Ren{\'e} Boot and Foster Brown and Benoit Burban and Camargo, {Jos{\'e} Lu{\'i}s} and Wendeson Castro and Moscoso, {Victor Chama} and Jerome Chave and James Comiskey and Valverde, {Fernando Cornejo} and {da Costa}, {Antonio Lola} and Cardozo, {Nallaret Davila} and {Di Fiore}, Anthony and {Honorio Coronado}, Eur{\'i}dice",

note = "Funding Information: The analysis undertaken here was largely funded by the NERC-funded TREMOR project (NE/N004655/1) to D.G., R.J.W.B., E.G. and O.L.P. A.E.-M. was funded by TREMOR and by two ERC awards (T-FORCES 291585, TreeMort 758873). D.G. acknowledges further support from a Newton-funded consortium award (ARBOLES, NE/S011811/1). O.L.P. was supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. T.A.M.P. was funded by the ERC award TreeMort 758873. This is paper number 47 of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research. T.R.F., L.E.O.C.A. and O.L.P. were supported by NERC NE/N011570/1. Support for RAINFOR has come from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency Grants and NERC Consortium Grants AMAZONICA (NE/F005806/ 1), TROBIT (NE/D005590/1) and BIO-RED (NE/N012542/1), a European Research Council (ERC) grant T-FORCES (291585), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (#1656), the European Union{\textquoteright}s Seventh Framework Programme (282664, AMAZA-LERT) and the Royal Society (CH160091). This is paper #47 of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR). ",

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Esquivel-Muelbert, A, Phillips, OL, Brienen, RJW, Fauset, S, Sullivan, MJP, Baker, TR, Chao, KJ, Feldpausch, TR, Gloor, E, Higuchi, N, Houwing-Duistermaat, J, Lloyd, J, Liu, H, Malhi, Y, Marimon, B, Marimon Junior, BH, Monteagudo-Mendoza, A, Poorter, L, Silveira, M, Torre, EV, Dávila, EA, del Aguila Pasquel, J, Almeida, E, Loayza, PA, Andrade, A, Aragão, LEOC, Araujo-Murakami, A, Arets, E, Arroyo, L, Aymard C, GA, Baisie, M, Baraloto, C, Camargo, PB, Barroso, J, Blanc, L, Bonal, D, Bongers, F, Boot, R, Brown, F, Burban, B, Camargo, JL, Castro, W, Moscoso, VC, Chave, J, Comiskey, J, Valverde, FC, da Costa, AL, Cardozo, ND, Di Fiore, A & Honorio Coronado, E 2020, 'Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests', Nature Communications, vol. 11, 5515. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests

AU - Esquivel-Muelbert, Adriane

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

AU - Brienen, Roel J.W.

AU - Fauset, Sophie

AU - Sullivan, Martin J.P.

AU - Baker, Timothy R.

AU - Chao, Kuo Jung

AU - Feldpausch, Ted R.

AU - Gloor, Emanuel

AU - Higuchi, Niro

AU - Houwing-Duistermaat, Jeanne

AU - Lloyd, Jon

AU - Liu, Haiyan

AU - Malhi, Yadvinder

AU - Marimon, Beatriz

AU - Marimon Junior, Ben Hur

AU - Monteagudo-Mendoza, Abel

AU - Poorter, Lourens

AU - Silveira, Marcos

AU - Torre, Emilio Vilanova

AU - Dávila, Esteban Alvarez

AU - del Aguila Pasquel, Jhon

AU - Almeida, Everton

AU - Loayza, Patricia Alvarez

AU - Andrade, Ana

AU - Aragão, Luiz E.O.C.

AU - Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro

AU - Arets, Eric

AU - Arroyo, Luzmila

AU - Aymard C, Gerardo A.

AU - Baisie, Michel

AU - Baraloto, Christopher

AU - Camargo, Plínio Barbosa

AU - Barroso, Jorcely

AU - Blanc, Lilian

AU - Bonal, Damien

AU - Bongers, Frans

AU - Boot, René

AU - Brown, Foster

AU - Burban, Benoit

AU - Camargo, José Luís

AU - Castro, Wendeson

AU - Moscoso, Victor Chama

AU - Chave, Jerome

AU - Comiskey, James

AU - Valverde, Fernando Cornejo

AU - da Costa, Antonio Lola

AU - Cardozo, Nallaret Davila

AU - Di Fiore, Anthony

AU - Honorio Coronado, Eurídice

N1 - Funding Information: The analysis undertaken here was largely funded by the NERC-funded TREMOR project (NE/N004655/1) to D.G., R.J.W.B., E.G. and O.L.P. A.E.-M. was funded by TREMOR and by two ERC awards (T-FORCES 291585, TreeMort 758873). D.G. acknowledges further support from a Newton-funded consortium award (ARBOLES, NE/S011811/1). O.L.P. was supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. T.A.M.P. was funded by the ERC award TreeMort 758873. This is paper number 47 of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research. T.R.F., L.E.O.C.A. and O.L.P. were supported by NERC NE/N011570/1. Support for RAINFOR has come from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Urgency Grants and NERC Consortium Grants AMAZONICA (NE/F005806/ 1), TROBIT (NE/D005590/1) and BIO-RED (NE/N012542/1), a European Research Council (ERC) grant T-FORCES (291585), the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (#1656), the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (282664, AMAZA-LERT) and the Royal Society (CH160091). This is paper #47 of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR).

PY - 2020/11/9

Y1 - 2020/11/9

N2 - The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality.

AB - The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality.

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3

DO - 10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3

M3 - Article

C2 - 33168823

AN - SCOPUS:85095701315

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 11

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 5515

ER -

Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests

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Author Correction: Tree mode of death and mortality risk factors across Amazon forests (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (5515), 10.1038/s41467-020-18996-3)

Cite this