Carbon stock and uptake in the high-elevation tropical montane forests of the threatened Atlantic Forest hotspot: Ecosystem function and effects of elevation variation

Cléber R Souza; Ravi Fernandes Mariano; Vinícius Andrade Maia; Patrícia Vieira Pompeu; Rubens Manoel Dos Santos; Marco Aurélio Leite Fontes

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163503

Carbon stock and uptake in the high-elevation tropical montane forests of the threatened Atlantic Forest hotspot: Ecosystem function and effects of elevation variation

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Jul 15:882:163503. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163503. Epub 2023 Apr 18.

Authors

Cléber R Souza¹, Ravi Fernandes Mariano², Vinícius Andrade Maia², Patrícia Vieira Pompeu³, Rubens Manoel Dos Santos², Marco Aurélio Leite Fontes²

Affiliations

¹ Forest Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil; brCarbon Serviços Ambientais, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: crdesouza@hotmail.com.
² Forest Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
³ Universidade Estadual Do Mato Grosso Do Sul, Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

PMID: 37076012
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163503

Abstract

Tropical montane forests (TMF) of the threatened Atlantic Forest hotspot play an important role in providing essential ecosystem services associated with hydrological regime and biodiversity conservation. However, important ecological patterns such as those related to the woody carbon biogeochemical cycle are not yet known for these forests, especially those located at high elevations (> 1500 m. a.s.l.). Herein, we used a dataset of 60 plots (2.4 ha) of old-growth TMF sampled along a high-elevation gradient (1500-2100 m a.s.l.) and monitored in two inventories (2011 and 2016) to better understand the patterns of carbon stock and uptake of these high-elevation forests and the related environmental (soil) and elevation controls. We found differences in the carbon stock along different elevation levels (120.36-170.4C.ton.ha^-1) and a carbon accumulation trend over the period along the entire gradient. Thus, forest carbon gain (3.82-5.14 ton.ha.year^-1) was greater than the carbon loss (2.1-3.4 ton.ha.year^-1) and resulted in a positive productivity net. In other words, the TMF acted as a carbon sink, removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in woody tissues. Soil variables also exert significant influences on carbon stock and uptake (significative effects of phosphorus on carbon stock and of cation exchange capacity on carbon loss), driving such patterns in isolation or in interaction with elevation. Considering the high conservation degree of the TMF monitored, our results may be indicative of a similar trend in other similar forests, but which have gone through disturbances in the more recent past. These TMF fragments have a wide occurrence in the Atlantic Forest hotspot and may also be acting or will soon act as carbon sinks in improved conservation scenarios. Thus, these forests can play an essential role in conserving ecosystem services in the region and in mitigating climate changes.

Keywords: Altitudinal quotes; Carbon storage; Cloud tropical forests; Evergreen forests.

MeSH terms

Biomass
Carbon Sequestration
Carbon*
Ecosystem*
Forests
Soil
Trees
Tropical Climate
Wood

Substances

Carbon
Soil