@Article{Espírito-SantoKeLiOlPeOl:2014:MeUsHi,
author = "Esp{\'{\i}}rito-Santo, Fernando D. B. and Keller, Michael M. and
Linder, Ernst and Oliveira Junior, Raimundo C. and Pereira,
Cleuton and Oliveira, Cleber G.",
affiliation = "Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of
New Hampshire and Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and
Space, University of New Hampshire and Department of Mathematics
and Statistics, University of New Hampshire and {EMBRAPA
Amaz{\^o}nia Oriental} and {EMBRAPA Amaz{\^o}nia Oriental} and
{Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)}",
title = "Gap formation and carbon cycling in the Brazilian Amazon:
Measurement using high-resolution optical remote sensing and
studies in large forest plots",
journal = "Plant Ecology \& Diversity",
year = "2014",
volume = "7",
number = "1-2",
pages = "305--318",
keywords = "Amazon, canopy opening, coarse wood debris gaps, leaf area index
natural disturbances, remote sensing, tropical forest, IKONOS.",
abstract = "Background: The dynamics of gaps plays a role in the regimes of
tree mortality, production of coarse woody debris (CWD) and the
variability of light in the forest understory. Aims: To quantify
the area affected by, and the carbon fluxes associated with,
natural gap-phase disturbances in a tropical lowland evergreen
rain forest by use of ground measurements and high-resolution
satellite images. Methods: We surveyed two large forest inventory
plots of 114 and 53 ha of the Tapaj{\'o}s National Forest (TNF)
in the Brazilian Amazon during 2008 and 2009, respectively. We
mapped all gaps and collected data on light availability, CWD
stocks and tree mortality in the field. Gap location, canopy
openness (CO) and leaf area index (LAI) estimated in the field
were compared with two IKONOS-2 high-resolution satellite images
acquired at approximately the time of the field measurements.
Results: In the two large plots (167 ha total area) we found 96
gaps. The gaps represented 1.42% of the total area and gaps
<1-year-old accounted for 0.81% of the plot area. In TNF, the
production of CWD in recent gaps was 0.76 Mg C ha-1 year-1 and the
mean tree mortality was 2.38 stems ha-1 year-1. The area of gaps
estimated using thresholds of light intensity measured by remote
sensing optical instruments was twice as large as the gap areas
measured on the ground. We found no significant correlation
between spectral remote sensing images and CO or LAI, probably due
to the high degree of shadow in the high-resolution satellite
images. Conclusions: We present the first statistics of CWD
production based on gap size in the tropical forest literature.
Tree mortality and CWD flux and the forest floor light environment
were closely related to gap area. However, less than 30% of the
annual tree mortality and CWD flux was associated with gaps, and
gaps were difficult to detect using remote sensing methods because
of the high proportion of shadow in the images. These results
highlight the need for permanent plots in long-term carbon
studies.",
doi = "10.1080/17550874.2013.795629",
url = "http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2013.795629",
issn = "1755-0874",
label = "scopus 2014-05 Esp{\'{\i}}rito-SantoKeLiOlPeOl:2014:MeUsHi",
language = "en",
urlaccessdate = "03 jun. 2024"
}