Climate seasonality limits leaf carbon assimilation and wood productivity in tropical forests.

The seasonal climate drivers of the carbon cy- cle in tropical forests remain poorly known, although these forests account for more carbon assimilation and storage than any other terrestrial ecosystem. Based on a unique combina- tion of seasonal pan-tropical data sets from 89 experimental sites (68 include aboveground wood productivity measure- ments and 35 litter productivity measurements), their asso- ciated canopy photosynthetic capacity (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and climate, we ask how carbon assimilation and aboveground allocation are related to climate seasonal- ity in tropical forests and how they interact in the seasonal carbon cycle. We found that canopy photosynthetic capacity seasonality responds positively to precipitation when rain- fall is < 2000 mm yr-1 (water-limited forests) and to radia- tion otherwise (light-limited forests). On the other hand, in- dependent of climate limitations, wood productivity and lit- terfall are driven by seasonal variation in precipitation and evapotranspiration, respectively. Consequently, light-limited forests present an asynchronism between canopy photosyn- thetic capacity and wood productivity. First-order control by precipitation likely indicates a decrease in tropical forest pro- ductivity in a drier climate in water-limited forest, and in cur- rent light-limited forest with future rainfall < 2000 mm yr-1.

AgroDB - integration of database management systems with crop models.

2016

Dynamic of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils treated with biochar.

In recent years the interest in pyrogenic carbon for agricultural use (biochar, i.e. carbonized biomass for agricultural use) has sharply increased. However biochar contain dangerous compounds such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), many of them potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic. They are organic compounds formed from incomplete combustion of organic materials and are persistent pollutants. Therefore, PAHs concentrations and their dynamic must be evaluated in soils amended with biochar. For this, soil samples were collected in three experimental areas in different years (1, 3, 5 or 6) after the application of 0 (control) or 16 Mg ha-1 of biochar. This is the first report of PAHs persistence up to six years in soil treated with biochar. The biochar application increased total PAHs concentrations up to five years after the application, however the levels have always been an order of magnitude lower the limits of prevention established by International Environmental Agencies for soils. Thus, under the evaluated conditions ,the use of biochar was safe concerning PAHs contamination, besides, after six years of the application, the levels found were similar to the control treatment, making it possible to define a safe frequency of application based on the persistence of PAHs in soil.