Estoques e fluxos de carbono em plantações florestais jovens de Acacia mangium e Schizolobium parahyba var. Amazonicum na Amazônia Oriental

Plantações florestais são consideradas como alternativas de uso da terra para mitigação dos efeitos das mudanças climáticas, devido ao potencial de sequestro de carbono em espécies arbóreas. No entanto, há poucas informações sobre estoques e fluxos de carbono em espécies comumente usadas em plantações florestais, sobretudo na Amazônia. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o estoque de carbono na fitomassa e o efluxo de dióxido de carbono do solo em plantios de Acacia mangium Willd e Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum em diferentes espaçamentos. O estudo foi conduzido em Dom Eliseu, Pará, cujo clima apresenta temperatura média anual em torno de 25 ºC e precipitação anual de 2250 a 2500 mm; o solo predominante é Latossolo amarelo distrófico típico A moderado textura muito argilosa. Neste estudo foram selecionadas duas espécies (A. mangium e S. parahyba) em dois espaçamentos (4,0 m x 2,0 m e 4,0 m x 3,0 m), com duas repetições, totalizando 4 tratamentos e 8 parcelas, estudadas por um período de um ano, dos 2,5 aos 3,5 anos de idade. As parcelas mediram 48 m x 60 m. Mediram-se altura total, diâmetro à altura do peito, fluxo de CO₂ do solo, e estimou-se o estoque de carbono na fitomassa acima do nível do solo. O efluxo de CO₂ do solo nos plantios de A. mangium tiveram uma média global de 5,61 ± 1,30 Mg C ha^-1 ano^-1, e, em S. parahyba, a média global foi 7,07 ± 1,50 Mg C ha^-1 ano^-1. O acúmulo anual de carbono na fitomassa acima do solo nos plantios de A. mangium foi 16,41 ± 1,16 e 14,03 ± 0,82 Mg C ha^-1 ano^-1, no 4,0 x 2,0 m e 4,0 x 3,0 m, respectivamente. Em S. parahyba o acúmulo anual global foi 8,93 ± 1,87 Mg C ha^-1 ano^-1. O plantio de A. mangium acumulou mais carbono na fitomassa acima do solo em relação a S. parahyba, com efluxos anuais de CO₂ menores em relação ao plantio de S. parahyba em ambos espaçamentos. Dessa forma, plantios de A. mangium, no espaçamento 4,0 x 2,0 m, são recomendados para projetos de sequestro de carbono. Entre os espaçamentos de plantio testados para S. parahyba, 4,0 x 3,0 m seria recomendado devido a mesma eficiência no sequestro de carbono em relação a 4,0 x 2,0 m, porém com menor requerimento de mudas. A continuidade no monitoramento nessas plantações florestais é fundamental para que conclusões mais definitivas sejam feitas a respeito da dinâmica do carbono.

Estoque e ciclagem de carbono de sistemas agroflorestais em Tomé-Açu, Amazônia Oriental

Sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs) consistem em importante prática agrícola de uso da terra voltada a produção e a prestação de serviços ambientais. O objetivo deste trabalho consistiu em realizar um estudo do estoque e ciclagem de carbono de 4 sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs) com idades e composições diferentes, além de uma vegetação secundária (capoeira), no município de Tomé-Açu, na região nordeste do Estado do Pará, Amazônia Oriental. Foram medidos os estoques de carbono no solo, na serrapilheira e na biomassa da parte aérea. O fluxo de carbono foi medido na deposição de material formador de serrapilheira e incremento da biomassa aérea no período de um ano, entre outubro de 2008 e setembro de 2009. Os SAFs foram divididos em quatro categorias, denominados SAF 1, SAF 2, SAF 3 e SAF 4, sendo (SAF 1: cacau, açaí, bananeira e seringueira, 14 anos de idade, SAF 2: cacau, açaí, bananeira, seringueira, taperebá, paricá e macacaúba, 14 anos de idade, SAF 3: cupuaçu, açaí, teca e mogno, 9 anos de idade, SAF 4:cupuaçu, açaí e paricá, 9 anos de idade). Em cada sistema, foram instaladas 4 parcelas amostrais, onde foram coletados os dados de diâmetro a altura do peito (DAP) e altura (h), usados posteriormente para estimar a biomassa da parte aérea. Dentro das parcelas foram instalados coletores para medir a deposição de material formador de serrapilheira e realizadas coletas de solo e serrapilheira utilizadas na estimativa dos estoques de carbono. Não houve diferença significativa entre os SAFs analisados para a variável estoque de carbono no solo, assim como não houve diferença no estoque de carbono na biomassa da parte aérea. O SAF 4 teve a maior deposição de serrapilheira anual entre todos os tratamentos. Os SAFs não diferiram da capoeira quanto ao estoque de carbono no solo e serrapilheira. A produtividade primária líquida atingiu 2,54, 6,11, 9,54 e 16,27 Mg C ha^-1 ano^-1 nos SAFs 1, 2, 3 e 4, respectivamente. A idade dos SAFs não teve efeito significativo na quantidade de carbono acumulada no período de um ano.

Critérios para a amostragem de lianas: comparação e estimativa da abundância e biomassa de lianas no Cerrado

Lianas play a key role in many tropical forests ecosystems, contributing to community abundance, diversity and structure. Techniques to census lianas and estimate biomass have been used mainly in tropical forests. The aim of this study was to verify if different measurement location on the stem and inclusion criteria influence the estimations of liana abundance and biomass in Cerrado. The study was carried out at Itirapina fragment (ca 260 ha) located in Sao Paulo, Southeast Brazil. We measured all apparent ramets of rooted lianas by using different inclusion criteria: >= 0.5 cm in diameter at 30 cm basal area (D_30), and at 130 cm diameter breast height (DBH), in 36 transects (10 x 25 m). We compared the biomass using the allometric equation based on data from tropical florest take at 130 cm (DBH) and other The allometric biomass equation development to estimate the aboveground biomass of live lianas in tropical forests (DAP = 130 cm) was used. We tested the liana biomass, based on measurements taken at (D_30) using two different conversion equations. The results did not show significant differences in liana abundance and above ground biomass estimated applying the different criteria of inclusion However the biomass estimated from data collected at D_30 and converted into DAP showed a tendency to increase in biomass. Our findings suggest that the protocol used to the census of liana and the allometric biomass equation proposed to forests can be applied in the Cerrado.

Resistance of Sugarcane Cultivars to Mahanarva fimbriolata (StAyenl) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Age of No-Till System and Nitrogen Management on Common Bean Nutrition and Yield

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da produtividade em áreas de campo sujo com diferentes históricos de fogo

Fire is a common event in different ecosystems and can both be caused by humans or have natural sources.. In many of these ecosystems, natural fires are an important factor that determines the vegetation. The reduction of tree cover by fire for example, resulted in the evolution of several species-rich ecosystems, dominated by C4 grasses. However, the fire caused by human actions may have greater intensity and lead to negative responses of vegetation, since man changed the fire regime in many parts of the world, such as in the Cerrado. The passage of fire can benefit herbaceous and woody seedlings that cannot compete with the dominant grass layer. It removes the dead biomass and litter (major components of the fuel load), opening up spaces within the grass matrix that allow the establishment of other species. After some time without fire, an increase in shrub cover and decrease herbaceous layer can be observed. One of the major consequences of the absence of fire in savanna and grassland ecosystems is the accumulation of flammable dead biomass (mainly composed of graminoids), which will probably be the fuel load of the next burning thus, fires will be more intense and hotter. Moreover, very frequent burns lead to a reduction in the frequency and density of grasses. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the quantity and quality of biomass in areas with different fire history (fire exclusion for 2 and 7 years) in areas of campo sujo in central Cerrado. Plots (1x1m) were established in both areas and all aboveground biomass of each plot was cut at ground level and put in paper bags in the field. In the laboratory, the material was sorted into live and dead biomass. In addition, live biomass was separated into different functional groups (graminoids, forbs, Vellozia spp, palm and shrubs). The material was oven dried for two days at 80°C and subsequently weighed. In both areas, we found a dominance of graminoid and dead biomass. The area...

Transpiração e eficiência de uso da água em plantios puros e mistos de eucalyptus grandis e acacia mangium

Pós-graduação em Ciência Florestal - FCA

Avaliação de diferentes técnicas de manejo para o controle de gramíneas invasoras em unidade de conservação de cerrado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Production and carbon allocation in monocultures and mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium in Brazil

Introducing nitrogen-fixing tree species in fast-growing eucalypt plantations has the potential to improve soil nitrogen availability compared with eucalypt monocultures. Whether or not the changes in soil nutrient status and stand structure will lead to mixtures that out-yield monocultures depends on the balance between positive interactions and the negative effects of interspecific competition, and on their effect on carbon (C) uptake and partitioning. We used a C budget approach to quantify growth, C uptake and C partitioning in monocultures of Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill ex Maiden) and Acacia mangium (Willd.) (treatments E100 and A100, respectively), and in a mixture at the same stocking density with the two species at a proportion of 1 : 1 (treatment MS). Allometric relationships established over the whole rotation, and measurements of soil CO2 efflux and aboveground litterfall for ages 4-6 years after planting were used to estimate aboveground net primary production (ANPP), total belowground carbon flux (TBCF) and gross primary production (GPP). We tested the hypotheses that (i) species differences for wood production between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures were partly explained by different C partitioning strategies, and (ii) the observed lower wood production in the mixture compared with eucalypt monoculture was mostly explained by a lower partitioning aboveground. At the end of the rotation, total aboveground biomass was lowest in A100 (10.5 kg DM m(-2)), intermediate in MS (12.2 kg DM m(-2)) and highest in E100 (13.9 kg DM m(-2)). The results did not support our first hypothesis of contrasting C partitioning strategies between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures: the 21% lower growth (delta B-w) in A100 compared with E100 was almost entirely explained by a 23% lower GPP, with little or no species difference in ratios such as TBCF/GPP, ANPP/TBCF, delta B-w/ANPP and delta B-w/GPP. In contrast, the 28% lower delta B-w in MS than in E100 was explained both by a 15% lower GPP and by a 15% lower fraction of GPP allocated to wood growth, thus partially supporting our second hypothesis: mixing the two species led to shifts in C allocations from above- to belowground, and from growth to litter production, for both species.

Analysis of the relationships between Spartina maritima and nutrient enrichment in North Adriatic salt marshes

Salt marshes are coastal ecosystem in the upper intertidal zone between internal water and sea and are widely spread throughout Italy, from Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the North, to Sicily, in the South. These delicate environments are threatened by eutrophication, habitat conversion (for land reclaiming or agriculture) and climate change impacts such as sea level rise. The objectives of my thesis were to: 1) analyse the distribution and biomass of the perennial native cordgrass Spartina maritima (one of the most relevant foundation species in the low intertidal saltmarsh vegetation in the study region) at 7 sites along the Northern Adriatic coast and relate it to critical environmental parameters and 2) to carry out a nutrient manipulation experiment to detect nutrient enrichment effects on S. maritima biomass and vegetation characteristics. The survey showed significant differences among sites in biological response variables - i.e., live belowground, live aboveground biomass, above:belowground (R:S) biomass ratio, % cover, average height and stem density – which were mainly related to differences in nitrate, nitrite and phosphate contents in surface water. Preliminary results from the experiment (which is still ongoing) showed so far no significant effects of nutrient enrichment on live aboveground and belowground biomass, R:S ratio, leaf %Carbon, average height, stem density and random shoot height; however, a significantly higher (P=0.018) increase in leaf %Nitrogen content in treated plots indicated that nutrient uptake had occurred.

Carbon sequestration in Himalaya's alpine meadows: Mitigating cropping encroachment on pastures in Northern Pakistan

Rangelands store about 30% of the world’s carbon and support over 120 million pastoralists globally. Adjusting the management of remote alpine pastures bears a substantial climate change mitigation potential that can provide livelihood support for marginalized pastoralists through carbon payment. Landless pastoralists in Northern Pakistan seek higher income by cropping potatoes and peas over alpine pastures. However, tilling steep slopes without terracing exposes soil to erosion. Moreover, yields decline rapidly requiring increasing fertilizer inputs. Under these conditions, carbon payment could be a feasible option to compensate pastoralists for renouncing hazardous cropping while favoring pastoral activities. The study quantifies and compares C on cropped and grazed land. The hypothesis was that cropping on alpine pastures reduces former carbon storage. The study area located in the Naran valley of the Pakistani Himalayas receives an annual average of 819 mm of rain and 764 mm of snow. Average temperatures remain below 0°C from November to March while frost may occur all year round. A total of 72 soil core samples were collected discriminating land use (cropping, pasture), aspect (North, South), elevation (low 3000, middle 3100, and high 3200 m a.s.l.), and soil depth (shallow 0-10, deep 10-30 cm). Thirty six biomass samples were collected over the same independent variables (except for soil depth) using a 10x10x20 cm steal box inserted in the ground for each sample. Aboveground biomass and coarse roots were separated from the soil aggregate and oven-dried. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and biomass carbon (BC) were estimated through a potassium dichromate oxidation treatment. The samples were collected during the second week of October 2010 at the end of the grazing and cropping season and before the first snowfall. The data was statistically analyzed by means of a one-way analysis of variance. Results show that all variables taken separately have a significant effect on mean SOC [%]: crop/pasture 1.33/1.6, North/South 1.61/1.32, low/middle/high 1.09/1.62/1.68, shallow/deep 1.4/1.53. However, for BC, only land use has a significant effect with more than twice the amount of carbon in pastures [g m-2]: crop/pasture 127/318. These preliminary findings suggest that preventing the conversion of pastures into cropping fields in the Naran valley avoids an average loss of 12.2 t C ha-1 or 44.8 t CO2eq ha-1 representing a foreseeable compensation of 672 € ha-1 for the Naran landless pastoralists who would renounce cropping. The ongoing study shall provide a complete picture for carbon payment integrating key aspects such as the rate of cropping encroachment over pastures per year, the methane leakage from the system due to livestock enteric fermentation, the expected cropping income vs. livestock income and the transaction costs of implementing the mitigation project, certifying it, and verifying carbon credits. A net present value over an infinite time horizon for the mitigation scenario shall be estimated on an iterative simulation to consider weather and price uncertainties. The study will also provide an estimate of the minimum price of carbon at which pastoralists would consider engaging in the mitigation activity.

Dispersal and seed limitation affect diversity and productivity of montane grasslands

So far, seed limitation as a local process, and dispersal limitation as a regional process have been largely neglected in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research. However, these processes can influence both local plant species diversity and ecosystem processes, such as biomass production. We added seeds of 60 species from the regional species pool to grassland communities at 20 montane grassland sites in Germany. In these sites, plant species diversity ranged from 10 to 34 species m(-2) and, before manipulation, diversity was not related to aboveground biomass, which ranged from 108 to 687 g m(-2). One year after seed addition, local plant species richness had increased on average by six species m(-2) (29%) compared with control plots, and this increase was highest in grasslands with intermediate productivity. The increased diversity after adding seeds was associated with an average increase of aboveground biomass of 36 g m(-2) (14.8%) compared with control plots. Thus, our results demonstrate that a positive relationship between changes in species richness and productivity, as previously reported from experimental plant communities, also holds for natural grassland ecosystems. Our results show that local plant communities are dispersal limited and a hump-shaped model appears to be the limiting outline of the natural diversity-productivity relationship. Hence, the effects of dispersal on local diversity can substantially affect the functioning of natural ecosystems.

Invasive clonal plant species have a greater root-foraging plasticity than non-invasive ones

Clonality is frequently positively correlated with plant invasiveness, but which aspects of clonality make some clonal species more invasive than others is not known. Due to their spreading growth form, clonal plants are likely to experience spatial heterogeneity in nutrient availability. Plasticity in allocation of biomass to clonal growth organs and roots may allow these plants to forage for high-nutrient patches. We investigated whether this foraging response is stronger in species that have become invasive than in species that have not. We used six confamilial pairs of native European clonal plant species differing in invasion success in the USA. We grew all species in large pots under homogeneous or heterogeneous nutrient conditions in a greenhouse, and compared their nutrient-foraging response and performance. Neither invasive nor non-invasive species showed significant foraging responses to heterogeneity in clonal growth organ biomass or in aboveground biomass of clonal offspring. Invasive species had, however, a greater positive foraging response in terms of root and belowground biomass than non-invasive species. Invasive species also produced more total biomass. Our results suggest that the ability for strong root foraging is among the characteristics promoting invasiveness in clonal plants.

Seasonal controls on grassland microbial biogeography: Are they governed by plants, abiotic properties or both?

Temporal dynamics create unique and often ephemeral conditions that can influence soil microbial biogeography at different spatial scales. This study investigated the relation between decimeter to meter spatial variability of soil microbial community structure, plant diversity, and soil properties at six dates from April through November. We also explored the robustness of these interactions over time. An historically unfertilized, unplowed grassland in southwest Germany was selected to characterize how seasonal variability in the composition of plant communities and substrate quality changed the biogeography of soil microorganisms at the plot scale (10 m x 10 m). Microbial community spatial structure was positively correlated with the local environment, i.e. physical and chemical soil properties, in spring and autumn, while the density and diversity of plants had an additional effect in the summer period. Spatial relationships among plant and microbial communities were detected only in the early summer and autumn periods when aboveground biomass increase was most rapid and its influence on soil microbial communities was greatest due to increased demand by plants for nutrients. Individual properties exhibited varying degrees of spatial structure over the season. Differential responses of Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial communities to seasonal shifts in soil nutrients were detected. We concluded that spatial distribution patterns of soil microorganisms change over a season and that chemical soil properties are more important controlling factors than plant density and diversity. Finer spatial resolution, such as the mm to cm scale, as well as taxonomic resolution of microbial groups, could help determine the importance of plant species density, composition, and growth stage in shaping microbial community composition and spatial patterns. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activated carbon may have undesired side effects for testing allelopathy in invasive plants

Activated carbon has become a widely used tool to investigate root-mediated allelopathy of plants, especially in plant invasion biology, because it adsorbs and thereby neutralizes root exudates. Allelopathy has been a controversially debated phenomenon for years, which revived in plant invasion biology as one possible reason for the success of invasive plants. Noxious plant exudates may harm other plants and provide an advantage to the allelopathic plant. However, root exudates are not always toxic, but may stimulate the microbial community and change nutrient availability in the rhizosphere. In a greenhouse experiment, we investigated the interacting effects of activated carbon, arbuscular mycorrhiza and plant competition between the invasive Senecio inaequidens and the native Artemisia vulgaris. Furthermore, we tested whether activated carbon showed any undesired effects by directly affecting mycorrhiza or soil chemistry. Contrary to the expectation, S. inaequidens was a weak competitor and we could not support the idea that allelopathy was involved in the competition. Activated carbon led to a considerable increase in the aboveground biomass production and reduced the infection with arbuscular mycorrhiza of both plant species. We expected that arbuscular mycorrhiza promotes plant growth by increasing nutrient availability, but we found the contrary when activated carbon was added. Chemical analyses of the substrate showed, that adding activated carbon resulted in a strong increase in plant available phosphate and in a decrease of the C(organic)/N(total) ration both of which suggest stimulated microbial activity. Thus, activated carbon not only reduced potential allelopathic effects, but substantially changed the chemistry of the substrate. These results show that activated carbon should be handled with great care in ecological experiments on allelopathy because of possible confounding effects on the soil community.