Carbon stocks in a highly fragmented landscape with seasonally dry tropical forest in the Neotropics
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Fecha
2022-05
Autores
Mesa-Sierra, Natalia
Laborde, Javier
Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca
Escobar, Federico
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Editor
Beijing Forestry University
Resumen
Descripción
Background: Global modeling of carbon storage and sequestration often mischaracterizes unique ecosystems such
as the seasonally dry tropical forest of the central region of the Gulf of Mexico, because species diversity is usually
underestimated, as is their carbon content. In this study, aboveground and soil carbon stocks were estimated to
determine the climate mitigation potential of this highly degraded landscape (<25% of forest cover).
Results: Tree species in the study area had carbon content values that were 30%–40% higher than the standard
value proposed by the IPCC (i.e., 50%). Tropical oak forest in the region, despite its restricted distribution and low
species richness, accounted for the highest mean carbon stocks per unit area. The main factors driving spatial
variability in carbon stocks were: maximum precipitation, soil organic matter, clay and silt content. No strong
relationship was found between aboveground carbon stocks and soil organic carbon in the study area. Quanti fication of carbon stocks is an important consideration in the assessment of the conservation value of remnants of
native vegetation in human-modified landscapes.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of the highly fragmented tropical dry regions of the Neo tropics in maintaining landscape functionality and providing key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration.
Our results also highlight how crucial field-based studies are for strengthening the accuracy of global models.
Furthermore, this approach reveals the real contribution of ecosystems that are not commonly taken into account
in the mitigation of climate change effects.
Palabras clave
Seasonally Dry Tropical Region, Ecosystem Services, Carbon Sequestration, Human Modified Landscapes, Climate Change Mitigation
Citación
Mesa-Sierra, N., Laborde, J., Chaplin-Kramer, R., & Escobar, F. (2022).Carbon stocks in a highly fragmented landscape with seasonally dry tropical forest in the Neotropics. Forest Ecosystems, 9, 100016.