Summary
This long-term ground-based study of 123 tropical forest plots across South America quantified the response of forest carbon dynamics to the severe 2015–2016 El Niño event. Forests in drier baseline climates experienced the greatest impacts, with the regional carbon sink effectively ceasing (−0.02 ± 0.37 Mg C ha⁻¹ per year), suggesting these forests operate closer to physiological limits despite potential prior adaptation. However, intact forests overall demonstrated resilience comparable to previous less intense droughts, underscoring their continued critical role in climate mitigation if protected from further disturbance.
Regional applicability
This study is geographically distant from the United Kingdom but provides important evidence on tropical forest carbon dynamics under climate extremes. The findings are relevant to UK climate policy and international carbon accounting frameworks, though the mechanisms and thresholds identified in South American tropical systems are not directly transferable to temperate UK woodlands or agricultural systems.
Key measures
Biomass carbon accumulation (Mg C ha⁻¹ per year), tree-by-tree growth and mortality responses, carbon balance during extreme drought event
Outcomes reported
Ground-measured tree-by-tree biomass responses across 123 forest plots during the 2015–2016 El Niño event, showing cessation of the carbon sink in drier forests and overall carbon balance near zero. The study examined differential vulnerability of South American tropical forests to extreme climate anomalies based on baseline climate conditions.
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