Carbon storage in tropical forests correlates with taxonomic diversity and functional dominance on a global scale

作者：Kyle C. Cavanaugh, J. Stephen Gosnell, Samantha L. Davis, Jorge Ahumada, Patrick Boundja, David B. Clark, Badru Mugerwa, Patrick A. Jansen, Timothy G. O’Brien, Francesco Rovero, Douglas Sheil, Rodolfo Vásquez, Sandy J. Andelman · 发表于：Global Ecology and Biogeography · 年份：2014 · DOI：10.1111/geb.12143 · 被引用次数：222 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management、Forest Management and Policy

Abstract Aim We examined (1) the relationships between aboveground tropical forest C storage, biodiversity and environmental drivers and (2) how these relationships inform theory concerning ecosystem function and biodiversity. Experiments have shown that there is a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but intense debate exists on the underlying mechanisms. While some argue that mechanisms such as niche complementarity increase ecosystem function, others argue that these relationships are a selection effect. Location Eleven tropical forests in the A mericas, A frica and A sia. Methods We analysed the correlates of biodiversity and carbon storage in tropical forests using data from 59 1‐ha tree plots from a standardized global tropical forest biodiversity‐monitoring network. We examined taxonomic and functional diversity, aboveground C storage and environmental variables in order to determine the relationships between biodiversity and carbon storage in natural (non‐plantation) tropical forests. Results We found that aboveground C storage in tropical forests increased with both taxonomic diversity and functional dominance, specifically the dominance of genera with large maximum diameters, after potential environmental drivers were accounted for (final model R 2 = 0.38, P < 0.001). Main conclusions Our results suggest that niche complementarity and the selection effect are not mutually exclusive: they both play a role in structuring tropical fores...