Simon L. Lewis
A5044312224- Forest ecology and management
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest Management and Policy
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Plant and animal studies
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Global Energy and Sustainability Research
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Climate variability and models
- Climate Change Policy and Economics
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
University of Leeds
2016-2025
University College London
2016-2025
Universidad de Londres
2024
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
2024
University of Aberdeen
2024
Sabah Forestry Department
2024
University of London
2024
Université du Québec à Montréal
2023
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
2023
The University of Adelaide
2020
Net average global annual uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by forests was 1.1 petagrams carbon, roughly one-sixth fossil fuel emissions.
Abstract Plant traits – the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants their organs determine how primary producers respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, influence ecosystem processes services provide a link from species richness functional diversity. Trait data thus represent raw material for wide range research evolutionary biology, community ecology biogeography. Here we present global database initiative named...
Developing countries are required to produce robust estimates of forest carbon stocks for successful implementation climate change mitigation policies related reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). Here we present a “benchmark” map biomass over 2.5 billion ha forests on three continents, encompassing all tropical forests, the early 2000s, which will be invaluable REDD assessments at both project national scales. We mapped total stock in live (above- belowground), using...
Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, might accelerate climate change through losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses intense 2005 drought, possible analog future events. Affected lost biomass, reversing large sink, with greatest impacts observed where season was unusually intense. Relative pre-2005...
The biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR critical for accurate valuation effective conservation biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, showing that continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline forest...
In 2010, dry-season rainfall was low across Amazonia, with apparent similarities to the major 2005 drought. We analyzed a decade of satellite-derived data compare both events. Standardized anomalies showed that 57% Amazonia had in 2010 as compared 37% (≤-1 standard deviation from long-term mean). By using relationships between drying and forest biomass responses measured for 2005, we predict impact drought 2.2 × 10(15) grams carbon [95% confidence intervals (CIs) are 1.2 3.4], largely...
Abstract Uncertainty in biomass estimates is one of the greatest limitations to models carbon flux tropical forests. Previous comparisons field‐based aboveground (AGB) trees greater than 10 cm diameter within Amazonia have been limited by paucity data for western Amazon forests, and use site‐specific methods estimate from inventory data. In addition, role regional variation stand‐level wood specific gravity has not previously considered. Using 56 mature forest plots across Amazonia, we...
Abstract The biomass of tropical forests plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, both as a dynamic reservoir carbon, and source dioxide to atmosphere areas undergoing deforestation. However, absolute magnitude environmental determinants forest are still poorly understood. Here, we present new synthesis interpolation basal area aboveground live old‐growth lowland across South America, based on data from 227 plots, many previously unpublished. Forest was analyzed terms two...
We combined two existing datasets of vegetation aboveground biomass (AGB) (Proceedings the National Academy Sciences United States America, 108, 2011, 9899; Nature Climate Change, 2, 2012, 182) into a pan-tropical AGB map at 1-km resolution using an independent reference dataset field observations and locally calibrated high-resolution maps, harmonized upscaled to 14 477 estimates. Our data fusion approach uses bias removal weighted linear averaging that incorporates spatializes patterns...
Featured paper: See Editorial p553
Abstract The net primary production of tropical forests and its partitioning between long‐lived carbon pools (wood) shorter‐lived (leaves, fine roots) are considerable importance in the global cycle. However, these terms have only been studied at a handful field sites, with no consistent calculation methodology. Here we calculate above‐ground coarse wood productivity for 104 forest plots lowland New World humid forests, using methodology that incorporates corrections spatial variations...
Abstract. Tropical tree height-diameter (H:D) relationships may vary by forest type and region making large-scale estimates of above-ground biomass subject to bias if they ignore these differences in stem allometry. We have therefore developed a new global tropical database consisting 39 955 concurrent H D measurements encompassing 283 sites 22 countries. Utilising this database, our objectives were: 1. determine H:D differ geographic (wet dry forests, including zones tension where savanna...
A previous study by Phillips et al . of changes in the biomass permanent sample plots Amazonian forests was used to infer presence a regional carbon sink. However, these results generated vigorous debate about sampling and methodological issues. Therefore we present new analysis change old–growth forest using updated inventory data. We find that across 59 sites, above–ground dry trees are more than 10 cm diameter (AGB) has increased since plot establishment 1.22 ± 0.43 Mg per hectare year...
Previous work has shown that tree turnover, biomass and large liana densities have increased in mature tropical forest plots the late twentieth century. These results point to a concerted shift ecological processes may already be having significant impacts on terrestrial carbon stocks, fluxes biodiversity. However, findings proved controversial, partly because rather limited number of permanent been monitored for short periods. The aim this paper is characterize regional–scale patterns ‘tree...
Abstract. Aboveground tropical tree biomass and carbon storage estimates commonly ignore height (H). We estimate the effect of incorporating H on tropics-wide forest in 327 plots across four continents using 42 656 diameter measurements harvested trees from 20 sites to answer following questions: 1. What is best H-model form geographic unit include models minimise site-level uncertainty destructive biomass? 2. To what extent does including derived (1) reduce all plots? 3. accounting for have...