A5067968850- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Forest Management and Policy
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Botany and Geology in Latin America and Caribbean
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolism
University of Minnesota
2016-2025
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
2023-2025
University of Iowa
2021-2024
University of Minnesota System
2023
Duke University
2002-2022
University of Cincinnati
2022
University of Florida
2022
University of Iowa Health Care
2022
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
2012-2020
Columbia University
2019
Models reveal the high carbon mitigation potential of tropical forest regeneration.
Tropical secondary forests recover quickly (decades) in tree species richness but slowly (centuries) composition.
Abstract The carbon use efficiency ( CUE ) of microbial communities partitions the flow C from primary producers to atmosphere, decomposer food webs, and soil stores. , usually defined as ratio growth assimilation, is a critical parameter in ecosystem models, but seldom measured directly soils because methodological difficulty measuring situ rates respiration. Alternatively, can be estimated indirectly elemental stoichiometry organic matter biomass, ratios nutrient‐acquiring ecoenzymatic...
We assessed whether diversity in plant hydraulic traits can explain the observed responses to water stress seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs). The Ecosystem Demography model 2 (ED2) was updated with a trait-driven mechanistic module, as well novel drought-phenology and schemes. Four functional types were parameterized on basis of meta-analysis traits. Simulations from both original ED2 evaluated against 5 yr field data Costa Rican SDTF site remote-sensing over Central America. generated...
1 Litter decomposition recycles nutrients and causes large fluxes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is typically assumed that climate, litter quality decomposer communities determine decay rates, yet few comparative studies have examined their relative contributions in tropical forests. 2 We used a short-term litterbag experiment to quantify effects quality, placement mesofaunal exclusion on 23 forests 14 countries. Annual precipitation varied among sites (760–5797 mm). At each site,...
Tropical forests disappear rapidly because of deforestation, yet they have the potential to regrow naturally on abandoned lands. We analyze how 12 forest attributes recover during secondary succession and their recovery is interrelated using 77 sites across tropics. are highly resilient low-intensity land use; after 20 years, attain 78% (33 100%) old-growth values. Recovery 90% values fastest for soil (<1 decade) plant functioning (<2.5 decades), intermediate structure species diversity (2.5...
Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) are located in regions with alternating wet and seasons, seasons that last several months or more. By the end of 21st century, climate models predict substantial changes rainfall regimes across these regions, but little is known about how individuals, species, communities SDTF will cope hotter, drier conditions predicted by models. In this review, we explore different scenarios may result ecological drought through lens two alternative hypotheses: 1) be...
The distribution of tropical forest biomass across the landscape is poorly understood, particularly in increasingly common secondary forests. We studied landscape-scale edaphic properties, plant community characteristics, and aboveground (AGB) dry forests northwest Costa Rica. used structural equation modeling to examine conceptual models relationships among these factors, with data from 84 0.1 ha plots. Stand age soils explained 33%–60% variation community-weighted mean values foliar traits...
Abstract Drought‐related tree mortality is now a widespread phenomenon predicted to increase in magnitude with climate change. However, the patterns of which species and trees are most vulnerable drought, underlying mechanisms have remained elusive, part due lack relevant data difficulty predicting location catastrophic drought years advance. We used long‐term demographic records extensive databases functional traits distribution understand responses 20–53 an extreme seasonally dry tropical...
Scientists, corporations, mystics, and movie stars have convinced policymakers around the world that a massive campaign to plant trees should be an essential element of global climate policy. Public dialogue has emphasized potential benefits tree planting while downplaying pitfalls limitations are well established by social ecological research. We argue if natural solutions succeed economies decarbonize (Griscom et al. 2017), must recognize avoid expense, risk, damage poorly designed hastily...
Tropical reforestation (TR) has been highlighted as an important intervention for climate change mitigation because of its carbon storage potential. TR can also play other frequently overlooked, but significant, roles in helping society and ecosystems adapt to variability change. For example, ameliorate climate‐associated impacts altered hydrological cycles watersheds, protect coastal areas from increased storms, provide habitat reduce the probability species' extinctions under a changing...
Tropical forests store vast quantities of carbon, account for one-third the carbon fixed by photosynthesis, and are a major sink in global cycle. Recent evidence suggests that competition between lianas (woody vines) trees may reduce forest-wide uptake; however, estimates impact on dynamics tropical crucially lacking. Here we used large-scale liana removal experiment found that, at 3 y after removal, reduced net above-ground uptake (growth recruitment minus mortality) ∼76% per year, mostly...
Summary 1. One way to simplify the high taxonomic diversity of plant species in vegetation models is place into groups based on shared, dominant traits. Many studies have suggested that morphological and physiological traits tropical dry forest tree vary with leaf habit (i.e. leaves from evergreen, deciduous or semi‐deciduous species) thus this characteristic may serve as a useful distinguish ecologically meaningful functional types. 2. In study we examine whether 10 replicated individual...
Aboveground litter production in forests is likely to increase as a consequence of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, rising temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns. As litterfall represents major flux from vegetation soil, changes inputs are have wide-reaching consequences for soil dynamics. Such disturbances the balance may be particularly important tropics because tropical store almost 30% global carbon, making them critical component cycle; nevertheless,...