Woody vegetation of a Peruvian tropical dry forest along a climatic gradient depends more on soil than annual precipitation
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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Woody vegetation of a Peruvian tropical dry forest along a climatic gradient depends more on soil than annual precipitation. / Muenchow, Jannes; von Wehrden, Henrik; Rodriguez, Eric Frank et al.
in: Erdkunde, Jahrgang 67, Nr. 3, 03.2013, S. 241-248.Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Woody vegetation of a Peruvian tropical dry forest along a climatic gradient depends more on soil than annual precipitation
AU - Muenchow, Jannes
AU - von Wehrden, Henrik
AU - Rodriguez, Eric Frank
AU - Rodríguez, Rodolfo Arisméndiz
AU - Bayer, Fabian
AU - Richter, Michael
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Tropical dry forests are the most threatened ecosystem in the tropics. Tropical dry forests possess an outstanding beta diversity, which can live up to rain forests standards, yet they are still vastly understudied. In northern Peru, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) fundamentally shapes these unique and highly endemic ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine (i) if a main gradient was detectable in the woody plant composition in this hyper- to semi-arid environment; and (ii) to which extent climatic and edaphic variables account for it. Sampling was done on 50 30 × 30 m2 random plots along a humidity gradient. A sodium-soil texture gradient correlated with the first Isomap axis. Potassium and pH, mainly representing precipitation, characterized the second axis. A cluster analysis detected two plant functional groups: a tropical desert formation and a shrub and dry forest formation. Variation partitioning revealed edaphic variables to be more important in structuring vegetation than mean annual rainfall. Extending irrigation in parts of the study area may possibly be beneficial for local residents. However, it will almost certainly trigger the extinction of the last remnants of the highly endemic tropical dry forest formations.
AB - Tropical dry forests are the most threatened ecosystem in the tropics. Tropical dry forests possess an outstanding beta diversity, which can live up to rain forests standards, yet they are still vastly understudied. In northern Peru, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) fundamentally shapes these unique and highly endemic ecosystems. The objective of this study was to determine (i) if a main gradient was detectable in the woody plant composition in this hyper- to semi-arid environment; and (ii) to which extent climatic and edaphic variables account for it. Sampling was done on 50 30 × 30 m2 random plots along a humidity gradient. A sodium-soil texture gradient correlated with the first Isomap axis. Potassium and pH, mainly representing precipitation, characterized the second axis. A cluster analysis detected two plant functional groups: a tropical desert formation and a shrub and dry forest formation. Variation partitioning revealed edaphic variables to be more important in structuring vegetation than mean annual rainfall. Extending irrigation in parts of the study area may possibly be beneficial for local residents. However, it will almost certainly trigger the extinction of the last remnants of the highly endemic tropical dry forest formations.
KW - Sustainability Science
KW - Climatic gradient
KW - Edaphic gradient
KW - Isomap ordination
KW - South America
KW - Tropical drylands
KW - Biology
KW - Biogeography
KW - Ecosystems Research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892528261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3112/erdkunde.2013.03.03
DO - 10.3112/erdkunde.2013.03.03
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 67
SP - 241
EP - 248
JO - Erdkunde
JF - Erdkunde
SN - 0014-0015
IS - 3
ER -