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Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Standard

Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests. / Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests"; Sullivan, Martin J.P.; Phillips, Oliver L. et al.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2351, 12.2025.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests", Sullivan, MJP, Phillips, OL, Galbraith, D, Almeida, E, de Oliveira, EA, Almeida, J & Klipel, J 2025, 'Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests', Nature Communications, vol. 16, no. 1, 2351. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

APA

Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests", Sullivan, M. J. P., Phillips, O. L., Galbraith, D., Almeida, E., de Oliveira, E. A., Almeida, J., & Klipel, J. (2025). Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests. Nature Communications, 16(1), Article 2351. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

Vancouver

Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests", Sullivan MJP, Phillips OL, Galbraith D, Almeida E, de Oliveira EA et al. Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests. Nature Communications. 2025 Dec;16(1):2351. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

Bibtex

@article{3dbc707a3f46417c8c4b676219347db6,
title = "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests",
abstract = "Wood density is a critical control on tree biomass, so poor understanding of its spatial variation can lead to large and systematic errors in forest biomass estimates and carbon maps. The need to understand how and why wood density varies is especially critical in tropical America where forests have exceptional species diversity and spatial turnover in composition. As tree identity and forest composition are challenging to estimate remotely, ground surveys are essential to know the wood density of trees, whether measured directly or inferred from their identity. Here, we assemble an extensive dataset of variation in wood density across the most forested and tree-diverse continent, examine how it relates to spatial and environmental variables, and use these relationships to predict spatial variation in wood density over tropical and sub-tropical South America. Our analysis refines previously identified east-west Amazon gradients in wood density, improves them by revealing fine-scale variation, and extends predictions into Andean, dry, and Atlantic forests. The results halve biomass prediction errors compared to a na{\"i}ve scenario with no knowledge of spatial variation in wood density. Our findings will help improve remote sensing-based estimates of aboveground biomass carbon stocks across tropical South America.",
keywords = "Biology, Ecosystems Research",
author = "{Author Collaboration f{\"u}r {"}Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests{"}} and Sullivan, {Martin J.P.} and Phillips, {Oliver L.} and David Galbraith and Everton Almeida and {de Oliveira}, {Edmar Almeida} and Jarcilene Almeida and D{\'a}vila, {Esteban {\'A}lvarez} and Alves, {Luciana F.} and Ana Andrade and Luiz Arag{\~a}o and Alejandro Araujo-Murakami and Eric Arets and Luzmila Arroyo and Cruz, {Omar Aurelio Melo} and Fabr{\'i}cio Baccaro and Baker, {Timothy R.} and Olaf Banki and Christopher Baraloto and Jos Barlow and Jorcely Barroso and Erika Berenguer and Lilian Blanc and Cecilia Blundo and Damien Bonal and Frans Bongers and Bordin, {Kauane Maiara} and Brienen, {Roel J.W.} and Broggio, {Igor S.} and Benoit Burban and George Cabral and Camargo, {Jos{\'e} Lu{\'i}s} and Domingos Cardoso and Carniello, {Maria Antonia} and Wendeson Castro and {de Lima}, {Haroldo Cavalcante} and Larissa Cavalheiro and Ribeiro, {Sabina Cerruto} and Ramos, {Sonia Cesarina Palacios} and Moscoso, {Victor Chama} and Jer{\^o}me Chave and Fernanda Coelho and Comiskey, {James A.} and Valverde, {Fernando Cornejo} and Fl{\'a}via Costa and Coutinho, {Italo Ant{\^o}nio Cotta} and {da Costa}, {Antonio Carlos Lola} and {de Medeiros}, {Marcelo Brilhante} and {del Aguila Pasquel}, Jhon and G{\'e}raldine Derroire and Joice Klipel",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",
year = "2025",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4",
language = "English",
volume = "16",
journal = "Nature Communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests

AU - Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests"

AU - Sullivan, Martin J.P.

AU - Phillips, Oliver L.

AU - Galbraith, David

AU - Almeida, Everton

AU - de Oliveira, Edmar Almeida

AU - Almeida, Jarcilene

AU - Dávila, Esteban Álvarez

AU - Alves, Luciana F.

AU - Andrade, Ana

AU - Aragão, Luiz

AU - Araujo-Murakami, Alejandro

AU - Arets, Eric

AU - Arroyo, Luzmila

AU - Cruz, Omar Aurelio Melo

AU - Baccaro, Fabrício

AU - Baker, Timothy R.

AU - Banki, Olaf

AU - Baraloto, Christopher

AU - Barlow, Jos

AU - Barroso, Jorcely

AU - Berenguer, Erika

AU - Blanc, Lilian

AU - Blundo, Cecilia

AU - Bonal, Damien

AU - Bongers, Frans

AU - Bordin, Kauane Maiara

AU - Brienen, Roel J.W.

AU - Broggio, Igor S.

AU - Burban, Benoit

AU - Cabral, George

AU - Camargo, José Luís

AU - Cardoso, Domingos

AU - Carniello, Maria Antonia

AU - Castro, Wendeson

AU - de Lima, Haroldo Cavalcante

AU - Cavalheiro, Larissa

AU - Ribeiro, Sabina Cerruto

AU - Ramos, Sonia Cesarina Palacios

AU - Moscoso, Victor Chama

AU - Chave, Jerôme

AU - Coelho, Fernanda

AU - Comiskey, James A.

AU - Valverde, Fernando Cornejo

AU - Costa, Flávia

AU - Coutinho, Italo Antônio Cotta

AU - da Costa, Antonio Carlos Lola

AU - de Medeiros, Marcelo Brilhante

AU - del Aguila Pasquel, Jhon

AU - Derroire, Géraldine

AU - Klipel, Joice

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Wood density is a critical control on tree biomass, so poor understanding of its spatial variation can lead to large and systematic errors in forest biomass estimates and carbon maps. The need to understand how and why wood density varies is especially critical in tropical America where forests have exceptional species diversity and spatial turnover in composition. As tree identity and forest composition are challenging to estimate remotely, ground surveys are essential to know the wood density of trees, whether measured directly or inferred from their identity. Here, we assemble an extensive dataset of variation in wood density across the most forested and tree-diverse continent, examine how it relates to spatial and environmental variables, and use these relationships to predict spatial variation in wood density over tropical and sub-tropical South America. Our analysis refines previously identified east-west Amazon gradients in wood density, improves them by revealing fine-scale variation, and extends predictions into Andean, dry, and Atlantic forests. The results halve biomass prediction errors compared to a naïve scenario with no knowledge of spatial variation in wood density. Our findings will help improve remote sensing-based estimates of aboveground biomass carbon stocks across tropical South America.

AB - Wood density is a critical control on tree biomass, so poor understanding of its spatial variation can lead to large and systematic errors in forest biomass estimates and carbon maps. The need to understand how and why wood density varies is especially critical in tropical America where forests have exceptional species diversity and spatial turnover in composition. As tree identity and forest composition are challenging to estimate remotely, ground surveys are essential to know the wood density of trees, whether measured directly or inferred from their identity. Here, we assemble an extensive dataset of variation in wood density across the most forested and tree-diverse continent, examine how it relates to spatial and environmental variables, and use these relationships to predict spatial variation in wood density over tropical and sub-tropical South America. Our analysis refines previously identified east-west Amazon gradients in wood density, improves them by revealing fine-scale variation, and extends predictions into Andean, dry, and Atlantic forests. The results halve biomass prediction errors compared to a naïve scenario with no knowledge of spatial variation in wood density. Our findings will help improve remote sensing-based estimates of aboveground biomass carbon stocks across tropical South America.

KW - Biology

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000085493&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-56175-4

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 40064856

AN - SCOPUS:105000085493

VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

IS - 1

M1 - 2351

ER -

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DOI