The global distribution and drivers of wood density and their impact on forest carbon stocks

• Autores: Mo, Lidong; Crowther, Thomas W.; Maynard, Daniel S.; van den Hoogen, Johan; Ma, Haozhi; Bialic Murphy, Lalasia; Liang, Jingjing; de Miguel, Sergio; Nabuurs, Gert Jan; Reich, Peter B.; Phillips, Oliver L.; Abegg, Meinrad; Adou Yao, Yves C.; Alberti, Giorgio; Almeyda Zambrano, Angelica M.; Alvarado, Braulio Vilchez; Alvarez Dávila, Esteban; Alvarez Loayza, Patricia; Alves, Luciana F.; Amaral, Iêda; Ammer, Christian; Antón Fernández, Clara; Araujo Murakami, Alejandro; Arroyo, Luzmila; Peri, Pablo Luis; Zhao, Xiuhai; Zhou, Mo; Zhu, Zhi Xin; Zo Bi, Irie C.; Zohner, Constantin M.
• Año de publicación: 2024
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: angiosperms and gymnosperms; abiotic factors; carbon investment strategies; wood density
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

The density of wood is a key indicator of the carbon investment strategies of trees, impacting productivity and carbon storage. Despite its importance, the global variation in wood density and its environmental controls remain poorly understood, preventing accurate predictions of global forest carbon stocks. Here we analyse information from 1.1 million forest inventory plots alongside wood density data from 10,703 tree species to create a spatially explicit understanding of the global wood density distribution and its drivers. Our findings reveal a pronounced latitudinal gradient, with wood in tropical forests being up to 30% denser than that in boreal forests. In both angiosperms and gymnosperms, hydrothermal conditions represented by annual mean temperature and soil moisture emerged as the primary factors influencing the variation in wood density globally. This indicates similar environmental filters and evolutionary adaptations among distinct plant groups, underscoring the essential role of abiotic factors in determining wood density in forest ecosystems. Additionally, our study highlights the prominent role of disturbance, such as human modification and fire risk, in influencing wood density at more local scales. Factoring in the spatial variation of wood density notably changes the estimates of forest carbon stocks, leading to differences of up to 21% within biomes. Therefore, our research contributes to a deeper understanding of terrestrial biomass distribution and how environmental changes and disturbances impact forest ecosystems.
Fil: Mo, Lidong. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Crowther, Thomas W.. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Maynard, Daniel S.. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: van den Hoogen, Johan. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Ma, Haozhi. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Bialic Murphy, Lalasia. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Liang, Jingjing. Purdue University; Estados Unidos
Fil: de Miguel, Sergio. Universidad de Lleida; España. Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia; España
Fil: Nabuurs, Gert Jan. Wageningen University and Research; Países Bajos
Fil: Reich, Peter B.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos. University of Michigan; Estados Unidos. University of Western Sydney; Australia
Fil: Phillips, Oliver L.. University of Leeds; Reino Unido
Fil: Abegg, Meinrad. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza
Fil: Adou Yao, Yves C.. University Félix Houphouët-Boigny; Costa de Marfil
Fil: Alberti, Giorgio. Università di Udine; Italia. National Biodiversity Future Center; Italia
Fil: Almeyda Zambrano, Angelica M.. University of Florida; Estados Unidos
Fil: Alvarado, Braulio Vilchez. Tecnológico de Costa Rica TEC; Costa Rica
Fil: Alvarez Dávila, Esteban. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia;
Fil: Alvarez Loayza, Patricia. Field Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Alves, Luciana F.. University of California at Los Angeles; Estados Unidos
Fil: Amaral, Iêda. National Institute of Amazonian Research; Brasil
Fil: Ammer, Christian. University of Göttingen; Alemania
Fil: Antón Fernández, Clara. Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research; Noruega
Fil: Araujo Murakami, Alejandro. Museo de Historia natural Noel kempff Mercado; Bolivia
Fil: Arroyo, Luzmila. Museo de Historia natural Noel kempff Mercado; Bolivia
Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Santa Cruz. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santa Cruz; Argentina
Fil: Zhao, Xiuhai. Beijing Forestry University; China
Fil: Zhou, Mo. Purdue University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Zhu, Zhi Xin. Hainan University; China
Fil: Zo Bi, Irie C.. National Polytechnic Institute; Costa de Marfil
Fil: Zohner, Constantin M.. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Suiza