학술논문
Drought-induced shifts in the floristic and functional composition of tropical forests in Ghana.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Fauset S; Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK. gysf@leeds.ac.uk; Baker TR; Lewis SL; Feldpausch TR; Affum-Baffoe K; Foli EG; Hamer KC; Swaine MD
Source
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101121949 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1461-0248 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1461023X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ecol Lett Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
The future of tropical forests under global environmental change is uncertain, with biodiversity and carbon stocks at risk if precipitation regimes alter. Here, we assess changes in plant functional composition and biomass in 19 plots from a variety of forest types during two decades of long-term drought in Ghana. We find a consistent increase in dry forest, deciduous, canopy species with intermediate light demand and a concomitant decrease in wet forest, evergreen, sub-canopy and shade-tolerant species. These changes in composition are accompanied by an increase in above-ground biomass. Our results indicate that by altering composition in favour of drought-tolerant species, the biomass stocks of these forests may be more resilient to longer term drought than short-term studies of severe individual droughts suggest.
(© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.)
(© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.)