10.5061/DRYAD.CC7SG
Werner, Florian A.
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Homeier, Jürgen
University of Göttingen
Data from: Is tropical montane forest heterogeneity promoted by a
resource-driven feedback cycle? Evidence from nutrient relations,
herbivory and litter decomposition along a topographical gradient
Dryad
dataset
2014
edaphic association
soil fertility gradient
Plant soil interactions
Tropical Mountains
habitat turnover
Holocene
2014-10-09T18:35:09Z
2014-10-09T18:35:09Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12351
25482 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
1. Ridges of tropical mountains often differ strikingly from neighbouring
ravines in terms of forest structure, productivity, and species
composition. This heterogeneity is poorly understood despite its critical
role in biodiversity maintenance, carbon and nutrient budgets. 2. We
examined measures of tree biomass and productivity, foliage and litter
quality (nutrient concentrations, specific leaf mass, phenolics),
herbivory and leaf litter decomposition in each six plots laid out in
upper and lower slope position in a tropical montane moist forest in
southeastern Ecuador. 3. Productivity, quality of foliage and litter and
herbivory were significantly lower in upper slope position and closely
correlated with soil nutrient concentrations and accumulated humus. The
decomposition of upper slope leaf litter (decomposition rate k) was
substantially lower than in litter from lower slope forest, whereas the
site of decomposition (slope position) only had a marginal effect on the
decomposition rate. 4. Our results suggest that the differences in stand
structure, productivity, foliar quality, herbivory and decomposition
between slope positions are ultimately due to stronger nutrient
limitations in upper slope forest. We propose a general conceptual model
that explains origin and maintenance of contrasting forest types along
topographical gradients through down-slope fluxes of nutrients and water,
and a nutrient-driven positive feedback cycle.
Werner&Homeier_FE-2014-00426_DataDryad2 spreadsheets:a) data on
litter decomposition and b) all remainder data (N = 12) presented in the
article
Ecuador
ECSF
Andes
Estación Científica San Francisco