Soil properties explain tree growth and mortality, but not biomass, across phosphorus-depleted tropical forests.

ABSTRACT: We observed strong positive relationships between soil properties and forest dynamics of growth and mortality across twelve primary lowland tropical forests in a phosphorus-poor region of the Guiana Shield. Average tree growth (diameter at breast height) increased from 0.81 to 2.1 mm yr^-1 along a soil texture gradient from 0 to 67% clay, and increasing metal-oxide content. Soil organic carbon stocks in the top 30 cm ranged from 30 to 118 tons C ha^-1, phosphorus content ranged from 7 to 600 mg kg^-1 soil, and the relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ranged from 0 to 50%, all positively correlating with soil clay, and iron and aluminum oxide and hydroxide content. In contrast, already low extractable phosphorus (Bray P) content decreased from 4.4

SUBMITTER: Soong JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7010742 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature