Published

Student Celimar Rodriguez working on a seedling drought experiment
Credit: Jess Zimmerman

Drought in tropical wet forest alters greenhouse gas production by soils, affects key nutrient dynamics, and reduces forest productivity. Downscaling studies at LUQ LTER support global models that predict declining precipitation through the end of the century. Current ecosystem drying and warming model projections predict that net forest ecosystem productivity may fall to zero by 2036. A long term streamflow reduction experiment will determine impacts of long term drought on stream functioning.

Learn more

  1. Feng, X et al. 2017. Improving predictions of tropical forest response to climate change through integration of field studies and ecosystem modeling. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13863
  2. Wood, T.E., and W.L. Silver. 2012. Strong spatial variability in trace gas dynamics following experimental drought in a humid tropical forest. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. doi: 10.1029/2010GB004014

Contact

Jess Zimmerman
jesskz@ites.upr.edu

Posted:  July 16, 2020