Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest

O. L. Phillips; L. E. O. C. Aragao; S. L. Lewis; J. B. Fisher; J. Lloyd; G. Lopez-Gonzalez; Y. Malhi; A. Monteagudo; J. Peacock; C. A. Quesada; G. van der Heijden; S. Almeida; I. Amaral; L. Arroyo; G. Aymard; T. R. Baker; O. Banki; L. Blanc; D. Bonal; P. Brando; J. Chave; A. C. Alves de Oliveira; N. D. Cardozo; C. I. Czimczik; T. R. Feldpausch; M. A. Freitas; E. Gloor; N. Higuchi; E. Jimenez; G. Lloyd; Patrick Meir; C. Mendoza; A. Morel; D. A. Neill; D. Nepstad; S. Patino; M. C. Penuela; A. Prieto; F. Ramirez; M. Schwarz; J. Silva; M. Silveira; A. S. Thomas; H. ter Steege; J. Stropp; R. Vasquez; P. Zelazowski; E. A. Davila; S. Andelman; A. Andrade; K. J. Chao; T. Erwin; A. Di Fiore; E. Honorio; H. Keeling; T. J. Killeen; W. F. Laurance; A. P. Cruz; N. C. A. Pitman; P. N. Vargas; H. Ramirez-Angulo; A. Rudas; R. Salamao; N. Silva; J. Terborgh; A. Torres-Lezama

doi:10.1126/science.1164033

Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest

O. L. Phillips, L. E. O. C. Aragao, S. L. Lewis, J. B. Fisher, J. Lloyd, G. Lopez-Gonzalez, Y. Malhi, A. Monteagudo, J. Peacock, C. A. Quesada, G. van der Heijden, S. Almeida, I. Amaral, L. Arroyo, G. Aymard, T. R. Baker, O. Banki, L. Blanc, D. Bonal, P. BrandoJ. Chave, A. C. Alves de Oliveira, N. D. Cardozo, C. I. Czimczik, T. R. Feldpausch, M. A. Freitas, E. Gloor, N. Higuchi, E. Jimenez, G. Lloyd, Patrick Meir, C. Mendoza, A. Morel, D. A. Neill, D. Nepstad, S. Patino, M. C. Penuela, A. Prieto, F. Ramirez, M. Schwarz, J. Silva, M. Silveira, A. S. Thomas, H. ter Steege, J. Stropp, R. Vasquez, P. Zelazowski, E. A. Davila, S. Andelman, A. Andrade, K. J. Chao, T. Erwin, A. Di Fiore, E. Honorio, H. Keeling, T. J. Killeen, W. F. Laurance, A. P. Cruz, N. C. A. Pitman, P. N. Vargas, H. Ramirez-Angulo, A. Rudas, R. Salamao, N. Silva, J. Terborgh, A. Torres-Lezama

School of Geosciences

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Abstract / Description of output

Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, they might accelerate climate change through carbon losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses to the intense 2005 drought, a possible analog of future events. Affected forest lost biomass, reversing a large long-term carbon sink, with the greatest impacts observed where the dry season was unusually intense. Relative to pre-2005 conditions, forest subjected to a 100-millimeter increase in water deficit lost 5.3 megagrams of aboveground biomass of carbon per hectare. The drought had a total biomass carbon impact of 1.2 to 1.6 petagrams (1.2 × 1015 to 1.6 × 1015 grams). Amazon forests therefore appear vulnerable to increasing moisture stress, with the potential for large carbon losses to exert feedback on climate change.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1344-1347
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	323
Issue number	5919
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164033
Publication status	Published - 6 Mar 2009

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http://www.sciencemag.org/content/323/5919/1344

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Phillips, O. L., Aragao, L. E. O. C., Lewis, S. L., Fisher, J. B., Lloyd, J., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Malhi, Y., Monteagudo, A., Peacock, J., Quesada, C. A., van der Heijden, G., Almeida, S., Amaral, I., Arroyo, L., Aymard, G., Baker, T. R., Banki, O., Blanc, L., Bonal, D., ... Torres-Lezama, A. (2009). Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest. Science, 323(5919), 1344-1347. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164033

@article{d4b03cf7723046cfb493210f6d9c7a88,

title = "Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest",

abstract = "Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, they might accelerate climate change through carbon losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses to the intense 2005 drought, a possible analog of future events. Affected forest lost biomass, reversing a large long-term carbon sink, with the greatest impacts observed where the dry season was unusually intense. Relative to pre-2005 conditions, forest subjected to a 100-millimeter increase in water deficit lost 5.3 megagrams of aboveground biomass of carbon per hectare. The drought had a total biomass carbon impact of 1.2 to 1.6 petagrams (1.2 × 1015 to 1.6 × 1015 grams). Amazon forests therefore appear vulnerable to increasing moisture stress, with the potential for large carbon losses to exert feedback on climate change.",

author = "Phillips, {O. L.} and Aragao, {L. E. O. C.} and Lewis, {S. L.} and Fisher, {J. B.} and J. Lloyd and G. Lopez-Gonzalez and Y. Malhi and A. Monteagudo and J. Peacock and Quesada, {C. A.} and {van der Heijden}, G. and S. Almeida and I. Amaral and L. Arroyo and G. Aymard and Baker, {T. R.} and O. Banki and L. Blanc and D. Bonal and P. Brando and J. Chave and {Alves de Oliveira}, {A. C.} and Cardozo, {N. D.} and Czimczik, {C. I.} and Feldpausch, {T. R.} and Freitas, {M. A.} and E. Gloor and N. Higuchi and E. Jimenez and G. Lloyd and Patrick Meir and C. Mendoza and A. Morel and Neill, {D. A.} and D. Nepstad and S. Patino and Penuela, {M. C.} and A. Prieto and F. Ramirez and M. Schwarz and J. Silva and M. Silveira and Thomas, {A. S.} and {ter Steege}, H. and J. Stropp and R. Vasquez and P. Zelazowski and Davila, {E. A.} and S. Andelman and A. Andrade and Chao, {K. J.} and T. Erwin and {Di Fiore}, A. and E. Honorio and H. Keeling and Killeen, {T. J.} and Laurance, {W. F.} and Cruz, {A. P.} and Pitman, {N. C. A.} and Vargas, {P. N.} and H. Ramirez-Angulo and A. Rudas and R. Salamao and N. Silva and J. Terborgh and A. Torres-Lezama",

year = "2009",

month = mar,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1126/science.1164033",

language = "English",

volume = "323",

pages = "1344--1347",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE",

number = "5919",

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Phillips, OL, Aragao, LEOC, Lewis, SL, Fisher, JB, Lloyd, J, Lopez-Gonzalez, G, Malhi, Y, Monteagudo, A, Peacock, J, Quesada, CA, van der Heijden, G, Almeida, S, Amaral, I, Arroyo, L, Aymard, G, Baker, TR, Banki, O, Blanc, L, Bonal, D, Brando, P, Chave, J, Alves de Oliveira, AC, Cardozo, ND, Czimczik, CI, Feldpausch, TR, Freitas, MA, Gloor, E, Higuchi, N, Jimenez, E, Lloyd, G, Meir, P, Mendoza, C, Morel, A, Neill, DA, Nepstad, D, Patino, S, Penuela, MC, Prieto, A, Ramirez, F, Schwarz, M, Silva, J, Silveira, M, Thomas, AS, ter Steege, H, Stropp, J, Vasquez, R, Zelazowski, P, Davila, EA, Andelman, S, Andrade, A, Chao, KJ, Erwin, T, Di Fiore, A, Honorio, E, Keeling, H, Killeen, TJ, Laurance, WF, Cruz, AP, Pitman, NCA, Vargas, PN, Ramirez-Angulo, H, Rudas, A, Salamao, R, Silva, N, Terborgh, J & Torres-Lezama, A 2009, 'Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest', Science, vol. 323, no. 5919, pp. 1344-1347. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1164033

TY - JOUR

T1 - Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest

AU - Phillips, O. L.

AU - Aragao, L. E. O. C.

AU - Lewis, S. L.

AU - Fisher, J. B.

AU - Lloyd, J.

AU - Lopez-Gonzalez, G.

AU - Malhi, Y.

AU - Monteagudo, A.

AU - Peacock, J.

AU - Quesada, C. A.

AU - van der Heijden, G.

AU - Almeida, S.

AU - Amaral, I.

AU - Arroyo, L.

AU - Aymard, G.

AU - Baker, T. R.

AU - Banki, O.

AU - Blanc, L.

AU - Bonal, D.

AU - Brando, P.

AU - Chave, J.

AU - Alves de Oliveira, A. C.

AU - Cardozo, N. D.

AU - Czimczik, C. I.

AU - Feldpausch, T. R.

AU - Freitas, M. A.

AU - Gloor, E.

AU - Higuchi, N.

AU - Jimenez, E.

AU - Lloyd, G.

AU - Meir, Patrick

AU - Mendoza, C.

AU - Morel, A.

AU - Neill, D. A.

AU - Nepstad, D.

AU - Patino, S.

AU - Penuela, M. C.

AU - Prieto, A.

AU - Ramirez, F.

AU - Schwarz, M.

AU - Silva, J.

AU - Silveira, M.

AU - Thomas, A. S.

AU - ter Steege, H.

AU - Stropp, J.

AU - Vasquez, R.

AU - Zelazowski, P.

AU - Davila, E. A.

AU - Andelman, S.

AU - Andrade, A.

AU - Chao, K. J.

AU - Erwin, T.

AU - Di Fiore, A.

AU - Honorio, E.

AU - Keeling, H.

AU - Killeen, T. J.

AU - Laurance, W. F.

AU - Cruz, A. P.

AU - Pitman, N. C. A.

AU - Vargas, P. N.

AU - Ramirez-Angulo, H.

AU - Rudas, A.

AU - Salamao, R.

AU - Silva, N.

AU - Terborgh, J.

AU - Torres-Lezama, A.

PY - 2009/3/6

Y1 - 2009/3/6

N2 - Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, they might accelerate climate change through carbon losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses to the intense 2005 drought, a possible analog of future events. Affected forest lost biomass, reversing a large long-term carbon sink, with the greatest impacts observed where the dry season was unusually intense. Relative to pre-2005 conditions, forest subjected to a 100-millimeter increase in water deficit lost 5.3 megagrams of aboveground biomass of carbon per hectare. The drought had a total biomass carbon impact of 1.2 to 1.6 petagrams (1.2 × 1015 to 1.6 × 1015 grams). Amazon forests therefore appear vulnerable to increasing moisture stress, with the potential for large carbon losses to exert feedback on climate change.

AB - Amazon forests are a key but poorly understood component of the global carbon cycle. If, as anticipated, they dry this century, they might accelerate climate change through carbon losses and changed surface energy balances. We used records from multiple long-term monitoring plots across Amazonia to assess forest responses to the intense 2005 drought, a possible analog of future events. Affected forest lost biomass, reversing a large long-term carbon sink, with the greatest impacts observed where the dry season was unusually intense. Relative to pre-2005 conditions, forest subjected to a 100-millimeter increase in water deficit lost 5.3 megagrams of aboveground biomass of carbon per hectare. The drought had a total biomass carbon impact of 1.2 to 1.6 petagrams (1.2 × 1015 to 1.6 × 1015 grams). Amazon forests therefore appear vulnerable to increasing moisture stress, with the potential for large carbon losses to exert feedback on climate change.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62149092096&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1164033

DO - 10.1126/science.1164033

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 323

SP - 1344

EP - 1347

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5919

ER -

Drought Sensitivity of the Amazon Rainforest

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