Publications by authors named "Greta C Dargie"
Article Synopsis
- Herbivorous insects significantly impact nutrient cycling in forests, with tropical forests experiencing more nutrient release from these insects compared to temperate and boreal forests.
- The study utilized a global network of 74 plots in mature forests to analyze various leaf compositions and nutrient fluxes influenced by insect herbivory.
- Results indicate that increasing temperatures can enhance these interactions, thus influencing global biogeochemical cycles and altering ecosystem dynamics in broadleaved forests.
Simulating carbon accumulation and loss in the central Congo peatlands.
Glob Chang Biol
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- The central Congo Basin peatlands store approximately 29 billion tonnes of carbon, with a new model called DigiBog_Congo developed to simulate their carbon accumulation and loss over the last 20,000 years.
- Key factors influencing peat carbon dynamics include water levels at the surface and the slow decay of resistant plant material, with periods of gaining and losing carbon observed between the Late Glacial and early Holocene.
- A significant climatic dry phase starting around 5200 years ago led to extensive peat degradation, where 57% of the carbon stock was released, highlighting the potential impact of climate change on these vital carbon stores in the future.
Article Synopsis
- Tropical peatlands are vital carbon stores that contain large amounts of partially-decomposed plant material, with fine root production (FRP) being a major contributor.
- This study is the first to provide FRP estimates from the Congo Basin's peatlands, measuring FRP across different forest types over various seasons.
- Results showed FRP rates were similar among the ecosystems studied and decreased with depth, peaking during the dry season, highlighting the effectiveness of using minirhizotrons for low-impact FRP assessment.
The world's largest tropical peatland lies in the central Congo Basin. Raphia laurentii De Wild, the most abundant palm in these peatlands, forms dominant to mono-dominant stands across approximately 45% of the peatland area. R.
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- The forested swamps of the central Congo Basin contain about 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon in peat, but their vulnerability is not well understood.
- Peat accumulation in the region began over 17,500 years ago, with significant decomposition occurring between 7,500 and 2,000 years ago due to a drying climate that lowered the water table.
- Following 2,000 years ago, hydrologic conditions stabilized, leading to a resumption of peat accumulation; this suggests that the carbon stocks may be close to a threshold where climate change could trigger further losses.
Resistance of African tropical forests to an extreme climate anomaly.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
May 2021
The responses of tropical forests to environmental change are critical uncertainties in predicting the future impacts of climate change. The positive phase of the 2015-2016 El Niño Southern Oscillation resulted in unprecedented heat and low precipitation in the tropics with substantial impacts on the global carbon cycle. The role of African tropical forests is uncertain as their responses to short-term drought and temperature anomalies have yet to be determined using on-the-ground measurements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused global disruption, with the emergence of this and other pandemics having been linked to habitat encroachment and/or wildlife exploitation. High impacts of COVID-19 are apparent in some countries with large tropical peatland areas, some of which are relatively poorly resourced to tackle disease pandemics. Despite this, no previous investigation has considered tropical peatlands in the context of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs).
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- The study highlights the uncertainty in how tropical forests' carbon storage responds to climate change, particularly the effects of long-term drying and warming.
- Analysis of 590 permanent plots across the tropics finds that maximum temperature significantly reduces aboveground biomass, affecting carbon storage more in hotter forests.
- The results indicate that tropical forests have greater resilience to temperature changes than short-term studies suggest, emphasizing the need for forest protection and climate stabilization for long-term adaptation.
Article Synopsis
- Structurally intact tropical forests contributed significantly to global carbon sequestration in the 1990s and early 2000s, absorbing about 15% of human-caused CO2 emissions.
- A study comparing African and Amazonian forests found that while African forests have maintained a stable carbon sink over three decades, Amazonian forests are experiencing a long-term decline in carbon absorption due to increased tree mortality.
- Recent trends suggest a potential increase in carbon losses in African forests post-2010, indicating that both regions are facing different challenges regarding their carbon sinks and may experience declines in the future.
Peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that cover just three per cent of Earth's land surface, but store one-third of soil carbon. Peat soils are formed by the build-up of partially decomposed organic matter under waterlogged anoxic conditions. Most peat is found in cool climatic regions where unimpeded decomposition is slower, but deposits are also found under some tropical swamp forests.
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