Abstract
Amazonian forests sequester carbon from the atmosphere and are therefore important in mitigating global climate change. Projected increases in drought and fire occurrences, however, may cause forest dieback and a strong reduction in mitigation potential. To design effective conservation strategies, we need a mechanistic understanding of the resilience (i.e. ability to resist and recover) of tropical tree species and forests to drought and fire, at three levels: 1) for tree species because they are the building blocks of forests, 2) for forest communities at decadal scales because of their relevance for climate change policies, and 3) for forest communities at millennial scales to assess full disturbance–recovery cycles and effects of disturbance type, intensity and frequency. The ability of species to resist disturbances and recover after disturbances may be determined by their functional traits, i.e. plant characteristics that influence growth and survival. Therefore, better understanding of which traits enhance resilience will provide information on mechanisms underlying resilience (e.g. drought tolerance). Here, I propose to evaluate the mechanisms underlying resilience of tropical tree species and forests (in terms of carbon stock and functional trait composition) to drought and fire across temporal scales. I will do so using a novel integration of three of my research lines: trait ecology, community ecology, and paleoecology. I will use data from permanent plots, fossil pollen records, and functional traits of tree species from wet and dry Amazonian forests. This novel approach, the availability of data, and my expertise in functional ecology of tropical forests will enable me to significantly advance our fundamental understanding of tropical forest resilience. The acquired knowledge will be applied on-the-ground through collaborations and stakeholder workshops to enhance forest resilience to future droughts and fires and, hence, contribute to safeguarding tropical forests and their role in climate change mitigation.
Netherlands