Tree Growth Data

Identifier3.67114

TypeDataset

Date created2019

DescriptionTropical rainforests provide a multitude of ecosystem services and hold a large role in the global carbon cycle, but they are currently under threat by deforestation and anthropogenic influences. Understanding factors that increase tree growth can help protect and conserve tropical ecosystems. The Earth Forest Fertilization Experiment (EFFEX) is a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient addition experiment that has been conducted at EARTH University located in Guacimo, Limon, Costa Rica. It is a full factorial block setup with 24 plots that have been fertilized twice per year since 2007 and where a variety of biological parameters have been measured, including diameter at breast height (dbh) of all trees larger than 10cm dbh. Our study explores how the effects of chronic fertilization affect tree growth over a decade. We hypothesized that P treatment would result in increased mean growth rates because P is thought to be a limiting nutrient in lowland tropical rainforests. However, we found that there is not a significant effect of additional nutrient application and tree growth at the community level. This may be attributed to Liegis law of the minimum due to another limiting resource that is preventing an increase in biomass and primary productivity. At the species level, there was not a significant effect of additional nutrient application and tree growth for Pentaclethra macroloba. There was a significant effect of additional nutrient application of N and P separately for Socratea exorrhiza. Our results can be used to better understand resource limitation in tropical rainforests and competition between neighboring trees.

Appeared InAlvarez-Clare, S., Mack, M., & Brooks, M. (2013). A direct test of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation to net primary productivity in a lowland tropical wet forest. Ecology, 94(7), 1540-1551.

Related EntitiesKrochmal, Gabriela (is local contact/expert)
Alvarez-Clare, Silvia (is local contact/expert)
Condit, Richard (contributed)

Spatial CoverageEARTH University, Costa Rica