Warming responses of tropical trees and forest stands explored in an elevation gradient experiment
- 1University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological ands Environmental Sciences, Sweden (johan.uddling@bioenv.gu.se)
- 2Department of Biology, Western University, Canada
- 3Department of Biology, University of Rwanda, Rwanda
- 4School of Forestry & Biodiversity Conservation, University of Rwanda, Rwanda
The responses of tropical forests to climate change depends on the ability of trees to acclimate to warming, as well as how interspecific variation in these responses affect tree community composition. In a unique tropical elevation gradient experiment in Rwanda, Rwanda TREE, we examine the sensitivity of tropical trees and forest stands to warming and altered water supply. Mixed multi-species plantations (20 tree species, 1800 trees per site) have been established at three sites with large variation in elevation (1300-2400 m) and climate (17-24 °C mean daytime temperature), with additional water and nutrient manipulation treatments being applied at each site. Here we present an overview of results obtained this far regarding: (1) leaf gas exchange physiology; (2) photosynthetic heat tolerance; (3) water-use traits; (4) tree growth and mortality; (5) stand-level tree community composition. We also discuss the potential implications of our findings for the biodiversity and carbon storage of tropical forests in a changing climate.
How to cite: Uddling, J., Dusenge, M. E., Manishimwe, A., Manzi, O. J. L., Mujawamariya, M., Ntirugulirwa, B., Tarvainen, L., Wittemann, M., Zibera, E., Nsabimana, D., and Wallin, G.: Warming responses of tropical trees and forest stands explored in an elevation gradient experiment, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-14858, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-14858, 2023.