Critical Zone Hydrology Group

Resilience of Amazonian ecosystems to reduced rainfall in relation to small-scale topographic variation

Supervisors and Collaborators:

• A.J. Dolman - VU University
• M.J. Waterloo - VU University
• B. Kruit - Alterra, Wageningen
• F.J. Luizão - INPA, Manaus
• J. Tomasella - CPTEC-INPE, Cachoeira Paulista, SP

Duration: Field phases 2006-2008, analysis 2008-2012
Funding: Dutch Government NWO WOTRO Integrated Programme grant

Research question

• What are the variations in soil respiration and decomposition rates of organic matter in tall terra-firme forest, water-logged valley forest, campinarana and campina forests?
• What does this tell us about the resilience to drought of the different forests and their carbon cycling and can we simulate this in a model?
• How does soil respiration, soil carbon and nutrient content change when the saturated valley soil is (artificially) drained
• Could a change in the valley water table trigger a change from campinarana and valley forest to a stunted campina type of forest
• What is the annual evaporation of Campina forest, and how does evapotranspiration vary between forest types?

Publications

• F.B. Zanchi and A.G.C.A. Meesters and M.J. Waterloo and B. Kruijt and J. Kesselmeier and F.J. Luizão and A.J. Dolman (2014). Soil CO2 exchange in seven pristine Amazonian rain forest sites in relation to soil temperature, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2014, 192-193: 96-107. DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.03.009.
• F.B. Zanchi, M.J. Waterloo, B. Kruijt, J. Kesselmeier, F.J. Luizão and A.J. Dolman (2012). Soil CO₂ efflux in Central Amazonia: Environmental and methodological effects. Acta Amazônica 42(2): 173-184.
• F.B. Zanchi, M.J. Waterloo, A.J. Dolman, M. Groenendijk, J. Kesselmeier, B. Kruijt, M.A. Bolson, F.J. Luizão and A.O. Manzi (2011). Influence of drainage status on soil and water chemistry, litter decomposition and soil respiration in central Amazonian forests on sandy soils.Ambi-Agua 6(1): 6-29.
• A.C. de Araúujo, A.J. Dolman, M.J. Waterloo, J.H.C. Gash, B. Kruijt, F.B. Zanchi, J.M.E. de Lange, R. Stoevelaar, A.O. Manzi, A.D. Nobre, R.N. Lootens and J. Backer (2010). The spatial variability of CO₂ storage and the interpretation of eddy covariance fluxes in central Amazonia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 150(2): 226-237. DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2009.11.005
• F.B. Zanchi, M.J. Waterloo, L.J.G. Aguiar, C. von Randow, B. Kruijt, F.L. Cardoso and A.O. Manzi (2009). Estimativa do Índice de Área Foliar (IAF) e Biomassa em pastagem no estado de Rondônia, Brasil (Estimate of the leaf area index (LAI) and biomass in pasture in the state of Rondônia, Brazil). Acta Amazôica 39(2): 335-348. DOI: 10.1590/S0044-59672009000200012