Collaborative Research: Tree Species Effects on Ecosystem Processes in Lowland Costa Rica

Iowa State University, Ames IA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract. Research at La Selva Biological Station in lowland Costa Rica addresses several topical questions related to the importance of species in modifying or controlling the accumulation and cycling of carbon in lowland tropical rain forest. First, how variable are different tree species in their total productivity, aboveground:belowground allocation patterns, and biomass accumulation rates? Second, how do variations among species in tissue chemical composition alter the accumulation and decomposition of surface litter and fine roots. Third, how do differences in detritus production, tissue quality, and decay rates alter the accumulation and dynamics of soil organic matter? To address these questions, the Peje Plots at La Selva, which are 14-year-old, single-species tree plantations established will be utilized. Research findings will be integrated into current understanding of tropical rain forest carbon dynamics by applying the Century model. Broader Impacts. This collaborative research among four scientists at two Institutions will include substantial involvement of Latin American scientists and students, in addition to supporting a full-time graduate student and numerous undergraduate assistants at Iowa State University. Preparing the next generation of scientists, both Costa Rican and American, is a fundamental goal of this research. The revitalized Peje Plots will provide a valuable long-term research facility for other investigators at La Selva, one of the world's preeminent tropical field stations, and will promote the long-range plan of La Selva. Altogether, the results of this proposed research will enhance our mechanistic understanding of how individual species influence organic matter dynamics in tropical systems, will provide a demonstration of a sustainable land use alternative to pasture in the lowland tropics, and will allow for an improved capacity to model the biogeochemistry of tropical lands in response to land use and environmental change.