First release with publication Anderson-Teixeira et al 2016

This version of TropForC-db corresponds to data released alongside the acceptance of the manuscript (Anderson-Teixeira et al 2016) and archived on Dryad (DOI:10.5061/dryad.t516f).

Abstract

Tropical forests play a critical role in the global carbon (C) cycle, storing ~45% of terrestrial C and constituting the largest component of the terrestrial C sink. Despite their central importance to the global C cycle, their ecosystem-level C cycles are not as well characterized as those of extra-tropical forests, and knowledge gaps hamper efforts to quantify C budgets across the tropics and to model tropical forest- climate interactions. To advance understanding of C dynamics of pantropical forests, we compiled a new database, the Tropical Forest C database (TropForC-db), which contains data on ground-based measurements of ecosystem-level C stocks and annual fluxes along with disturbance history. This database currently contains 3,568 records from 845 plots in 178 geographically distinct areas, making it the largest and most comprehensive database of its type. Using TropForC-db, we characterized C stocks and fluxes for young, intermediate-aged, and mature forests. Relative to existing C budgets of extra-tropical forests, mature tropical broadleaf evergreen forests had substantially higher gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco), their autotropic respiration (Ra) consumed a larger proportion (~67%) of GPP, and their woody stem growth (ANPPstem) represented a smaller proportion of net primary productivity (NPP, ~32%) or GPP (~9%). In regrowth stands, aboveground biomass increased rapidly during the first 20 years following stand-clearing disturbance, with slower accumulation following agriculture and in deciduous forests, and continued to accumulate at a slower pace in forests aged 20-100 years. Most other C stocks likewise increased with stand age, while potential to describe age trends in C fluxes was generally data-limited. We expect that TropForC-db will prove useful for model evaluation and for quantifying the contribution of forests to the global C cycle. The database version associated with this publication is archived in Dryad (DOI:10.5061/dryad.t516f) and a dynamic version is maintained at https://github. com/forc-db.

Citations

When using this data, please cite the original publication:

Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Wang MMH, McGarvey JC, LeBauer DS (2016) Carbon dynamics of mature and regrowth tropical forests derived from a pantropical database (TropForC-db). Global Change Biology, online in advance of print. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13226

Additionally, please cite the Dryad data package:

Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Wang MMH, McGarvey JC, LeBauer DS (2016) Data from: Carbon dynamics of mature and regrowth tropical forests derived from a pantropical database (TropForC-db). Dryad Digital Repository. http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t516f

post-revision pre-release

This is the final changes based on the suggestions of two reviewers from the GCB manuscript. Version will be bumped to 1.0 when revisions are submitted.