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Estimating species-specific wood density from the genus average in Indonesian trees
Article in Journal of Tropical Ecology · July 2006
DOI: 10.1017/S0266467406003324
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Ferry Slik
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Journal of Tropical Ecology(2006)22:481–482. Copyright © 2006 Cambridge University Press doi:10.1017/S0266467406003324 Printed in the United Kingdom
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Estimating species-specific wood density from the genus average in Indonesian trees
J. W. F. Slik
∗Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University Branch, PO-Box 9514, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands (Accepted 27 February 2006)
Key Words:biomass, carbon, genera, Indonesia, life history, wood density
To be able to make accurate estimates of the carbon stocks present in the world’s tropical forests, there is a growing need for accurate tree biomass estimations on large spatial scales (Chaveet al.2004, Cummingset al.
2002, Nascimento & Laurance 2004). Wood-specific gravity forms an important component of these biomass estimations (Bakeret al. 2004, Magcale-Macandog 2004, Nogueiraet al.2005). Even though Chaveet al.(2004) found that the most important source of error in above- ground biomass estimation (AGB) is currently related to the choice of allometric model, Bakeret al.(2004) show that for two estimates of AGB in Amazonian forests derived using different allometric equations, stand-level specific wood gravity still explained 45.4% and 29.7% of the total variation in AGB.
Wood density also provides information on life-history strategies of tree species, since it is closely related to tree growth rates (King et al. 2005, Verburg et al. 2003) and tree species successional status (Swaine & Whitmore 1988). Thus, wood density forms an important indicator of local and regional vegetation disturbance regimes and tree turnover rates. The importance of wood density is further enhanced by the fact that it is positively related to drought resistance in tropical trees (Hackeet al.2001, Meinzer 2003, Slik 2004, Van Nieuwstadt 2002). This resistance is linked to the fact that high wood density is positively associated with xylem wall enforcement, which reduces cavitation risk due to strong tensions during periods of drought (Hackeet al.2001).
Given the above, it is rather disturbing to find that the wood density of the majority of tropical trees is still unknown. Fortunately, Baker et al. (2004) found that the wood density of tree species in Neotropical forests is a taxonomically conserved trait, whereby variation in
∗Email: [email protected]
wood density was mainly explained by the wood density at generic level. This means that the wood density of tree species can be estimated based on the average wood density of the genera to which they belong. Here it is tested whether this finding also holds for the Palaeotropical forests of South-East Asia.
A total of 165 genera (selected based on their presence in Borneo; see Sliket al.2003) which had three or more species (average of 11.2 ±8.4 (SD) species per genus) with a known wood density (air dry, i.e. containingc. 15%
moisture) were used for this purpose (Oey 1990). Of these 165 genera the average wood density was calculated, whereby one species was randomly excluded in each genus. The wood density of these excluded species was then compared with the average wood density values of the genera to which they belonged using General Linear Modelling (StatGraphics Plus for Windows 2.1, Statistical Graphics Corp., Rockville, USA). This resulted in a highly significant amount of variation in species- specific wood density explained by the wood density of the genera to which they belonged (df=163, F=210, adjusted R2of 56.0%, P<0.0001). After exclusion of nine unusual residuals (i.e. species that deviated more than 2 SD from the predicted mean), the amount of explained variation increased to 72.5% (df=155, F=409, adjusted R2=72.5%, P<0.0001) (Figure 1).
The outcome of this study means that even though the wood density of many tropical tree species is unknown, it is still possible to conduct ecosystem studies for wood density patterns based on a combination of known species- specific wood density values and estimations derived from genus averages. This is good news for studies addressing questions related to the local and regional distribution of wood-specific gravity, and above all, it will make it possible to produce more accurate estimates of the above- ground carbon stocks present in the world’s tropical forests.
482 J. W. F. SLIK
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Genus wood-specific gravity (g cm-3) Species wood-specific gravity (g cm-3)
Figure 1. Wood-specific gravity (air dry) as observed for individual species plotted against the average wood-specific gravity value of the genera to which they belong (generic averages are calculated with exclusion of the species with which they are compared). Generic wood density explains 72.5% of the variation observed in species-specific wood densities (General Linear Model, adjusted R2=72.5, df=155, F=409, P<0.0001).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank NWO-WOTRO (project grant nr.W84-573) for financing this project.
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