Publications by authors named "Bruno Takeshi Tanaka Portela"
The response of plants to increasing atmospheric CO depends on the ecological context where the plants are found. Several experiments with elevated CO (eCO) have been done worldwide, but the Amazonian forest understory has been neglected. As the central Amazon is limited by light and phosphorus, understanding how understory responds to eCO is important for foreseeing how the forest will function in the future.
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- The productivity of rainforests, particularly in the Amazon, has been debated in relation to phosphorus availability, as previous experiments haven't firmly established phosphorus as the primary limiting factor, though nitrogen response has been similar.
- Recent findings indicated that in an old-growth Amazon rainforest with low phosphorus soil, productivity increased significantly only with phosphorus fertilization, showcasing a clear link.
- The observed benefits in fine root and canopy productivity highlight that phosphorus limitations could affect the Amazon's response to climate change and carbon sequestration efforts.
*At least one climate model predicts severe reductions of rainfall over Amazonia during this century. Long-term throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiments represent the best available means to investigate the resilience of the Amazon rainforest to such droughts. *Results are presented from a 7 yr TFE study at Caxiuanã National Forest, eastern Amazonia.
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