Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics
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Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics Estela María Quintero Vallejo Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics Thesis committee Promotors Prof. Dr F.J.J.M. Bongers Estela María Quintero Vallejo Personal chair at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Prof. Dr L. Poorter Personal chair at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Co-promotors Dr M. Peña Claros Associate professor, Forest Ecology and Management Group Wageningen University Dr M. Toledo Research Coordinator Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF), Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia Thesis Other members submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor Prof. Dr E. Hoffland, Wageningen University at Wageningen University Prof. Dr R.G.A. Boot, Tropenbos International, Wageningen, The Netherlands by the authority of the Academic Board, Dr H. ter Steege, Naturalis, Leiden, The Netherlands in the presence of the Prof. Dr Ch.R. Clement, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public This research was conducted under the auspices of the C. T. de Wit Graduate School for Production on Wednesday 1 July 2015 Ecology and Resource Conservation (PE&RC). at 4 p.m. in the Aula. 3 Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics Thesis committee Promotors Prof. Dr F.J.J.M. Bongers Estela María Quintero Vallejo Personal chair at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Prof. Dr L. Poorter Personal chair at the Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Wageningen University Co-promotors Dr M. Peña Claros Associate professor, Forest Ecology and Management Group Wageningen University Dr M. Toledo Research Coordinator Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF), Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia Thesis Other members submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor Prof. Dr E. Hoffland, Wageningen University at Wageningen University Prof. Dr R.G.A. Boot, Tropenbos International, Wageningen, The Netherlands by the authority of the Academic Board, Dr H. ter Steege, Naturalis, Leiden, The Netherlands in the presence of the Prof. Dr Ch.R. Clement, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public This research was conducted under the auspices of the C. T. de Wit Graduate School for Production on Wednesday 1 July 2015 Ecology and Resource Conservation (PE&RC). at 4 p.m. in the Aula. To Demetrio and Gloria Estela María Quintero Vallejo Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics 168 pages. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2015) With references, with summaries in English and Dutch ISBN 978-94-6257-426-7 5 To Demetrio and Gloria Estela María Quintero Vallejo Legacies of Amazonian Dark Earths on Forest Composition, Structure and Dynamics 168 pages. PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2015) With references, with summaries in English and Dutch ISBN 978-94-6257-426-7 Table of Contents Chapter 1.....................................................................................................................................9 General Introduction Chapter 2...................................................................................................................................25 Amazonian Dark Earths Shape the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest Published in Biotropica (2015) 14(2): 89-96 Chapter 3...................................................................................................................................49 Effects of Amazonian Dark Earths on forest attributes and forest dynamics in a Bolivian forest Submitted for publication Chapter 4...................................................................................................................................77 Effects of Amazonian Dark Earths on growth and leaf nutrient balance of tropical tree seedlings Accepted for publication in Plant and Soil Chapter 5.................................................................................................................................103 General Discussion Literature.................................................................................................................................117 APPENDIX.............................................................................................................................131 Characterization of soils at La Chonta Summary.................................................................................................................................149 Samenvatting...........................................................................................................................153 Resumen..................................................................................................................................157 Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................161 Short Biography......................................................................................................................165 PE&RC Training and Education Statement............................................................................167 7 Table of Contents Chapter 1.....................................................................................................................................9 General Introduction Chapter 2...................................................................................................................................25 Amazonian Dark Earths Shape the Understory Plant Community in a Bolivian Forest Published in Biotropica (2015) 14(2): 89-96 Chapter 3...................................................................................................................................49 Effects of Amazonian Dark Earths on forest attributes and forest dynamics in a Bolivian forest Submitted for publication Chapter 4...................................................................................................................................77 Effects of Amazonian Dark Earths on growth and leaf nutrient balance of tropical tree seedlings Accepted for publication in Plant and Soil Chapter 5.................................................................................................................................103 General Discussion Literature.................................................................................................................................117 APPENDIX.............................................................................................................................131 Characterization of soils at La Chonta Summary.................................................................................................................................149 Samenvatting...........................................................................................................................153 Resumen..................................................................................................................................157 Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................161 Short Biography......................................................................................................................165 PE&RC Training and Education Statement............................................................................167 Chapter 1 General Introduction Estela Quintero-Vallejo 9 Chapter 1 General Introduction Estela Quintero-Vallejo Chapter 1 Introduction The Amazonian rain forest is one of the most diverse biomes on the planet (Hoorn and The human footprint in the Amazonian Forest Wesselingh 2010); its high biodiversity, although not completely understood, is the result of complex interactions between geomorphologic and climatic processes throughout thousands The romantic view of the Amazonian forest as the archetype of ‘virgin’ forests, untouched by of years (Hoorn et al. 2010). It is this high diversity and complexity that fascinates people, humans, is far from reality (Clement and Junqueira 2010). Recent findings show increasing and attracts worldwide efforts to keep this forest intact as a ‘pristine’, untouched ecosystem evidence of landscape modification of tropical forests by humans around the world (Willis et (Clement and Junqueira 2010). The claim of conserving an ‘intact’ forest is made under the al. 2004) . Human influence has been pervasive through the whole American continent since assumption that the diversity of the Amazonian forest is mainly the result of natural processes around 12,000 years ago (McCann 1999); for instance, signals of inhabitation in the northern (Peres et al. 2010). But the Amazonian forest does not seems not pristine, in the literal sense Bolivian Amazonia Bolivian Amazonia are as old as 10.000 yr BP (Lombardo et al. 2013); of the word, as it has gone through a long, and perhaps prevalent history of human occupation earth works consisting of ring ditches in the province of Beni in northeast of Bolivia date and modification (Heckenberger et al. 2007, Arroyo-Kalin 2012, Carson et al. 2014). ~2300 yr BP (Erickson 2010); the presence of roads, moats