This project aims to assess how patterns in storage and distribution of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) can explains patterns in long-term large tree mortality post-fire and how the loss of these trees impacts forest structure and function.
The field site is located at the Tanguro Ranch which is located in the Xingu basin in the state of Mato Grosso, South Central Brazil. The control site is a 50 ha area that extends 1000 meters from the edge to the interior and is 500 meters wide. With two burn treatments: annual (every year) and tri-annual (every 3 years). The forest has also recently been the site of major deforestation for both agriculture and cattle pasture.
This land-use change has created many edges where agriculture borders on remaining forest. At this edge the forest borders on agricultural land which has been deforested for approximately 40 years. To address our aforementioned question, I am proposing to measure and map NSC storage across 20 tree species across two disturbance gradients: fire intensity and edge effects.