Collaborative Research: Impacts of severe drought on tropical forest post-disturbance recovery

The frequency and severity of drought in tropical forests is expected to increase in the next decade. Further, the intensity of hurricanes is also anticipated to rise with a warming climate. Hurricanes damage the forest structure, increasing understory light and temperature. Tree species that respond to increased light conditions are also particularly sensitive to water stress. As a result, forests recovering from hurricanes may be susceptible to drought. This project studies the recovery process in a tropical forest in Puerto Rico, including the impacts of water stress on re-growing trees. The researchers are conducting a rainfall manipulation experiment in a forest that is recovering from Hurricane Maria (2017). The project is helping characterize and predict forest resilience to climate change. Results are being shared with scientists and managers working in the U.S. Forest Service. Nine early career scientists are gaining valuable experience in ecological research. A series of webinars are also communicating results with the public.

The project is conducting a large-scale partial rainfall exclusion experiment in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. Additional data is being collected from the nearby 16-ha mapped Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot. These data include long-term demographic information collected after the passage of Hurricane Maria (2017) and two other hurricanes. This information is adding to the understanding of the ecophysiological responses of trees to the joint impacts of drought and hurricane damage. The project is characterizing post-hurricane recovery under variable rainfall conditions. By including and improving representation of tree hydraulics and the effects of hurricane damage on water and carbon dynamics in the Ecosystem Demography model, the research is advancing assessment of the impacts of various climate change scenarios on tree species composition and carbon dynamics.

This project was partially supported by the Integrative Ecological Physiology program in Integrative Organismal Systems.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.