Coarse Wood Litter Respiration and Decomposition in Central Amazon

A study of respiration from coarse wood litter (trunks and branches >10 cm diameter) in central Amazon forests and a nearby pasture, involving 61 samples. The dataset quantifies respiration rates, their correlation with wood density and moisture content, and estimates long-term carbon loss and its contribution to total ecosystem emissions. It was produced by NASA and is associated with the LBA-ECO project.

Use Cases

• Modeling the contribution of coarse litter respiration to total heterotrophic respiration budgets and net ecosystem exchange (NEE).
• Analyzing the relationship between wood physical properties (density, moisture content) and microbial respiration rates.
• Estimating long-term carbon loss rates (0.13 yr⁻¹) from coarse woody debris for carbon cycling studies.
• Comparing respiration-driven carbon emissions (1.9 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) with decomposition mass loss from previous studies.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on 61 physical samples, providing empirical measurements of respiration rates.
• Quantifies key predictive relationships, with moisture content explaining 65% of respiration rate variance across sites.
• Provides specific estimated carbon loss rates with 95% prediction intervals (e.g., 0.11-0.15 yr⁻¹).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (1997-08 31 vs 2026-03-13), creating uncertainty about data currency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), LBA-ECO project.

Collection Method

Field study measuring respiration rates from coarse wood litter samples in central Amazon forests and a pasture.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:16:35.984377

Geography

Central Amazon forests and a nearby pasture, Manaus, Brazil.