Trade-Offs Among Aboveground, Belowground, and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Along Altitudinal Gradients in Andean Tropical Montane Forests

Andean tropical montane forests (TMFs) exhibit substantial carbon storage capacity, with total carbon stocks averaging 229.02 ± 68.06 Mg ha⁻¹ across altitudinal gradients in Ecuador and Peru. The study reveals a trade-off among aboveground carbon stock (AGC), belowground carbon stock (BGC), and soil organic carbon stock (SOC) driven by precipitation seasonality, particularly at higher, colder altitudes where greater seasonality promotes faster nutrient turnover but less SOC accumulation while increasing AGC and BGC. Climate factors, including annual mean temperature and precipitation patterns, explain the observed differences in carbon partitioning between sites. This finding highlights the complex interactions shaping carbon storage in TMFs, emphasizing their role as critical global carbon reservoirs.

de la Cruz-Amo, L., Bañares-de-Dios, G., Cala, V., Granzow-de la Cerda, Í., Espinosa, C. I., Ledo, A., Salinas, N., Macía, M. J., & Cayuela, L. (2020). Trade-Offs Among Aboveground, Belowground, and Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Along Altitudinal Gradients in Andean Tropical Montane Forests. Frontiers in Plant Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00106