Past century changes in Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze water use efficiency and growth in forest and grassland ecosystems of southern Brazil: implications for forest expansion

• Published in: Global change biology Vol. 15; no. 10; pp. 2387 - 2396
• Main Authors: SILVA, LUCAS C.R, ANAND, MADHUR, OLIVEIRA, JULIANO M, PILLAR, VALÉRIO D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: age; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Araucaria; Araucaria angustifolia; basal area increment; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; carbon; Carbon dioxide; carbon isotope; Carbon isotopes; Climate change; Coniferous trees; conifers; Ecology; Ecosystems; ecotones; forest expansion; forest growth; forest trees; Forestry; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Grasslands; growth rings; High temperature; isotopes; southern brazil; stand basal area; temperature; tree-rings; Vegetation; Water use; Water use efficiency; South America; Brazil; America; Grassland; Forests; Forest zone; Growth; basal area increment; Water use efficiency; Carbon; Araucaria; Dynamical climatology; ecotones; Climate change; Basal area; Tree ring; Ecotone; grasslands; carbon isotope; southern brazil; forest expansion; tree-rings; Expansion; Isotopes

Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze is an indigenous conifer tree restricted to the southern region of South America that plays a key role in the dynamics of regional ecosystems where forest expansion over grasslands has been observed. Here, we evaluate the changes in intrinsic water use efficie...