DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Testing multiple determinants of growth rate-mass scaling relationships in an Amazonian forest

了解树木生长率如何随树木大小变化是一个基本的生态学问题。这种生长速度和大小比例之间的关系可能是由于血管网络的共同属性造成的。虽然网络理论可以解释增长速度和规模扩大的全球趋势，但在局部范围内不太成功；在局部尺度上，网络理论留下了物种和个体之间的许多差异无法解释。这项研究旨在通过考虑两个额外的因素将网络理论扩展到局部尺度：(I)树木特性(例如，光合作用特性和分枝模式)和(Ii)光限制。在巴西塔帕约州的S国家森林，这项研究将在一个大小范围内对10个物种的许多个体进行采样，并跟踪个体的生长、特征和光环境。这些数据将有助于评估导致增长率规模变化的因素。这项研究将有助于阐明亚马逊(以及广泛的热带森林)在气候变化中的作用。必须对树木的生长进行统计，才能了解亚马逊从大气中吸收了多少温室气体二氧化碳。由于这项研究将询问什么因素导致增长率随着规模的变化而变化，它还将询问什么因素推动二氧化碳吸收，并加强气候变化与亚马逊生态之间的联系。

Understanding how tree growth rates change with tree size is an essential ecological question. This relationship between growth-rate and size-scaling may result from common properties of vascular networks. While network theory may explain global trends in growth rate size scaling it has been less successful locally; at local scales network theory leaves much variability between species and individuals unexplained. This study aims to extend network theory to local scales by accounting for two additional factors: (i) tree traits (for example, photosynthetic properties and branching patterns) and (ii) light limitation. In the Tapajós National Forest (PA, Brazil), this study will sample many individuals of ten species across a size range and track individual growth, traits, and light environments. These data will allow the factors responsible for variation in growth rate size scaling to be evaluated.This study will help illuminate the role of the Amazon (and tropical forests broadly) in climate change. Growth must be tallied across tree sizes to understand how much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide the Amazon takes out of the atmosphere. Since this study will ask what factors cause growth rate to change with size, it will also ask what factors drive carbon dioxide uptake and strengthen the link between climate change and the ecology of the Amazon.