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The response of South American tropical forests to recent atmospheric changes

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Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books ((ENVIRONSCI))

Abstract

Ecosystems worldwide are changing as a result of anthropogenic activities. Processes such as deforestation are physically obvious, but others, such as hunting and surface fires, are subtler but affect biodiversity in insidious ways (cf. Lewis et al., 2004a; Laurance, 2004). Increased rates of nitrogen deposition and increases in air temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations are altering the environment of even the largest and most well-protected areas (e.g., Galloway and Cowling, 2002; Malhi and Wright, 2004). Anthropogenic atmospheric change will become more significant during this century, as CO2 concentrations reach levels unprecedented for the last 20 million or perhaps even 40 million years (Retallack, 2001; Royer et al., 2001). Nitrogen deposition rates and climates are predicted to move far beyond Quaternary envelopes (Galloway and Cowling, 2002). Moreover, the rate of change in all these basic ecological drivers is likely to be without precedent in the evolutionary span of most species on Earth today (Lewis et al., 2004a). This then is the Anthropocene: we are living through truly epoch-making times (Crutzen, 2002).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth and Biosphere Institute, Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    O. L. Phillips, S. L. Lewis & T. R. Baker

  2. Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie, 100164, 07701, Jena, Germany

    T. R. Baker

  3. School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    Y. Malhi

Authors
  1. O. L. Phillips
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  2. S. L. Lewis
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  3. T. R. Baker
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  4. Y. Malhi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. L. Phillips .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, W. University Boulevard 150, Melbourne, 32901, Florida, USA

    Mark Bush

  2. School of People, Environment/Planning, Geography Programme, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    John Flenley

  3. Sciences, Department of Earth and Environment, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

    William Gosling

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Phillips, O.L., Lewis, S.L., Baker, T.R., Malhi, Y. (2011). The response of South American tropical forests to recent atmospheric changes. In: Bush, M., Flenley, J., Gosling, W. (eds) Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-05383-2_12

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