Spatial pattern of standing timber value across the Brazilian Amazon
File(s)pone.0036099.pdf (959.5 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Ahmed, Sadia E
Ewers, Robert M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The Amazon is a globally important system, providing a host of ecosystem services from climate regulation to food sources. It is also home to a quarter of all global diversity. Large swathes of forest are removed each year, and many models have attempted to predict the spatial patterns of this forest loss. The spatial patterns of deforestation are determined largely by the patterns of roads that open access to frontier areas and expansion of the road network in the Amazon is largely determined by profit seeking logging activities. Here we present predictions for the spatial distribution of standing value of timber across the Amazon. We show that the patterns of timber value reflect large-scale ecological gradients, determining the spatial distribution of functional traits of trees which are, in turn, correlated with timber values. We expect that understanding the spatial patterns of timber value across the Amazon will aid predictions of logging movements and thus predictions of potential future road developments. These predictions in turn will be of great use in estimating the spatial patterns of deforestation in this globally important biome.
Date Issued
2012-05-08
Date Acceptance
2012-03-29
Citation
PLoS One, 2012, 7 (5), pp.1-7
ISSN
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Start Page
1
End Page
7
Journal / Book Title
PLoS One
Volume
7
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2012 Ahmed, Ewers. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000305335500006&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Science & Technology - Other Topics
ABOVEGROUND LIVE BIOMASS
NATURAL-RESOURCE
CLIMATE-CHANGE
WOOD DENSITY
LAND-USE
DEFORESTATION
FORESTS
FRAGMENTATION
ECOSYSTEM
TURNOVER
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e36099
Date Publish Online
2012-05-08