Effects of experimental drought on hydraulic properties and leaf traits of upper canopy and understory tree species in a perhumid tropical forest in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Bernhard Schuldt

EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL DROUGHT ON HYDRAULIC PROPERTIES AND LEAF TRAITS OF UPPER CANOPY AND UNDERSTORY TREE SPECIES IN A PERHUMID TROPICAL FOREST IN CENTRAL SULAWESI, INDONESIA DISSERTATION zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen vorgelegt von Bernhard Schuldt aus Vejle, Dänemark Göttingen, 21.09.2010 Referent: Prof. Dr. Christoph Leuschner Korreferent: Markus Hauck Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 27. - 28.11.2010 SUMMARY The remaining tropical moist forests may be threatened in future by more frequent and more severe droughts that come along with the predicted climate change in South-East Asia and South America, though ecosystem consequences of strong drought events are hardly predictable. Therefore, manipulative field experiments are needed to identify gradual ecosystem responses and threshold values of ecosystem functions under a changing climate. Tropical drought experiments have so far only been conducted in seasonal dry forests in East Amazonia, where the biota most likely possess specific adaptations to regular dry spells. Experiments on the drought response of perhumid tropical forests with continuously high soil moistures and air humidity do not yet exist.