Mortality matters - the effects of plant deaths in terrestrial cycles of carbon, nitrogen and water
Mortality of plants, especially trees, is a major determinant of turnover rates of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. In fact, as we have shown the difference in projected turnover rates is the single largest source of uncertainty for projections of the global carbon cycle (Friend et al., 2013). There is also an emerging body of ecological research on spatial mortality patterns for temperate, boreal and tropical forests and first attempts to quantify temporal variation have been undertaken. However, the algorithms currently used to model mortality in cutting-edge vegetation models have changed little since the conception of the first models. By comparing models to plot data, I hope to develop and test novel mortality algorithms and validated them across several scales. Specific spatial focusses will be on temperate forests of Bavaria, the Amazon rainforest and the Canadian boreal forests.