The tropics are projected to experience pronounced climatic change in the century yet our understanding of how forest functions will respond is incomplete. This presents a challenge since tropical forests play crucial roles in regulating Earth's biogeochemical cycles and climate.
Montane regions present an opportunity to study climate -carbon-nutrient linkages. Insights gained from these studies can improve earth system models and are useful for land managers and policy makers. Researchers from the ACSP crossed from pacific to Atlantic coasts of Costa Rica and sampled soil from sites along the unexplored Atlantic slope of UNESCO's La Amistad International Park. The soil samples were analyzed for δ15N and C by Dr. Samantha Weintraub (University of Utah). The results were presented at the 2014 conference of the American Geophysical Union and a manuscript is currently in review for the journal Biotropica.
