Data from: Differences in carbon stocks along an elevational gradient in tropical mountain forests of Colombia

Tropical mountain forests provide an exceptional opportunity to evaluate
the patterns of variation of carbon stocks along elevational gradients
that correspond to well-defined temperature gradients. We predicted that
carbon stored in live aboveground biomass, aboveground necromass, and soil
components of forests on the eastern flank of the Colombian Andes would
change with elevation along this gradient extending from 750 to 2800 m
above sea level. The rationale was that the corresponding change in
temperature (14°C to 26°C) would influence tree growth and decomposition
of organic matter. To address this hypothesis, we examined the carbon
stored in these three components using data from 20 0.25-ha plots located
along this elevational gradient. The mean total carbon stock found in the
study region was 241.3±37.5 Mg C/ha. Aboveground carbon stocks decreased
with elevation (p =0.001), as did necromass carbon stocks (p =0.016).
Although soil organic carbon stocks did not differ significantly along the
gradient (p =0.153), they contributed proportionately more at higher than
at lower elevations, counterbalancing the opposite trends in aboveground
carbon and necromass carbon stocks. As such, total carbon stocks did not
vary significantly along the elevational gradient (p =0.576).