Influence of soil erosion and landslide occurrence on the CO2 exchange with the atmosphere at the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory, Puerto Rico

Tropical rainforests play a significant role in the global carbon (C) cycle. The Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory (LCZO) in Puerto Rico is characterized by intense erosion and landslide occurrence, which have been historically influenced by human activity and land use change, and drive the redistribution and burial of soil organic C (SOC) across the landscape. Estimates of regional C budgets do not systematically account for linkages between hydrological, geomorphological, and biogeochemical processes, which control the fate of eroded SOC. We quantify the impacts of erosion and rainfall-triggered landslides on SOC oxidation and accumulation at the Mameyes and Icacos watersheds. We develop…