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Woziwoda B, Dyderski MK, Gręda A, Frelich LE. Verified hypotheses on the "nurse" and "burial" effects on introduced Quercus rubra regeneration in a mesic Scots pine forest. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11185. [PMID: 38571810 PMCID: PMC10985384 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
A previous study on the encroachment of North American northern red oak Quercus rubra L. into the mesic Scots pine forest (in central Poland) revealed high abundances of seedlings and saplings under shrubs, with lower abundances in open areas or clumps of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L. It was unclear whether the regeneration success of Q. rubra is enhanced by the presence of shrubs due to their "nurse effect", and how burying acorns of different sizes in soil or moss affects the survival of oak seeds and seedlings (a "burial effect"). Results of a previous observational study were verified in an experimental study: a pool of 900 large-, medium-, and small-sized acorns was sown under moss cover in open areas and within bilberry clumps and in soil under shrubs in 2018 and monitored for 3 years in natural conditions. The majority of sown acorns were lost, mainly due to acorn pilferage, lack of germination and the death of sprouting acorns. However, acorn and seedling survival depended significantly on acorn size and differed among the microsites studied. Viable seedlings were twice as likely to develop from large- and medium-sized as from small-sized acorns, and they grew mainly from acorns sown under moss cover, confirming a positive "burial effect." Seedling survival was three times higher in bilberry and open areas, than under shrubs; however, seedlings "nursed" by shrubs were less threatened by large ungulates. Only a small part of the pool of sown acorns contributes to the reproductive success of Q. rubra in the mesic Scots pine forest. Microsites characteristic to this type of forest are suitable for northern red oak regeneration; however, bilberry favors acorn survival and germination and early seedling growth, moss cover favors acorn survival and germination, while shrubs protect surviving seedlings from herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Woziwoda
- Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Marcin K. Dyderski
- Institute of DendrologyPolish Academy of SciencesKórnikPoland
- Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW)Austrian Federal Research Centre for ForestsViennaAustria
| | - Anastazja Gręda
- Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Lee E. Frelich
- Department of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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2
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Kulikowski AJ, Zahawi RA, Werden LK, Zhu K, Holl KD. Restoration interventions mediate tropical tree recruitment dynamics over time. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210077. [PMID: 36373915 PMCID: PMC9661957 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest restoration is increasingly heralded as a global strategy to conserve biodiversity and mitigate climate change, yet long-term studies that compare the effects of different restoration strategies on tree recruit demographics are lacking. We measured tree recruit survival and growth annually in three restoration treatments-natural regeneration, applied nucleation and tree plantations-replicated at 13 sites in southern Costa Rica-and evaluated the changes over a decade. Early-successional seedlings had 14% higher survival probability in the applied nucleation than natural regeneration treatments. Early-successional sapling growth rates were initially 227% faster in natural regeneration and 127% faster in applied nucleation than plantation plots but converged across restoration treatments over time. Later-successional seedling and sapling survival were similar across treatments but later-successional sapling growth rates were 39% faster in applied nucleation than in plantation treatments. Results indicate that applied nucleation was equally or more effective in enhancing survival and growth of naturally recruited trees than the more resource-intensive plantation treatment, highlighting its promise as a restoration strategy. Finally, tree recruit dynamics changed quickly over the 10-year period, underscoring the importance of multi-year studies to compare restoration interventions and guide ambitious forest restoration efforts planned for the coming decades. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy J. Kulikowski
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Rakan A. Zahawi
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
- Lyon Arboretum and School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Leland K. Werden
- Lyon Arboretum and School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Kai Zhu
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Karen D. Holl
- Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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3
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Spatial distribution pattern of dominant tree species in different disturbance plots in the Changbai Mountain. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14161. [PMID: 35986205 PMCID: PMC9391346 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18621-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of disturbance on spatial patterns and species interactions provide critical information on community structure and species coexistence. Two standard plots of 1-ha were set, one of them was a sample plot with retrograde succession after disturbance, and the other one was undisturbed. Spatial indices and Spatial patterns statistics were used to analyze the spatial pattern and inter-specific correlation of main tree species in two plots. Our results showed that the diameter distributions of different species have reverse J-shape, unimodal and bimodal distribution in the disturbed plot, while bell-shaped curves were observed in the undisturbed plot. The distributions of tree species were mainly showed clustered patterns in almost all scales through univariate pair correlation function. Some similar results of the classification of Wiegand scheme of species association consistent with the consequences of the bivariate pair correlation. The mark variograms showed positive autocorrelation at a coarse scale. The current study may aid in efforts of forest management planning and ecosystem services. Meanwhile, different research methods of spatial distribution also help to improve the accuracy of spatial distribution and the interspecific association of tree species.
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He Y, Liu H, Yang Q, Cao Y, Yin H, Zhou Z, Yu Q, Wang X. Neighborhood Effects on Tree Mortality Depend on Life Stage of Neighbors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:838046. [PMID: 35273630 PMCID: PMC8902350 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.838046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Neighborhood effects are a crucial ecological processes that allow species to coexist in a forest. Conspecific and heterospecific neighbors, as major group classifications, affect tree mortality through various mechanisms associated with neighbor life stages. However, the influence of neighbor life stages on neighborhood effects and by what mechanisms remains a knowledge gap. Here we censused the mortality of 82,202 trees belonging to 30 species in a 20-ha subtropical forest and classified their neighbors into the following life stages: earlier, same and later. Next, we implemented generalized linear mixed models to estimate the effect of neighbors at different life stages on tree mortality. Our results showed that conspecific later stage neighbors had a positive effect on tree mortality overall, while conspecific earlier stage neighbors had a negative effect on tree mortality. Furthermore, these opposing effects appear to offset each other so that the overall effect of conspecific neighbors on tree mortality is weakened. In contrast, heterospecific neighbors had a decreasing effect on tree mortality overall. These effects are consistent with those of later stage heterospecific neighbors. Our findings demonstrate that neighbors strongly impact tree mortality, and their specific effects are closely related to neighbor life stages. Further, any single effect from one neighbor life stage may disturb or dominate the total effects of the neighbors. Therefore, the neighbors must be divided into different life stages to best explain the neighborhood effect on forest dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heming Liu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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5
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Factors affecting survival of seedling of Afzelia africana, a threatened tropical timber species in West Africa. Trop Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42965-021-00160-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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6
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Mensah S, Noulèkoun F, Dimobe K, Atanasso J, Salako VK, Assogbadjo A, Glèlè Kakaï R. Revisiting biotic and abiotic drivers of seedling establishment, natural enemies and survival in a tropical tree species in a West Africa semi-arid biosphere reserve. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 276:111268. [PMID: 32889500 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Biotic and abiotic drivers of seedling establishment and survival are fundamental not only for elucidating processes occurring at plant early life stages, but also for assisting species natural regeneration. Keystone, multipurpose and economically important tree species such as Afzelia africana Sm. are reportedly facing recruitment constraints, yet little is known about how abiotic and biotic factors shape the species seedling dynamics. Here, we monitored the species seedlings over one year across three seasons in West Africa savannahs to determine how conspecific and heterospecific biotic neighborhood and habitat heterogeneity correlate with initial seedling density, leaves' fungal infection and herbivory and how all these factors combined, influence the species seedling survival. Seedling densities increased with increasing conspecific adult densities, and were highest in tree savannahs and on sandy-silt soils. Leaves' fungal infection and herbivory were also positively associated with conspecific adult density, but were more abundantly observed in tree savannahs than in shrub savannahs. Seedling survival was constrained on higher slope, and negatively affected by conspecific adult density, especially in shrub savannahs. There was a strong evidence for negative density-dependence effects of conspecific adults on seedling survival, which operated through negative effects of herbivory and fungal infection. Habitat heterogeneity was also an important driver, which modulated biotic factors' effects on seedling survival: tree savannahs promote positive conspecific density-dependence of seedling fungal infection and herbivory more than shrub savannahs. Nonetheless, seedlings were more sensitive to natural enemies in shrub savannahs, suggesting increased negative conspecific density-dependence effects on seedling survival in less dense vegetation, possibly as a result of enhanced specialization of predators and pathogens on a limited set of species. The study brings important insights into the mechanisms that drive the establishment and survival of the species seedling, which should be considered in the design of management activities aiming at the conservation of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanus Mensah
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Université d'Abomey Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Benin.
| | - Florent Noulèkoun
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anamro, Seongbukgu, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Kangbéni Dimobe
- Laboratory of Plant Biology and Ecology, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, 03 B.P. 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso; Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement et du Développement Rural, Université de Dédougou, BP 176, Dédougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Justin Atanasso
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Université d'Abomey Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Valère K Salako
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Université d'Abomey Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Benin; Evolution Biologique et Ecologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences, CP160/12, Av. F. D. Roosevelt 50, BE-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Achille Assogbadjo
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Appliquée, Université d'Abomey Calavi, 03 BP 526, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Romain Glèlè Kakaï
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations Forestières, Université d'Abomey Calavi, 04 BP 1525, Cotonou, Benin
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7
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Liu H, Chen Q, Chen Y, Xu Z, Dai Y, Liu Y, Jiang Y, Peng X, Li H, Wang J, Liu H. Effects of biotic/abiotic factors on the seedling regeneration of Dacrydium pectinatum formations in tropical montane forests on Hainan Island, China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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8
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Zheng Y, Huang F, Liang M, Liu X, Yu S. The effects of density dependence and habitat preference on species coexistence and relative abundance. Oecologia 2020; 194:673-684. [PMID: 33094381 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In plant communities, some mechanisms maintain differences in species' abundances, while other mechanisms promote coexistence. Asymmetry in conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) and/or habitat preference is hypothesized to shape relative species abundance, whereas community compensatory trends (CCTs) induced by community-level CNDD and heterospecific facilitation are hypothesized to promote coexistence. We use survey data from three 1-ha permanent dynamic plots in a subtropical forest over the course of a decade to find out which of these processes are important and at which life-history stages (the seedling, sapling, and juvenile stages) they exert their effects. CNDD was not related to abundance in any of the life-history stages. Suitable habitats positively influenced plant abundance at all tested life stages, but especially so for juveniles. Community-level CNDD of seedling neighbors was detected at the seedling stage, while heterospecific facilitation was detected across all tested life-history stages. A CCT in seedling survival was detected, but there was no evidence for such trends across the other life-history stages. Altogether, our results suggest that habitat specificity increases the rarity of species, whereas a CCT at the seedling stage, which is likely to be induced by CNDD and heterospecific facilitation, enables such species to maintain their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Fengmin Huang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Minxia Liang
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xubing Liu
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Shixiao Yu
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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9
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Fan C, Tan L, Zhang C, Zhao X, Gao L, von Gadow K. Scale-dependent effects of neighborhood biodiversity on individual tree productivity in a coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in China. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:8225-8234. [PMID: 32788974 PMCID: PMC7417230 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and productivity has stimulated an increasing body of research over the past decades, and this topic still occupies a central place in ecology. While most studies have focused on biomass production in quadrats or plots, few have investigated the scale-dependent relationship from an individual plant perspective. We present an analysis of the effects of biodiversity (species diversity and functional diversity) on individual tree growth with a data set of 16,060 growth records from a 30-ha temperate forest plot using spatially explicit individual tree-based methods. A significant relationship between species diversity and tree growth was found at the individual tree level in our study. The magnitude and direction of biodiversity effects varies with the spatial scale. We found positive effects of species diversity on tree growth at scales exceeding 9 m. Individual tree growth rates increased when there was a greater diversity of species in the neighborhood of the focal tree, which provides evidence of a niche complementarity effect. At small scales (3-5 m), species diversity had negative effects on tree growth, suggesting that competition is more prevalent than complementarity or facilitation in these close neighborhoods. The results also revealed many confounding factors which influence tree growth, such as elevation and available sun light. We conclude that the use of individual tree-based methods may lead to a better understanding of the biodiversity-productivity relationship in forest communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Fan
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lingzhao Tan
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lushuang Gao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest EcologyGeorg‐August‐University GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Department of Forest and Wood ScienceUniversity of StellenboschStellenboschSouth Africa
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10
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Gap Structure and Regeneration in the Mixed Old-Growth Forests of National Nature Reserve Sitno, Slovakia. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Forest management mimicking natural processes represents an approach to maintain mixed, uneven-aged stands at small spatial scales. The reliance on natural processes, especially on natural regeneration leads to the use of gap-based regeneration as a fundamental silvicultural technique. As a baseline for such management, we investigated mixed forest in unmanaged National Nature Reserve Sitno in the Western Carpathians, which harbours extraordinary diversity on a rather small scale. To quantify the impact of gaps on gap-filling processes and to assess the role they play in recently observed changes in tree species composition we established a large (2.5 ha) permanent research plot and surveyed the status of natural regeneration, forest structure, tree species composition, and disturbance regime. Our research highlights the long-term and contemporary difficulties in the establishment of Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl and Fagus sylvatica (L.). Based on the provided evidence, the native tree species diversity in one of the few preserved old-growth multi-species beech-oak forest remnants is not likely to persist, what could have many implications for future ecosystem functioning. Our results suggest that variation in gap size is an important factor contributing to composition of tree species composition of natural regeneration. The recent intermediate-scale disturbance pattern dominating the old-growth beech-oak forest is beneficial to canopy recruitment of species less shade-tolerant than Fagus sylvatica, as Acer pseudoplatanus (L.), Acer platanoides (L.), and Fraxinus excelsior (L.). We discuss possible factors behind observed shifts in tree species composition and limitations for application of gap dynamics to forest practice in managed beech-oak forest systems. Overall, results of this study may help to design silvicultural measures promoting mixed-species forests to deliver a range of desired ecosystem services.
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11
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Kuang X, Zhu K, Yuan Z, Lin F, Ye J, Wang X, Wang Y, Hao Z. Conspecific density dependence and community structure: Insights from 11 years of monitoring in an old-growth temperate forest in Northeast China. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5191-5200. [PMID: 28770059 PMCID: PMC5528227 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest community structure may be influenced by seedling density dependence, however, the effect is loosely coupled with population dynamics and diversity in the short term. In the long term the strength of conspecific density dependence may fluctuate over time because of seedling abundance, yet few long‐term studies exist. Based on 11 years of seedling census data and tree census data from a 25‐ha temperate forest plot in Northeast China, we used generalized linear mixed models to test the relative effects of local neighborhood density and abiotic factors on seedling density and seedling survival. Spatial point pattern analysis was used to determine if spatial patterns of saplings and juveniles, in relation to conspecific adults, were in accordance with patterns uncovered by conspecific negative density dependence at the seedling stage. Our long‐term results showed that seedling density was mainly positively affected by conspecific density, suggesting dispersal limitation of seedling development. The probability of seedling survival significantly decreased over 1 year with increasing conspecific density, indicating conspecific negative density dependence in seedling establishment. Although there was variation in conspecific negative density dependence at the seedling stage among species and across years, a dispersed pattern of conspecific saplings relative to conspecific adults at the local scale (<10 m) was observed in four of the 11 species examined. Overall, sapling spatial patterns were consistent with the impacts of conspecific density on seedling dynamics, which suggests that conspecific negative density dependence is persistent over the long term. From the long‐term perspective, conspecific density dependence is an important driver of species coexistence in temperate forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Kuang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Kai Zhu
- Department of BioSciences Rice University Houston TX USA.,Department of Biology University of Texas Arlington TX USA
| | - Zuoqiang Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | - Fei Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | - Ji Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | - Xugao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
| | - Yunyun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Zhanqing Hao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences Shenyang China
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12
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Pu X, Zhu Y, Jin G. Effects of local biotic neighbors and habitat heterogeneity on seedling survival in a spruce-fir valley forest, northeastern China. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4582-4591. [PMID: 28690788 PMCID: PMC5496565 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Seedlings are vulnerable to many biotic and abiotic agents, and studying seedling dynamics helps understand mechanisms of species coexistence. In this study, the relative importance of biotic neighbors and habitat heterogeneity to seedling survival was examined by generalized linear mixed models for 33 species in a spruce‐fir valley forest in northeastern China. The results showed that the relative importance of these factors varied with species and functional groups. Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) was important to the survival of Abies nephrolepis and Picea koraiensis seedling, whereas phylogenetic negative density dependence (PNDD) was critical to Pinus koraiensis and Betula platyphylla, as well as functional groups of tree, deciduous, and shade‐intolerant seedlings. For shrubs and Acer ukurunduense, habitat heterogeneity was significant. Despite of the significance of CNDD, PNDD, and habitat heterogeneity on seedling survival, large proportions of the total variance were not accounted for by the studied variables, suggesting the needs to examine the influences of other factors such as pests, diseases, herbivores, forest structure, species functional traits, and microclimatic conditions on seedling survival in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xucai Pu
- Center for Ecological Research Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Center for Ecological Research Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
| | - Guangze Jin
- Center for Ecological Research Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
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13
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Yao J, Zhang X, Zhang C, Zhao X, von Gadow K. Effects of density dependence in a temperate forest in northeastern China. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32844. [PMID: 27604642 PMCID: PMC5015110 DOI: 10.1038/srep32844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative density dependence may cause reduced clustering among individuals of the same species, and evidence is accumulating that conspecific density-dependent self-thinning is an important mechanism regulating the spatial structure of plant populations. This study evaluates that specific density dependence in three very large observational studies representing three successional stages in a temperate forest in northeastern China. The methods include standard spatial point pattern analysis and a heterogeneous Poisson process as the null model to eliminate the effects of habitat heterogeneity. The results show that most of the species exhibit conspecific density-dependent self-thinning. In the early successional stage 11 of the 16 species, in the intermediate successional stage 18 of the 21 species and in the old growth stage all 21 species exhibited density dependence after removing the effects of habitat heterogeneity. The prevalence of density dependence thus varies among the three successional stages and exhibits an increase with increasing successional stage. The proportion of species showing density dependence varied depending on whether habitat heterogeneity was removed or not. Furthermore, the strength of density dependence is closely related with species abundance. Abundant species with high conspecific aggregation tend to exhibit greater density dependence than rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yao
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xinna Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
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14
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Yan Y, Zhang C, Wang Y, Zhao X, von Gadow K. Drivers of seedling survival in a temperate forest and their relative importance at three stages of succession. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:4287-99. [PMID: 26664679 PMCID: PMC4667830 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative density dependence (NDD) and niche partitioning have been perceived as important mechanisms for the maintenance of species diversity. However, little is known about their relative contributions to seedling survival. We examined the effects of biotic and abiotic neighborhoods and the variations of biotic neighborhoods among species using survival data for 7503 seedlings belonging to 22 woody species over a period of 2 years in three different forest types, a half-mature forest (HF), a mature forest (MF), and an old-growth forest (OGF), each of these representing a specific successional stage in a temperate forest ecosystem in northeastern China. We found a convincing evidence for the existence of NDD in temperate forest ecosystems. The biotic and abiotic variables affecting seedlings survival change with successional stage, seedling size, and age. The strength of NDD for the smaller (<20 cm in height) and younger seedlings (1-2 years) as well as all seedlings combined varies significantly among species. We found no evidence that a community compensatory trend (CCT) existed in our study area. The results of this study demonstrate that the relative importance of NDD and habitat niche partitioning in driving seedling survival varies with seedling size and age and that the biotic and abiotic factors affecting seedlings survival change with successional stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083 China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083 China
| | - Yuxi Wang
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resource West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083 China
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Georg-August University Göttingen Germany ; Department of Forest and Wood Science University of Stellenbosch Stellenbosch South Africa
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