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Lee SJ, Lee AR, Byeon JG, Oh SH. Pre-drought effects on northern temperate trees and vine invasion in forest gaps hindering regeneration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 951:175707. [PMID: 39179041 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Northern temperate coniferous forests serve as crucial connectors between boreal and temperate forests, yet they are vulnerable to various stressors such as climate change and human activities. Severe drought poses a significant threat to plant species within these forests, prompting recent research into its impacts. However, many studies lack explicit definitions of post-disturbance vegetation processes and fail to identify potential interactions with disturbance factors, necessitating comprehensive discussions. This study examines the effects of drought on tree growth patterns of the main dominant species in northern temperate regions: Abies nephrolepis and Picea jezoensis, along with two commonly associated Betula ermanii, and Quercus mongolica. Additionally, new disturbance factors in forests inhabited by these species (A. nephrolepis and P. jezoensis) were evaluated based on community classification. The study sites were located in the Mt. Baekdu (Changbai) and South Korea regions, which are positioned at the southern limit of the phytogeographical patterns of target species. Results indicate that A. nephrolepis and P. jezoensis exhibit high levels of recovery and resilience, while B. ermanii and Q. mongolica demonstrate high resistance. Species-specific responses align with drought intensity, with resistance, recovery, and resilience decreasing notably with increasing pre-drought radial growth. South Korean forests, the invasion of the vine species Tripterygium regelii after the death of A. nephrolepis in the overstory vegetation threatens the regeneration of new trees. However, certain environmental factors, such as high rock exposure and dense overstory canopy, limit vine invasion. Based on the results, pre-drought radial growth emerges as a key determinant in how trees respond to drought. Additionally, the results suggest the potential for new disturbances to emerge in forest gaps due to overstory vegetation mortality induced by global warming. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of increasing drought stress, aid in identifying climate refugia, and inform conservation priorities based on habitat characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Jae Lee
- Department of Forestry, The Graduate School of Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Ah-Rim Lee
- Department of Forestry, The Graduate School of Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Gi Byeon
- Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute, Bonghwa 36209, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Oh
- School of Forest Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Hisano M, Ghazoul J, Chen X, Chen HYH. Functional diversity enhances dryland forest productivity under long-term climate change. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn4152. [PMID: 38657059 PMCID: PMC11042740 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn4152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Short-term experimental studies provided evidence that plant diversity increases ecosystem resilience and resistance to drought events, suggesting diversity to serve as a nature-based solution to address climate change. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of diversity are momentary or still hold over the long term in natural forests to ensure that the sustainability of carbon sinks. By analyzing 57 years of inventory data from dryland forests in Canada, we show that productivity of dryland forests decreased at an average rate of 1.3% per decade, in concert with the temporally increasing temperature and decreasing water availability. Increasing functional trait diversity from its minimum (monocultures) to maximum value increased productivity by 13%. Our results demonstrate the potential role of tree functional trait diversity in alleviating climate change impacts on dryland forests. While recognizing that nature-based climate mitigation (e.g., planting trees) can only be partial solutions, their long-term (decadal) efficacy can be improved by enhancing functional trait diversity across the forest community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Hisano
- Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jaboury Ghazoul
- Ecosystem Management, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xinli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
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3
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Kang J, Shen H, Zhang S, Xu L, Tang Z, Tang Y, Fang J. Contrasting growth responses to drought in three tree species widely distributed in northern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168331. [PMID: 37931814 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Tree species-specific responses to drought are urgently needed for assessing the impacts of current climate change on forest ecosystems. Here, we characterized the resistance, recovery, resilience, and growth recovery periods in response to different drought events based on tree-ring width index data (>30 years) for three tree species widely distributed in northern China, among which larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr) and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.) are two major species used for afforestation, and birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) is one of the most common natural tree species. Despite no significant effects of mild drought on tree growth, severe drought events significantly reduced the growth of all species, with contrasting species-specific responses. Larch trees had the lowest resistance and resilience among the three species, and Mongolian pine trees were more resistant but had a longer recovery period than birch trees. The drought responses varied with tree size. Large Mongolian pine and birch trees were more resistant but large larch trees were much more vulnerable than small trees during severe droughts. Smaller birch trees had higher resilience to severe droughts. Our study shows species-specific differences in drought responses and suggests that drought responses are tree-size dependent and drought-intensity associated, which further provides a guidance for selecting optimal cultivated tree species and designing forest managements in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Siyi Zhang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Longchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyao Tang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhong Tang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
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4
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Schmied G, Hilmers T, Mellert KH, Uhl E, Buness V, Ambs D, Steckel M, Biber P, Šeho M, Hoffmann YD, Pretzsch H. Nutrient regime modulates drought response patterns of three temperate tree species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161601. [PMID: 36646222 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Against the backdrop of global change, the intensity, duration, and frequency of droughts are projected to increase and threaten forest ecosystems worldwide. Tree responses to drought are complex and likely to vary among species, drought characteristics, and site conditions. Here, we examined the drought response patterns of three major temperate tree species, s. fir (Abies alba), E. beech (Fagus sylvatica), and N. spruce (Picea abies), along an ecological gradient in the South - Central - East part of Germany that included a total of 37 sites with varying climatic and soil conditions. We relied on annual tree-ring data to assess the influence of different drought characteristics and (micro-) site conditions on components of tree resilience and to detect associated temporal changes. Our study revealed that nutrient regime, drought frequency, and hydraulic conditions in the previous and subsequent years were the main determinants of drought responses, with pronounced differences among species. Specifically, we found that (a) higher drought frequency was associated with higher resistance and resilience for N. spruce and E. beech; (b) more favorable climatic conditions in the two preceding and following years increased drought resilience and determined recovery potential of E. beech after extreme drought; (c) a site's nutrient regime, rather than micro-site differences in water availability, determined drought responses, with trees growing on sites with a balanced nutrient regime having a higher capacity to withstand extreme drought stress; (d) E. beech and N. spruce experienced a long-term decline in resilience. Our results indicate that trees under extreme drought stress benefit from a balanced nutrient supply and highlight the relevance of water availability immediately after droughts. Observed long-term trends confirm that N. spruce is suffering from persistent climatic changes, while s. fir is coping better. These findings might be especially relevant for monitoring, scenario analyses, and forest ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Schmied
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Torben Hilmers
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Mellert
- Bavarian Office for Forest Genetics, Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), Forstamtsplatz 1, 83317 Teisendorf, Germany
| | - Enno Uhl
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany; Bavarian State Institute of Forestry (LWF), Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Vincent Buness
- Bavarian State Institute of Forestry (LWF), Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Dominik Ambs
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Mathias Steckel
- Forst Baden-Württemberg (AöR), State Forest Enterprise Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Peter Biber
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Muhidin Šeho
- Bavarian Office for Forest Genetics, Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), Forstamtsplatz 1, 83317 Teisendorf, Germany
| | - Yves-Daniel Hoffmann
- Bavarian Office for Forest Genetics, Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (StMELF), Forstamtsplatz 1, 83317 Teisendorf, Germany
| | - Hans Pretzsch
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
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5
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Robinson W, Kerhoulas LP, Sherriff RL, Roletti G, van Mantgem PJ. Drought survival strategies differ between coastal and montane conifers in northern California. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
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6
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Vinod N, Slot M, McGregor IR, Ordway EM, Smith MN, Taylor TC, Sack L, Buckley TN, Anderson-Teixeira KJ. Thermal sensitivity across forest vertical profiles: patterns, mechanisms, and ecological implications. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:22-47. [PMID: 36239086 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rising temperatures are influencing forests on many scales, with potentially strong variation vertically across forest strata. Using published research and new analyses, we evaluate how microclimate and leaf temperatures, traits, and gas exchange vary vertically in forests, shaping tree, and ecosystem ecology. In closed-canopy forests, upper canopy leaves are exposed to the highest solar radiation and evaporative demand, which can elevate leaf temperature (Tleaf ), particularly when transpirational cooling is curtailed by limited stomatal conductance. However, foliar traits also vary across height or light gradients, partially mitigating and protecting against the elevation of upper canopy Tleaf . Leaf metabolism generally increases with height across the vertical gradient, yet differences in thermal sensitivity across the gradient appear modest. Scaling from leaves to trees, canopy trees have higher absolute metabolic capacity and growth, yet are more vulnerable to drought and damaging Tleaf than their smaller counterparts, particularly under climate change. By contrast, understory trees experience fewer extreme high Tleaf 's but have fewer cooling mechanisms and thus may be strongly impacted by warming under some conditions, particularly when exposed to a harsher microenvironment through canopy disturbance. As the climate changes, integrating the patterns and mechanisms reviewed here into models will be critical to forecasting forest-climate feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Vinod
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90039, USA
| | - Martijn Slot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Panama City, Panama
| | - Ian R McGregor
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Elsa M Ordway
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90039, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Marielle N Smith
- Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- School of Natural Sciences, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG, UK
| | - Tyeen C Taylor
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90039, USA
| | - Thomas N Buckley
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado Postal 0843-03092, Panama City, Panama
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7
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Barber C, Zaiats A, Applestein C, Rosenthal L, Caughlin TT. Bayesian models for spatially explicit interactions between neighbouring plants. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrii Zaiats
- Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
| | - Cara Applestein
- Biological Sciences Boise State University Boise Idaho USA
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Boise Idaho USA
| | - Lisa Rosenthal
- Department of Plant Pathology University of California Davis California USA
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8
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Vilonen L, Ross M, Smith MD. What happens after drought ends: synthesizing terms and definitions. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:420-431. [PMID: 35377474 PMCID: PMC9322664 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Drought is intensifying globally with climate change, creating an urgency to understand ecosystem response to drought both during and after these events end to limit loss of ecosystem functioning. The literature is replete with studies of how ecosystems respond during drought, yet there are far fewer studies focused on ecosystem dynamics after drought ends. Furthermore, while the terms used to describe drought can be variable and inconsistent, so can those that describe ecosystem responses following drought. With this review, we sought to evaluate and create clear definitions of the terms that ecologists use to describe post-drought responses. We found that legacy effects, resilience and recovery were used most commonly with respect to post-drought ecosystem responses, but the definitions used to describe these terms were variable. Based on our review of the literature, we propose a framework for generalizing ecosystem responses after drought ends, which we refer to as 'the post-drought period'. We suggest that future papers need to clearly describe characteristics of the imposed drought, and we encourage authors to use the term post-drought period as a general term that encompasses responses after drought ends and use other terms as more specific descriptors of responses during the post-drought period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Vilonen
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
| | - Maggie Ross
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
| | - Melinda D. Smith
- Department of BiologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
- Graduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCO80521USA
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9
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The Past Matters: Previous Management Strategies Modulate Current Growth and Drought Responses of Norway Spruce (Picea abies H. Karst.). FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13020243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Due to high productivity and past management approaches, the forests of Central Europe are heavily dominated by conifers, even on sites where they do not occur naturally at all. One prominent example is Norway spruce (Picea abies H. Karst.), a species considered particularly vulnerable to severe droughts, especially outside of its ecological niche where it has been widely planted over the past centuries. In the face of global change, it is a major task for foresters to increase these forests’ ability to cope with the impacts of increasing climatic extremes. Therefore, gaining more knowledge about how different management strategies affect the drought responses of trees is crucial. However, we still know little about the influence of the individual treatment history of a tree on its growth. We used a dendroecological approach to address this issue and to assess how initial spacing, structural diversity, tree size, and density regulation approaches modulate annual growth, especially in drought years. We hypothesized that stand establishment and past silvicultural treatment codetermine tree growth and drought resilience. Our study took place at the combined spacing-thinning trial Fürstenfeldbruck 612 (FFB 612) in Southern Germany, since it delivered precise long-term data covering a broad range of treatments. Based on linear mixed effect models, we showed that the individual treatment history of a tree affects its annual growth and drought responses considerably. In more detail, we found that (i) high structural diversity in the vicinity of each tree favored growth and improved a tree’s performance under drought; (ii) larger trees were more climate-sensitive; (iii) previous high variations in thinning intensity, and consequently strong fluctuations in growth, affected current growth negatively and reduced recovery from droughts. Furthermore, we sought to understand the underlying mechanisms and to draw potential implications for refining silvicultural guidelines.
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10
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Anderson‐Teixeira KJ, Herrmann V, Rollinson CR, Gonzalez B, Gonzalez‐Akre EB, Pederson N, Alexander MR, Allen CD, Alfaro‐Sánchez R, Awada T, Baltzer JL, Baker PJ, Birch JD, Bunyavejchewin S, Cherubini P, Davies SJ, Dow C, Helcoski R, Kašpar J, Lutz JA, Margolis EQ, Maxwell JT, McMahon SM, Piponiot C, Russo SE, Šamonil P, Sniderhan AE, Tepley AJ, Vašíčková I, Vlam M, Zuidema PA. Joint effects of climate, tree size, and year on annual tree growth derived from tree-ring records of ten globally distributed forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:245-266. [PMID: 34653296 PMCID: PMC9298236 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Tree rings provide an invaluable long-term record for understanding how climate and other drivers shape tree growth and forest productivity. However, conventional tree-ring analysis methods were not designed to simultaneously test effects of climate, tree size, and other drivers on individual growth. This has limited the potential to test ecologically relevant hypotheses on tree growth sensitivity to environmental drivers and their interactions with tree size. Here, we develop and apply a new method to simultaneously model nonlinear effects of primary climate drivers, reconstructed tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and calendar year in generalized least squares models that account for the temporal autocorrelation inherent to each individual tree's growth. We analyze data from 3811 trees representing 40 species at 10 globally distributed sites, showing that precipitation, temperature, DBH, and calendar year have additively, and often interactively, influenced annual growth over the past 120 years. Growth responses were predominantly positive to precipitation (usually over ≥3-month seasonal windows) and negative to temperature (usually maximum temperature, over ≤3-month seasonal windows), with concave-down responses in 63% of relationships. Climate sensitivity commonly varied with DBH (45% of cases tested), with larger trees usually more sensitive. Trends in ring width at small DBH were linked to the light environment under which trees established, but basal area or biomass increments consistently reached maxima at intermediate DBH. Accounting for climate and DBH, growth rate declined over time for 92% of species in secondary or disturbed stands, whereas growth trends were mixed in older forests. These trends were largely attributable to stand dynamics as cohorts and stands age, which remain challenging to disentangle from global change drivers. By providing a parsimonious approach for characterizing multiple interacting drivers of tree growth, our method reveals a more complete picture of the factors influencing growth than has previously been possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina J. Anderson‐Teixeira
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Forest Global Earth ObservatorySmithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanamaRepublic of Panama
| | - Valentine Herrmann
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Bianca Gonzalez
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Erika B. Gonzalez‐Akre
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | | | - M. Ross Alexander
- Midwest Dendro LLCNapervilleIllinoisUSA
- Present address:
Decision and Infrastructure SciencesArgonne National LaboratoryLamontIllinoisUSA
| | - Craig D. Allen
- Department of Geography & Environmental StudiesUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - Tala Awada
- School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | | | - Patrick J. Baker
- School of Ecosystem and Forest SciencesUniversity of MelbourneRichmondVIC.Australia
| | | | | | - Paolo Cherubini
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ResearchBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Faculty of ForestryUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Stuart J. Davies
- Forest Global Earth ObservatorySmithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanamaRepublic of Panama
| | - Cameron Dow
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Department of Forestry and Natural ResourcesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
| | - Ryan Helcoski
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Jakub Kašpar
- Department of Forest EcologyThe Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental GardeningBrnoCzech Republic
| | - James A. Lutz
- S. J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources and the Ecology CenterUtah State UniversityLoganUtahUSA
| | - Ellis Q. Margolis
- Fort Collins Science CenterU.S. Geological SurveyNew Mexico Landscapes Field StationLos AlamosNew MexicoUSA
| | | | - Sean M. McMahon
- Forest Global Earth ObservatorySmithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanamaRepublic of Panama
- Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterEdgewaterMarylandUSA
| | - Camille Piponiot
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Forest Global Earth ObservatorySmithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanamaRepublic of Panama
- CIRADMontpellierFrance
| | - Sabrina E. Russo
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of NebraskaLincolnUSA
| | - Pavel Šamonil
- Department of Forest EcologyThe Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental GardeningBrnoCzech Republic
| | | | - Alan J. Tepley
- Conservation Ecology CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Canadian Forest ServiceNorthern Forestry CentreEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | - Ivana Vašíčková
- Department of Forest EcologyThe Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental GardeningBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Mart Vlam
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningenThe Netherlands
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11
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Pretzsch H, Schütze G. Tree species mixing can increase stand productivity, density and growth efficiency and attenuate the trade-off between density and growth throughout the whole rotation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 128:767-786. [PMID: 34156430 PMCID: PMC8557385 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Many recent studies emphasize that mixed species is a promising silvicultural option for sustainable ecosystem management under uncertain and risky future environmental conditions. However, compared with monocultures, knowledge of mixed stands is still rather fragmentary. This comprehensive study analysed the most common Central European tree species combinations to determine the extent to which mono-layered species mixing (1) can increase stand productivity and stem diameter growth, (2) increase stand density or growth efficiency, and (3) reduce competition and attenuate the relationship between stand density and stem diameter growth compared with mono-specific stands. METHODS The study was based on 63 long-term experimental plots in Germany with repeated spatially explicit stand inventories. They covered mono-specific and mixed species stands of Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver fir (Abies alba), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), European beech (Fagus sylvatica), sessile oak (Quercus petraea), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). Based on spatially explicit measurement, we quantified for each tree the intra- or inter-specific neighbourhood, local stand density and growth. We applied mixed models to analyse how inter-specific neighbourhoods modify stand productivity, stand density, growth efficiency, individual tree growth and the trade-off between individual tree growth and stand productivity. KEY RESULTS We found stand productivity gains of 7-53 % of mixed versus mono-specific stands continuing over the entire rotation. All mixtures achieved a 3-36 % higher leaf area index until advanced stand age. Stem diameter growth increased by up to 31 % in mixed stands. The growth efficiency of the leaf area was up to 31 % higher, except in mixtures of sessile oak and European beech. The trade-off between stem diameter growth and stand productivity was attenuated by the mixture. CONCLUSIONS The increased productivity was mainly based on a density increase in the case of Norway spruce/silver fir/European beech and sessile oak/European beech and it was based on a more efficient resource use given the same stand density in the case of Scots pine/European beech and European ash/sycamore maple. In the other species assemblages the increased productivity was based on a combination of density and efficiency increase. We hypothesize that the density effect may be site-invariant and mainly depends on the structural species complementarity. The efficiency increase of growth may depend on the growth-limiting factor that is remedied by mixture and thus be co-determined by the site conditions. For forest management, the results indicate increased stand and tree size growth by species mixing. For the common mixtures examined in this study the results show that thinning for the acceleration of stem growth requires less density reduction and causes less stand growth losses than in monocultures. We discuss the consequences of our findings for silvicultural prescriptions for mixed-species stands.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Pretzsch
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - G Schütze
- Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
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Bohner T, Diez J. Tree resistance and recovery from drought mediated by multiple abiotic and biotic processes across a large geographic gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 789:147744. [PMID: 34051506 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, increasing severity of droughts threatens to change forest ecosystem functioning and community structure. Understanding how forest resilience is determined by its two underlying components, resistance and recovery, will help elucidate the mechanisms of drought responses and help inform management strategies. However, drought responses are shaped by complex processes across different scales, including species-specific drought strategies, tree size, competition, local environmental conditions, and the intensity of the drought event. Here, we quantified the reduction in tree growth during drought (an inverse measure of drought resistance) and post-drought recovery for three montane conifers (Abies concolor, Pinus jeffreyi, and Pinus lambertiana) in California. We used tree ring analysis to quantify responses to drought events of varying intensity between 1895 and 2018 across a geographic climatic gradient, to examine the roles of tree size (DBH) and competition (tree density) in mediating drought responses. We found that years of more intense drought corresponded with larger growth reductions and recovery rates were lower following drought years where trees suffered larger reductions. We found little variation among species in their growth reductions during drought events, but significant differences among species in their recovery post-drought. Across the geographic gradient, trees in the driest locations were susceptible to large growth reductions, signaling either strong sensitivity to drought intensity or exposure to the most extreme drought conditions. These growth reductions were not always compensated for by higher recovery rates. We also found that larger trees were more susceptible to drought due to a steeper negative relationship between recovery rates and the intensity of growth reduction during the drought. Contrary to expectations, recovery rates following the most detrimental drought years were higher in denser forests. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering how factors at various spatial and temporal scales affect the different components of drought responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Bohner
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Diez
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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