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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] [MESH Headings] [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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McClain CR, Boolukos CM, Bryant SRD, Hanks G. Sunken trees in the deep sea link terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Ecology 2023; 104:e4168. [PMID: 37712249 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Wood in the deep sea serves as a substantial food source in an otherwise barren environment, forming specialized, endemic, and diverse community assemblages. This biodiversity reliance on a terrestrial source creates a linkage by which anthropogenic impacts on land can alter the deep oceans. Knowledge of the alpha- or beta-diversity of entire wood-fall communities, and wooden drivers of each would elucidate the terrestrial and deep-sea linkage. We report on a multifactorial experiment in the deep ocean in which alpha- and beta-diversity of 43 wood falls and 11 tree species are quantified over time, wood density, and wood size. We tested multiple hypotheses seeking to link how biodiversity on land may impact the biodiversity in the deep oceans. A tremendous biodiversity occurred among these wood falls in the deep Gulf of Mexico; 114 invertebrate species from 10 phyla. Time, wood hardness, and wood size all impacted various components of community structure. In many cases, these effects were additive. Species occurring on softwoods versus hardwoods and small versus large wood falls were compositionally different. Although various processes can control community structure, this experiment suggests a strong influence of environmental filtering and host specificity of wood-fall invertebrates suggesting an intimate coupling to tree biodiversity and biomass on land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R McClain
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
| | - Corie M Boolukos
- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, Louisiana, USA
| | - S River D Bryant
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
| | - Granger Hanks
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
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3
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Vilà-Cabrera A, Astigarraga J, Jump AS, Zavala MA, Seijo F, Sperlich D, Ruiz-Benito P. Anthropogenic land-use legacies underpin climate change-related risks to forest ecosystems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:1132-1143. [PMID: 37263916 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Forest ecosystems with long-lasting human imprints can emerge worldwide as outcomes of land-use cessation. However, the interaction of these anthropogenic legacies with climate change impacts on forests is not well understood. Here, we set out how anthropogenic land-use legacies that persist in forest properties, following alterations in forest distribution, structure, and composition, can interact with climate change stressors. We propose a risk-based framework to identify anthropogenic legacies of land uses in forest ecosystems and quantify the impact of their interaction with climate-related stress on forest responses. Considering anthropogenic land-use legacies alongside environmental drivers of forest ecosystem dynamics will improve our predictive capacity of climate-related risks to forests and our ability to promote ecosystem resilience to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain; Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK; Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julen Astigarraga
- Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alistair S Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Miguel A Zavala
- Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Seijo
- Instituto de Empresa, School of Global and Public Affairs, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dominik Sperlich
- Department of Forestry Economics and Forest Planning, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Investigación en Teledetección Ambiental, Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Magnani M, Díaz-Sierra R, Sweeney L, Provenzale A, Baudena M. Fire Responses Shape Plant Communities in a Minimal Model for Fire Ecosystems across the World. Am Nat 2023; 202:E83-E103. [PMID: 37606944 DOI: 10.1086/725391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAcross plant communities worldwide, fire regimes reflect a combination of climatic factors and plant characteristics. To shed new light on the complex relationships between plant characteristics and fire regimes, we developed a new conceptual mechanistic model that includes plant competition, stochastic fires, and fire-vegetation feedback. Considering a single standing plant functional type, we observed that highly flammable and slowly colonizing plants can persist only when they have a strong fire response, while fast colonizing and less flammable plants can display a larger range of fire responses. At the community level, the fire response of the strongest competitor determines the existence of alternative ecological states (i.e., different plant communities) under the same environmental conditions. Specifically, when the strongest competitor had a very strong fire response, such as in Mediterranean forests, only one ecological state could be achieved. Conversely, when the strongest competitor was poorly fire adapted, alternative ecological states emerged-for example, between tropical humid savannas and forests or between different types of boreal forests. These findings underline the importance of including the plant fire response when modeling fire ecosystems, for example, to predict the vegetation response to invasive species or to climate change.
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Sánchez de Dios R, DeSoto L, Cortón B, Hernández L. The Renaissance of Mixed Forests? New Insights Into Shifts in Tree Dominance and Composition Following Centuries of Human-induced Simplification of Iberian Forests. Ecosystems 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00823-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAnthropic activities have modelled and simplified southern European forest landscapes for centuries. Over recent decades, new drivers related to human-mediated global change have induced the redistribution of tree species and an increase in more complex forests. However, the current large-scale patterns and drivers of these changes are yet to be fully described for the Mediterranean Basin. In this frame, this work identifies and examines changes in dominance and composition from pure to mixed forests across bioclimatic gradients and forest types in Iberian forests over recent decades based on data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory from 1960 to 2020. Then, considering different environmental, anthropic, and disturbance variables we also identify some of the most important drivers associated with the shifts observed from 1986 to 2020. Our results confirm an ongoing increase in mixed forests involving the replacement of conifers by broadleaved species. These shifts are greater in the Atlantic biogeoregion and in pure broadleaved deciduous forests. Climate warming-associated disturbances such as drought severity together with land use legacies and forest types showed the strongest relationships with the observed changes in the studied forests. Our results support the premise put forward by palaeoecologists which states that the increase in tree mixtures is a natural process reversing the historical human-induced simplification of Iberian forests. The increasing importance of mixed forest in southern Europe makes decisive the revision of forest classifications as well as forest management and conservation plans in order to include these increasingly abundant novel stands in forest policies.
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Liang Y, Gustafson EJ, He HS, Serra-Diaz JM, Duveneck MJ, Thompson JR. What is the role of disturbance in catalyzing spatial shifts in forest composition and tree species biomass under climate change? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1160-1177. [PMID: 36349470 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16517] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that climate change will cause shifts of tree species range and abundance (biomass). Abundance changes under climate change are likely to occur prior to a detectable range shift. Disturbances are expected to directly affect tree species abundance and composition, and could profoundly influence tree species spatial distribution within a geographical region. However, how multiple disturbance regimes will interact with changing climate to alter the spatial distribution of species abundance remains unclear. We simulated such forest demographic processes using a forest landscape succession and disturbance model (LANDIS-II) parameterized with forest inventory data in the northeastern United States. Our study incorporated climate change under a high-emission future and disturbance regimes varying with gradients of intensities and spatial extents. The results suggest that disturbances catalyze changes in tree species abundance and composition under a changing climate, but the effects of disturbances differ by intensity and extent. Moderate disturbances and large extent disturbances have limited effects, while high-intensity disturbances accelerate changes by removing cohorts of mid- and late-successional species, creating opportunities for early-successional species. High-intensity disturbances result in the northern movement of early-successional species and the southern movement of late-successional species abundances. Our study is among the first to systematically investigate how disturbance extent and intensity interact to determine the spatial distribution of changes in species abundance and forest composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Eric J Gustafson
- Institute for Applied Ecosystem Studies, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hong S He
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
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7
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Gazol A, Camarero JJ, Sánchez-Salguero R, Zavala MA, Serra-Maluquer X, Gutiérrez E, de Luis M, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Novak K, Rozas V, Tíscar PA, Linares JC, Martínez Del Castillo E, Ribas M, García-González I, Silla F, Camison Á, Génova M, Olano JM, Hereş AM, Yuste JC, Longares LA, Hevia A, Galván JD, Ruiz-Benito P. Tree growth response to drought partially explains regional-scale growth and mortality patterns in Iberian forests. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2589. [PMID: 35333426 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tree-ring data has been widely used to inform about tree growth responses to drought at the individual scale, but less is known about how tree growth sensitivity to drought scales up driving changes in forest dynamics. Here, we related tree-ring growth chronologies and stand-level forest changes in basal area from two independent data sets to test if tree-ring responses to drought match stand forest dynamics (stand basal area growth, ingrowth, and mortality). We assessed if tree growth and changes in forest basal area covary as a function of spatial scale and tree taxa (gymnosperm or angiosperm). To this end, we compared a tree-ring network with stand data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory. We focused on the cumulative impact of drought on tree growth and demography in the period 1981-2005. Drought years were identified by the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, and their impacts on tree growth by quantifying tree-ring width reductions. We hypothesized that forests with greater drought impacts on tree growth will also show reduced stand basal area growth and ingrowth and enhanced mortality. This is expected to occur in forests dominated by gymnosperms on drought-prone regions. Cumulative growth reductions during dry years were higher in forests dominated by gymnosperms and presented a greater magnitude and spatial autocorrelation than for angiosperms. Cumulative drought-induced tree growth reductions and changes in forest basal area were related, but initial stand density and basal area were the main factors driving changes in basal area. In drought-prone gymnosperm forests, we observed that sites with greater growth reductions had lower stand basal area growth and greater mortality. Consequently, stand basal area, forest growth, and ingrowth in regions with large drought impacts was significantly lower than in regions less impacted by drought. Tree growth sensitivity to drought can be used as a predictor of gymnosperm demographic rates in terms of stand basal area growth and ingrowth at regional scales, but further studies may try to disentangle how initial stand density modulates such relationships. Drought-induced growth reductions and their cumulative impacts have strong potential to be used as early-warning indicators of regional forest vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Raúl Sánchez-Salguero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Univ. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Miguel A Zavala
- Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Emilia Gutiérrez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martín de Luis
- Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio - IUCA, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Gabriel Sangüesa-Barreda
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
- EiFAB-iuFOR, Campus Duques de Soria, University of Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | - Klemen Novak
- Department of Wood Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Vicente Rozas
- EiFAB-iuFOR, Campus Duques de Soria, University of Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | - Pedro A Tíscar
- Centro de Capacitación y Experimentación Forestal, Cazorla, Spain
| | - Juan C Linares
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Univ. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Montse Ribas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-González
- Departamento de Botánica, Escola Politécnica Superior de Enxeñaría, Campus Terra, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Fernando Silla
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Parasitología, Ecología, Edafología y Química Agrícola, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Álvaro Camison
- Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Mar Génova
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Olano
- EiFAB-iuFOR, Campus Duques de Soria, University of Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | - Ana-Maria Hereş
- Department of Forest Sciences, Transilvania University of Braşov, Braşov, Romania
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain
| | - Jorge Curiel Yuste
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Luis A Longares
- Departamento de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio - IUCA, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Andrea Hevia
- Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | | | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Universidad de Alcalá, Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Madrid, Spain
- Remote Sensing Research Group, Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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García-Valdés R, Vayreda J, Retana J, Martínez-Vilalta J. Low forest productivity associated with increasing drought-tolerant species is compensated by an increase in drought-tolerance richness. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2113-2127. [PMID: 33511746 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many temperate forests are changing in composition due to a combination of changes in land-use, management and climate-related disturbances. Previous research has shown that in some regions these changes frequently favour drought-tolerant tree species. However, the effects of these changes in composition on forest functioning (e.g. productivity) are unclear. We studied 25 years of change in individual tree biomass growth, ingrowth and mortality, and community composition and total plot biomass across 2663 permanent forest plots in Catalonia (NE Spain) comprising 85,220 trees of 59 species. We focused on the relationship between community-level forest productivity and drought tolerance (DT), which was estimated using hydraulic traits as well as biogeographic indicators. We found that there was a small increase (1.6%-3.2% on average) in community-mean DT (DTcwm) during the study period, concurrent with a strong increase (12.4%-19.4% on average) in DT richness (DTric; i.e. trait range). Most importantly, we found that the mean DT was negatively related to forest productivity, which was explained because drought-tolerant tree species have lower tree-level growth. In contrast, DT richness was strongly and positively related to forest productivity, probably because it allowed for a more stable production along wet and dry periods. These results suggest a negative impact of ongoing climate change on forest productivity mediated by functional composition shifts (i.e. selection of drought-tolerant species), and a positive effect of increased DT richness as a consequence of land-use legacies. Such a trend towards functional diversification, although temporary, would increase forests' capacity to resist drought and place them in a better position to face the expected change in climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl García-Valdés
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
- University Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Joint Research Unit Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya (CTFC) - AGROTECNIO, Solsona, Spain
| | - Jordi Vayreda
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Javier Retana
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
- University Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Bellaterra, Spain
- University Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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9
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Astigarraga J, Andivia E, Zavala MA, Gazol A, Cruz-Alonso V, Vicente-Serrano SM, Ruiz-Benito P. Evidence of non-stationary relationships between climate and forest responses: Increased sensitivity to climate change in Iberian forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:5063-5076. [PMID: 32479675 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Climate and forest structure are considered major drivers of forest demography and productivity. However, recent evidence suggests that the relationships between climate and tree growth are generally non-stationary (i.e. non-time stable), and it remains uncertain whether the relationships between climate, forest structure, demography and productivity are stationary or are being altered by recent climatic and structural changes. Here we analysed three surveys from the Spanish Forest Inventory covering c. 30 years of information and we applied mixed and structural equation models to assess temporal trends in forest structure (stand density, basal area, tree size and tree size inequality), forest demography (ingrowth, growth and mortality) and above-ground forest productivity. We also quantified whether the interactive effects of climate and forest structure on forest demography and above-ground forest productivity were stationary over two consecutive time periods. Since the 1980s, density, basal area and tree size increased in Iberian forests, and tree size inequality decreased. In addition, we observed reductions in ingrowth and growth, and increases in mortality. Initial forest structure and water availability mainly modulated the temporal trends in forest structure and demography. The magnitude and direction of the interactive effects of climate and forest structure on forest demography changed over the two time periods analysed indicating non-stationary relationships between climate, forest structure and demography. Above-ground forest productivity increased due to a positive balance between ingrowth, growth and mortality. Despite increasing productivity over time, we observed an aggravation of the negative effects of climate change and increased competition on forest demography, reducing ingrowth and growth, and increasing mortality. Interestingly, our results suggest that the negative effects of climate change on forest demography could be ameliorated through forest management, which has profound implications for forest adaptation to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julen Astigarraga
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Enrique Andivia
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology & Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Zavala
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Franklin Institute, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Verónica Cruz-Alonso
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- CREAF, Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, Cerdanyola de Vallès, Spain
| | | | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Environmental Remote Sensing Group, Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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10
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Elzein T, Arseneault D, Sirois L, Boucher Y. The Changing Disturbance Regime in Eastern Canadian Mixed Forests During the 20th Century. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Baudena M, Santana VM, Baeza MJ, Bautista S, Eppinga MB, Hemerik L, Garcia Mayor A, Rodriguez F, Valdecantos A, Vallejo VR, Vasques A, Rietkerk M. Increased aridity drives post-fire recovery of Mediterranean forests towards open shrublands. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:1500-1515. [PMID: 31605639 PMCID: PMC7004039 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Recent observations suggest that repeated fires could drive Mediterranean forests to shrublands, hosting flammable vegetation that regrows quickly after fire. This feedback supposedly favours shrubland persistence and may be strengthened in the future by predicted increased aridity. An assessment was made of how fires and aridity in combination modulated the dynamics of Mediterranean ecosystems and whether the feedback could be strong enough to maintain shrubland as an alternative stable state to forest. A model was developed for vegetation dynamics, including stochastic fires and different plant fire-responses. Parameters were calibrated using observational data from a period up to 100 yr ago, from 77 sites with and without fires in Southeast Spain and Southern France. The forest state was resilient to the separate impact of fires and increased aridity. However, water stress could convert forests into open shrublands by hampering post-fire recovery, with a possible tipping point at intermediate aridity. Projected increases in aridity may reduce the resilience of Mediterranean forests against fires and drive post-fire ecosystem dynamics toward open shrubland. The main effect of increased aridity is the limitation of post-fire recovery. Including plant fire-responses is thus fundamental when modelling the fate of Mediterranean-type vegetation under climate-change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Baudena
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityPO Box 801153508 TCUtrechtthe Netherlands
| | - Victor M. Santana
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaAv. Diagonal 64308028BarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Environmental and Marine StudiesDepartment of Environment and PlanningUniversity of Aveiro3810‐193AveiroPortugal
- CEAM Foundation (Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies) Parque Tecnológico. C/ Charles Darwin, 1446980PaternaValenciaSpain
| | - M. Jaime Baeza
- CEAM Foundation (Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies) Parque Tecnológico. C/ Charles Darwin, 1446980PaternaValenciaSpain
- Department of Ecology and IMEMUniversity of AlicanteApdo. 9903080AlicanteSpain
| | - Susana Bautista
- Department of Ecology and IMEMUniversity of AlicanteApdo. 9903080AlicanteSpain
| | - Maarten B. Eppinga
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityPO Box 801153508 TCUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Department of GeographyUniversity of Zurich8057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Lia Hemerik
- Wageningen University and Research, Biometris, Mathematical and Statistical MethodsPO Box 166700AAWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Angeles Garcia Mayor
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityPO Box 801153508 TCUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Wageningen University and Research, Biometris, Mathematical and Statistical MethodsPO Box 166700AAWageningenthe Netherlands
- ISEMUniversité de MontpellierCNRSIRDEPHE3400MontpellierFrance
| | - Francisco Rodriguez
- Department of Applied Mathematics and IMEMUniversity of AlicanteApdo. 9903080AlicanteSpain
| | - Alejandro Valdecantos
- CEAM Foundation (Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies) Parque Tecnológico. C/ Charles Darwin, 1446980PaternaValenciaSpain
| | - V. Ramon Vallejo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental SciencesUniversity of BarcelonaAv. Diagonal 64308028BarcelonaSpain
- CEAM Foundation (Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies) Parque Tecnológico. C/ Charles Darwin, 1446980PaternaValenciaSpain
| | - Ana Vasques
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityPO Box 801153508 TCUtrechtthe Netherlands
- Centre for Environmental and Marine StudiesDepartment of Environment and PlanningUniversity of Aveiro3810‐193AveiroPortugal
- Erasmus University CollegeNieuwemarkt 1A3011 HPRotterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Max Rietkerk
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable DevelopmentUtrecht UniversityPO Box 801153508 TCUtrechtthe Netherlands
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12
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Muñoz Mazón M, Klanderud K, Finegan B, Veintimilla D, Bermeo D, Murrieta E, Delgado D, Sheil D. Disturbance and the elevation ranges of woody plant species in the mountains of Costa Rica. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:14330-14340. [PMID: 31938522 PMCID: PMC6953661 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To understand how disturbance-here defined as a transient reduction in competition-can shape plant distributions along elevation gradients. Theory suggests that disturbance may increase elevation ranges, especially at the lower range limits, through reduced competitive exclusion. Nevertheless, to date this relationship remains unclear. LOCATION Mountains of Costa Rica. METHODS We compared the elevation range of woody stems over 10 cm dbh ("trees") observed in plots along two transects spanning a range of elevations in secondary (regrowth) and old-growth forest (409 and 249 species, respectively). We also estimated these elevation ranges using nationwide data. In addition, we examined the influence of stem size and plot scale basal area (as a measure of competition) on species elevation range limits in the two gradients. RESULTS In general, tree species ranges increased with elevation. Species in the secondary forest had broader elevation ranges (100-318 m broader than species in the old-growth forest; Wilcoxon: p-value <.001). Also, in the secondary transect, individuals with greater diameters had broader elevation ranges than those observed as smaller trees (137 m broader; Kruskal-Wallis: p-value = .03). The lower range limit of species occurred more frequently in plots with lower (vs. higher) basal area than expected by chance in both forest types. We also observed higher elevation upper limits in old growth, but not in secondary forests, with lower (vs. higher) basal area. MAIN CONCLUSION Disturbance relaxes the constraints imposed by competition and extends effective elevation ranges of species, particularly those in secondary forest, to warmer and cooler climates (minimum increase equivalent to about 0.6-1.4°C). Thus, suitable disturbance may assist species persistence under climate change. We believe this is the first study indicating a consistent relation between disturbance and woody plant species distributions along elevation gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Muñoz Mazón
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Kari Klanderud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Bryan Finegan
- CATIE‐Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Darío Veintimilla
- CATIE‐Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and FisheriesBraunschweigGermany
| | - Diego Bermeo
- CATIE‐Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Eduardo Murrieta
- CATIE‐Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Diego Delgado
- CATIE‐Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y EnseñanzaTurrialbaCosta Rica
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
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13
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A Multifactorial Approach to Value Supporting Ecosystem Services in Spanish Forests and Its Implications in a Warming World. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11020358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Carbon storage and sequestration are key ecosystem services critical to human well-being and biodiversity conservation. In a warming context, the quantification and valuation of carbon storage and sequestration is important in ensuring that effective incentives are put in place to tackle climate change. The quantification and valuation of ES such as carbon storage and sequestration requires the calculus of actual values and prediction, however, it usually does not include key processes that can indirectly influence carbon dynamics (i.e., risk, conservation or management). Here, we define a multifactorial approach to value ecosystem services based on two stages: (1) a biophysical approximation that integrates yearly supporting ecosystem services (i.e., quantification of carbon storage and sequestration) and (2) a weighing approach including factors that indirectly influence carbon storage and sequestration or that deserve specific attention (i.e., risk, conservation or management factors). The quantification of carbon storage and sequestration indicated that Spanish forests store on average 43 Mg C ha−1 and sequestrate on average 1.02 Mg C ha−1 year−1. Forest structure was a strong determinant of carbon storage and sequestration in Iberian forests, hence there was a strong spatial variation in the carbon sink. We adapted the weighting values to a financial cap and the monetary value of carbon increased more than four times when the weighting factors were taken into account. Finally, we argue that a multifactorial approach to value supporting ecosystem services incorporating aspects related to conservation and risk prevention can facilitate ecosystem service valuation and assist policy makers and stakeholders to establish payment service policies.
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14
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Crous KY, Drake JE, Aspinwall MJ, Sharwood RE, Tjoelker MG, Ghannoum O. Photosynthetic capacity and leaf nitrogen decline along a controlled climate gradient in provenances of two widely distributed Eucalyptus species. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:4626-4644. [PMID: 29804312 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate is an important factor limiting tree distributions and adaptation to different thermal environments may influence how tree populations respond to climate warming. Given the current rate of warming, it has been hypothesized that tree populations in warmer, more thermally stable climates may have limited capacity to respond physiologically to warming compared to populations from cooler, more seasonal climates. We determined in a controlled environment how several provenances of widely distributed Eucalyptus tereticornis and E. grandis adjusted their photosynthetic capacity to +3.5°C warming along their native distribution range (~16-38°S) and whether climate of seed origin of the provenances influenced their response to different growth temperatures. We also tested how temperature optima (Topt ) of photosynthesis and Jmax responded to higher growth temperatures. Our results showed increased photosynthesis rates at a standardized temperature with warming in temperate provenances, while rates in tropical provenances were reduced by about 40% compared to their temperate counterparts. Temperature optima of photosynthesis increased as provenances were exposed to warmer growth temperatures. Both species had ~30% reduced photosynthetic capacity in tropical and subtropical provenances related to reduced leaf nitrogen and leaf Rubisco content compared to temperate provenances. Tropical provenances operated closer to their thermal optimum and came within 3% of the Topt of Jmax during the daily temperature maxima. Hence, further warming may negatively affect C uptake and tree growth in warmer climates, whereas eucalypts in cooler climates may benefit from moderate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Y Crous
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - John E Drake
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York
| | - Michael J Aspinwall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Mark G Tjoelker
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
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15
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Wang WJ, He HS, Thompson FR, Spetich MA, Fraser JS. Effects of species biological traits and environmental heterogeneity on simulated tree species distribution shifts under climate change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 634:1214-1221. [PMID: 29710627 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Demographic processes (fecundity, dispersal, colonization, growth, and mortality) and their interactions with environmental changes are not well represented in current climate-distribution models (e.g., niche and biophysical process models) and constitute a large uncertainty in projections of future tree species distribution shifts. We investigate how species biological traits and environmental heterogeneity affect species distribution shifts. We used a species-specific, spatially explicit forest dynamic model LANDIS PRO, which incorporates site-scale tree species demography and competition, landscape-scale dispersal and disturbances, and regional-scale abiotic controls, to simulate the distribution shifts of four representative tree species with distinct biological traits in the central hardwood forest region of United States. Our results suggested that biological traits (e.g., dispersal capacity, maturation age) were important for determining tree species distribution shifts. Environmental heterogeneity, on average, reduced shift rates by 8% compared to perfect environmental conditions. The average distribution shift rates ranged from 24 to 200myear-1 under climate change scenarios, implying that many tree species may not able to keep up with climate change because of limited dispersal capacity, long generation time, and environmental heterogeneity. We suggest that climate-distribution models should include species demographic processes (e.g., fecundity, dispersal, colonization), biological traits (e.g., dispersal capacity, maturation age), and environmental heterogeneity (e.g., habitat fragmentation) to improve future predictions of species distribution shifts in response to changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen J Wang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 203 ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Hong S He
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 203 ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Frank R Thompson
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 202 ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Martin A Spetich
- Arkansas Forestry Science Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, P. O. Box 1270, Hot Springs, AR 71902, USA
| | - Jacob S Fraser
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 203 ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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16
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Gazol A, Camarero JJ, Vicente-Serrano SM, Sánchez-Salguero R, Gutiérrez E, de Luis M, Sangüesa-Barreda G, Novak K, Rozas V, Tíscar PA, Linares JC, Martín-Hernández N, Martínez Del Castillo E, Ribas M, García-González I, Silla F, Camisón A, Génova M, Olano JM, Longares LA, Hevia A, Tomás-Burguera M, Galván JD. Forest resilience to drought varies across biomes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:2143-2158. [PMID: 29488293 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Forecasted increase drought frequency and severity may drive worldwide declines in forest productivity. Species-level responses to a drier world are likely to be influenced by their functional traits. Here, we analyse forest resilience to drought using an extensive network of tree-ring width data and satellite imagery. We compiled proxies of forest growth and productivity (TRWi, absolutely dated ring-width indices; NDVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) for 11 tree species and 502 forests in Spain corresponding to Mediterranean, temperate, and continental biomes. Four different components of forest resilience to drought were calculated based on TRWi and NDVI data before, during, and after four major droughts (1986, 1994-1995, 1999, and 2005), and pointed out that TRWi data were more sensitive metrics of forest resilience to drought than NDVI data. Resilience was related to both drought severity and forest composition. Evergreen gymnosperms dominating semi-arid Mediterranean forests showed the lowest resistance to drought, but higher recovery than deciduous angiosperms dominating humid temperate forests. Moreover, semi-arid gymnosperm forests presented a negative temporal trend in the resistance to drought, but this pattern was absent in continental and temperate forests. Although gymnosperms in dry Mediterranean forests showed a faster recovery after drought, their recovery potential could be constrained if droughts become more frequent. Conversely, angiosperms and gymnosperms inhabiting temperate and continental sites might have problems to recover after more intense droughts since they resist drought but are less able to recover afterwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Gazol
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | | | - Raúl Sánchez-Salguero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
- Depto. Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Univ. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Emilia Gutiérrez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin de Luis
- Depto. Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio - IUCA, Univ. Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Klemen Novak
- Depto. Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio - IUCA, Univ. Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Depto. de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Vicente Rozas
- Depto. Ciencias Agroforestales, EU Ing. Agrarias, iuFOR-Univ., Valladolid, Spain
| | - Pedro A Tíscar
- Centro de Capacitación y Experimentación Forestal, Cazorla, Spain
| | - Juan C Linares
- Depto. Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Univ. Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | | | - Montse Ribas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio García-González
- Depto. Botánica, Escola Politécnica Superior, Campus Terra, Univ. Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Fernando Silla
- Depto. Biología Animal, Parasitología, Ecología, Edafología y Química Agrícola, Univ. Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alvaro Camisón
- Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Univ. Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Mar Génova
- Depto. Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, Univ. Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Olano
- Depto. Ciencias Agroforestales, EU Ing. Agrarias, iuFOR-Univ., Valladolid, Spain
| | - Luis A Longares
- Depto. Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio - IUCA, Univ. Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Andrea Hevia
- Forest and Wood Technology Research Centre (CETEMAS), Grado, Spain
| | - Miquel Tomás-Burguera
- Estación Experimental Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
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18
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Rodríguez-García E, Mezquida ET, Olano JM. You'd better walk alone: Changes in forest composition affect pollination efficiency and pre-dispersal cone damage in Iberian Juniperus thurifera forests. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2017; 19:934-941. [PMID: 28834121 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Changes in land-use patterns are a major driver of global environmental change. Cessation of traditional land-use practices has led to forest expansion and shifts in forest composition. Consequently, former monospecific forests maintained by traditional management are progressing towards mixed forests. However, knowledge is scarce on how the presence of other tree species will affect reproduction of formerly dominant species. We explored this question in the wind-pollinated tree Juniperus thurifera. We hypothesised that the presence of heterospecific trees would have a negative effect on cone production and on the proportion of cones attacked by specialised predators. We assessed the relative importance of forest composition on cone production, seed development and pre-dispersal cone damage on nine paired pure and mixed J. thurifera forests in three regions across the Iberian Peninsula. The effects of forest composition on crop size, cone and seed characteristics, as well as damage by pre-dispersal arthropods were tested using mixed models. Cone production was lower and seed abortion higher in mixed forests, suggesting higher pollination failure. In contrast, cone damage by arthropods was higher in pure forests, supporting the hypothesis that presence of non-host plants reduces damage rates. However, the response of each arthropod to forest composition was species-specific and the relative rates of cone damage varied depending on individual tree crops. Larger crop sizes in pure forests compensated for the higher cone damage rates, leading to a higher net production of sound seeds compared to mixed forests. This study indicates that ongoing changes in forest composition after land abandonment may impact tree reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Rodríguez-García
- Laboratorio de Botánica, Department of Agroforestry Sciences - iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | - E T Mezquida
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - J M Olano
- Laboratorio de Botánica, Department of Agroforestry Sciences - iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Soria, Spain
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19
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Ruiz-Benito P, Ratcliffe S, Zavala MA, Martínez-Vilalta J, Vilà-Cabrera A, Lloret F, Madrigal-González J, Wirth C, Greenwood S, Kändler G, Lehtonen A, Kattge J, Dahlgren J, Jump AS. Climate- and successional-related changes in functional composition of European forests are strongly driven by tree mortality. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4162-4176. [PMID: 28418105 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Intense droughts combined with increased temperatures are one of the major threats to forest persistence in the 21st century. Despite the direct impact of climate change on forest growth and shifts in species abundance, the effect of altered demography on changes in the composition of functional traits is not well known. We sought to (1) quantify the recent changes in functional composition of European forests; (2) identify the relative importance of climate change, mean climate and forest development for changes in functional composition; and (3) analyse the roles of tree mortality and growth underlying any functional changes in different forest types. We quantified changes in functional composition from the 1980s to the 2000s across Europe by two dimensions of functional trait variation: the first dimension was mainly related to changes in leaf mass per area and wood density (partially related to the trait differences between angiosperms and gymnosperms), and the second dimension was related to changes in maximum tree height. Our results indicate that climate change and mean climatic effects strongly interacted with forest development and it was not possible to completely disentangle their effects. Where recent climate change was not too extreme, the patterns of functional change generally followed the expected patterns under secondary succession (e.g. towards late-successional short-statured hardwoods in Mediterranean forests and taller gymnosperms in boreal forests) and latitudinal gradients (e.g. larger proportion of gymnosperm-like strategies at low water availability in forests formerly dominated by broad-leaved deciduous species). Recent climate change generally favoured the dominance of angiosperm-like related traits under increased temperature and intense droughts. Our results show functional composition changes over relatively short time scales in European forests. These changes are largely determined by tree mortality, which should be further investigated and modelled to adequately predict the impacts of climate change on forest function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
| | - Sophia Ratcliffe
- Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Miguel A Zavala
- Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) Edifici C, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Albert Vilà-Cabrera
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Francisco Lloret
- CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) Edifici C, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Jaime Madrigal-González
- Grupo de Ecología y Restauración Forestal, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
| | - Christian Wirth
- Department of Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, UK
| | - Sarah Greenwood
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Gerald Kändler
- Forest Research Institute Baden-Wurttemberg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Jens Kattge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Jonas Dahlgren
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alistair S Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- CREAF, Campus de Bellaterra (UAB) Edifici C, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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20
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Martínez-Sancho E, Dorado-Liñán I, Hacke UG, Seidel H, Menzel A. Contrasting Hydraulic Architectures of Scots Pine and Sessile Oak at Their Southernmost Distribution Limits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:598. [PMID: 28473841 PMCID: PMC5397420 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Many temperate European tree species have their southernmost distribution limits in the Mediterranean Basin. The projected climatic conditions, particularly an increase in dryness, might induce an altitudinal and latitudinal retreat at their southernmost distribution limit. Therefore, characterizing the morphological and physiological variability of temperate tree species under dry conditions is essential to understand species' responses to expected climate change. In this study, we compared branch-level hydraulic traits of four Scots pine and four sessile oak natural stands located at the western and central Mediterranean Basin to assess their adjustment to water limiting conditions. Hydraulic traits such as xylem- and leaf-specific maximum hydraulic conductivity (KS-MAX and KL-MAX), leaf-to-xylem area ratio (AL:AX) and functional xylem fraction (FX) were measured in July 2015 during a long and exceptionally dry summer. Additionally, xylem-specific native hydraulic conductivity (KS-N) and native percentage of loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) were measured for Scots pine. Interspecific differences in these hydraulic traits as well as intraspecific variability between sites were assessed. The influence of annual, summer and growing season site climatic aridity (P/PET) on intraspecific variability was investigated. Sessile oak displayed higher values of KS-MAX, KL-MAX, AL:AX but a smaller percentage of FX than Scots pines. Scots pine did not vary in any of the measured hydraulic traits across the sites, and PLC values were low for all sites, even during one of the warmest summers in the region. In contrast, sessile oak showed significant differences in KS-MAX, KL-MAX, and FX across sites, which were significantly related to site aridity. The striking similarity in the hydraulic traits across Scots pine sites suggests that no adjustment in hydraulic architecture was needed, likely as a consequence of a drought-avoidance strategy. In contrast, sessile oak displayed adjustments in the hydraulic architecture along an aridity gradient, pointing to a drought-tolerance strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Martínez-Sancho
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
| | - Isabel Dorado-Liñán
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
- Departamento de Silvicultura y Gestión de los Sistemas Forestales, Centro de Investigación Forestal–Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y AlimentariaMadrid, Spain
| | - Uwe G. Hacke
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, EdmontonAB, Canada
| | - Hannes Seidel
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- Ecoclimatology, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität MünchenGarching, Germany
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21
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Greenwood S, Ruiz-Benito P, Martínez-Vilalta J, Lloret F, Kitzberger T, Allen CD, Fensham R, Laughlin DC, Kattge J, Bönisch G, Kraft NJB, Jump AS. Tree mortality across biomes is promoted by drought intensity, lower wood density and higher specific leaf area. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:539-553. [PMID: 28220612 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Drought events are increasing globally, and reports of consequent forest mortality are widespread. However, due to a lack of a quantitative global synthesis, it is still not clear whether drought-induced mortality rates differ among global biomes and whether functional traits influence the risk of drought-induced mortality. To address these uncertainties, we performed a global meta-analysis of 58 studies of drought-induced forest mortality. Mortality rates were modelled as a function of drought, temperature, biomes, phylogenetic and functional groups and functional traits. We identified a consistent global-scale response, where mortality increased with drought severity [log mortality (trees trees-1 year-1 ) increased 0.46 (95% CI = 0.2-0.7) with one SPEI unit drought intensity]. We found no significant differences in the magnitude of the response depending on forest biomes or between angiosperms and gymnosperms or evergreen and deciduous tree species. Functional traits explained some of the variation in drought responses between species (i.e. increased from 30 to 37% when wood density and specific leaf area were included). Tree species with denser wood and lower specific leaf area showed lower mortality responses. Our results illustrate the value of functional traits for understanding patterns of drought-induced tree mortality and suggest that mortality could become increasingly widespread in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Greenwood
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland
| | - Paloma Ruiz-Benito
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland.,Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Life Sciences Department, Universidad de Alcalá, Science Building, Alcalá de Henares, 28805, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
- CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain.,Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Francisco Lloret
- CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain.,Universidad Autònoma Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Thomas Kitzberger
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Craig D Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, New Mexico Landscapes Field Station, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544, USA
| | - Rod Fensham
- Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Qld, 4066, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel C Laughlin
- Environmental Research Institute and School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gerhard Bönisch
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Straße 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Nathan J B Kraft
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Alistair S Jump
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland.,CREAF Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
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