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Bartholomew DC, Hayward R, Burslem DFRP, Bittencourt PRL, Chapman D, Bin Suis MAF, Nilus R, O'Brien MJ, Reynolds G, Rowland L, Banin LF, Dent D. Bornean tropical forests recovering from logging at risk of regeneration failure. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17209. [PMID: 38469989 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Active restoration through silvicultural treatments (enrichment planting, cutting climbers and liberation thinning) is considered an important intervention in logged forests. However, its ability to enhance regeneration is key for long-term recovery of logged forests, which remains poorly understood, particularly for the production and survival of seedlings in subsequent generations. To understand the long-term impacts of logging and restoration we tracked the diversity, survival and traits of seedlings that germinated immediately after a mast fruiting in North Borneo in unlogged and logged forests 30-35 years after logging. We monitored 5119 seedlings from germination for ~1.5 years across a mixed landscape of unlogged forests (ULs), naturally regenerating logged forests (NR) and actively restored logged forests via rehabilitative silvicultural treatments (AR), 15-27 years after restoration. We measured 14 leaf, root and biomass allocation traits on 399 seedlings from 15 species. Soon after fruiting, UL and AR forests had higher seedling densities than NR forest, but survival was the lowest in AR forests in the first 6 months. Community composition differed among forest types; AR and NR forests had lower species richness and lower evenness than UL forests by 5-6 months post-mast but did not differ between them. Differences in community composition altered community-weighted mean trait values across forest types, with higher root biomass allocation in NR relative to UL forest. Traits influenced mortality ~3 months post-mast, with more acquisitive traits and relative aboveground investment favoured in AR forests relative to UL forests. Our findings of reduced seedling survival and diversity suggest long time lags in post-logging recruitment, particularly for some taxa. Active restoration of logged forests recovers initial seedling production, but elevated mortality in AR forests lowers the efficacy of active restoration to enhance recruitment or diversity of seedling communities. This suggests current active restoration practices may fail to overcome barriers to regeneration in logged forests, which may drive long-term changes in future forest plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Bartholomew
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, UK
| | - Robin Hayward
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Chapman
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | | | - Reuben Nilus
- Forest Research Centre Sepilok, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Michael J O'Brien
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Glen Reynolds
- SE Asia Rainforest Research Partnership, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Lucy Rowland
- School of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Daisy Dent
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
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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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Schmitt S, Tysklind N, Heuertz M, Hérault B. Selection in space and time: Individual tree growth is adapted to tropical forest gap dynamics. Mol Ecol 2022. [PMID: 35152482 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Tropical forest dynamics are driven by growth and survival strategies of tree species in relation to treefall gaps; however, the ecological and evolutionary roles of intraspecific variation in the response to forest gaps remain unexplored. Here, we associated genomic data of three related tree species of the genus Symphonia in a French Guiana forest with (1) each individual tree's growth potential, and (2) with its light and competition environment estimated based on 33 years of forest monitoring in plots covering 120 ha. We show that individual trees within species have genetically determined growth strategies that are adapted to the local light and competition environments, which are shaped by the time since the last treefall. Within species, fast-growing genotypes are more frequent in light-enriched environments and slow-growing genotypes in more shaded environments. Forest gap dynamics is thus a strong selection driver that shapes adaptive strategies and maintains genetic variation within tropical tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Schmitt
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, CIRAD, INRAE, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana
- Univ Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, Cestas, France
| | - Niklas Tysklind
- INRAE, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, CNRS, CIRAD, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Campus Agronomique, Kourou, French Guiana
| | | | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD, UR Forêts et Sociétés, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
- CIRAD, Univ Montpellier, UR Forêts et Sociétés, Montpellier, France
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, INP-HB, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
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Mirabel A, Marcon E, Hérault B. 30 Years of postdisturbance recruitment in a Neotropical forest. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:14448-14458. [PMID: 34765118 PMCID: PMC8571577 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
QUESTIONS Long-term community response to disturbance can follow manifold successional pathways depending on the interplay between various recruitment processes. Analyzing the succession of recruited communities provides a long-term perspective on forest response to disturbance. Specifically, postdisturbance recruitment trajectories assess (a) the successive phases of postdisturbance response and the role of deterministic recruitment processes, and (b) the return to predisturbance state of recruits taxonomic/functional diversity/composition. LOCATION Amazonian rainforest, Paracou station, French Guiana. METHODS We analyzed trajectories of recruited tree communities, from twelve forest plots of 6.25 ha each, during 30 years following a disturbance gradient that ranged from 10% to 60% of aboveground biomass removed. We measured recruited community taxonomic composition turnover, compared to whole predisturbance community, and assessed their functional composition by measuring the community weighted means for seven leaf, stem, and life-history functional traits. We also measured recruited community taxonomic richness, taxonomic evenness, and functional diversity and compared them to the diversity values from a random recruitment process. RESULTS While control plots trajectories resembled random recruitment trajectories, postdisturbance trajectories diverged significantly. This divergence corresponded to an enhanced recruitment of light-demanding species that became dominant above a disturbance intensity threshold. After breakpoints in time, though, recruitment trajectories returned to diversity values and composition similar to those of predisturbance and control plots community. CONCLUSIONS Following disturbance, recruitment processes specific to undisturbed community were first replaced by the emergence of more restricted, deterministic recruitment processes favoring species with efficient light use and acquisition. Then, a second phase corresponded to a decades-long recovery of recruits predisturbance taxonomic and functional diversity and composition that remained unachieved after 30 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Mirabel
- UMR EcoFoGAgroParistechCNRSCiradINRAUniversité des AntillesUniversité de GuyaneKourouFrance
| | - Eric Marcon
- UMR EcoFoGAgroParistechCNRSCiradINRAUniversité des AntillesUniversité de GuyaneKourouFrance
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRADUPR Forêts et SociétésYamoussoukroCôte d'Ivoire
- Forêts et SociétésUniv MontpellierCIRADMontpellierFrance
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët‐BoignyINP‐HBYamoussoukroCôte d'Ivoire
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Li W, He S, Cheng X, Zhang M. Functional diversity outperforms taxonomic diversity in revealing short-term trampling effects. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18889. [PMID: 34556737 PMCID: PMC8460817 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98372-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpine grasslands harbor diverse groups of flora and fauna, provide important ecosystem functions, and yield essential ecosystem goods and services, especially for the development of nature-based tourism. However, they are experiencing increasing anthropogenic perturbations such as tourist trampling. Although negative effects of tourist trampling on alpine vegetation have been frequently reported, previous studies have focused mainly on changes in taxonomic diversity after trampling, and rarely provide a mechanistic elucidation of trampling effects from a trait-based perspective. The present study evaluates the impacts of simulated trampling on taxonomic and functional diversity of a typical alpine grassland community in Shangri-La, China using a standardized protocol. The results showed that although taxonomic diversity was not statistically significantly affected by trampling, some functional attributes responded rapidly to trampling disturbance. Specifically, functional divergence decreased with an increase in trampling intensity, and characteristics of community-weighted mean trait values changed towards shorter species with reduced leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content. Such strong shifts in functional attributes may further affect ecosystem goods and services provided by alpine grasslands. Our inclusion of functional diversity in the analysis thus adds an important caution to previous studies predominantly focusing on taxonomic diversity, and it is urgent to keep alpine grasslands well managed and ecologically coherent so that their valuable functions and services can be safeguarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China.
| | - Shuqiang He
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiping Cheng
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China
| | - Mingqiang Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, 363000, Fujian, China
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Schmitt S, Tysklind N, Derroire G, Heuertz M, Hérault B. Topography shapes the local coexistence of tree species within species complexes of Neotropical forests. Oecologia 2021; 196:389-398. [PMID: 33978831 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Forest inventories in Amazonia include around 5000 described tree species belonging to more than 800 genera. Numerous species-rich genera share genetic variation among species because of recent speciation and/or recurrent hybridisation, forming species complexes. Despite the key role that tree species complexes play in understanding Neotropical diversification, and their need to exploit a diversity of niches, little is known about the mechanisms that allow local coexistence of tree species complexes and their species in sympatry. In this study, we explored the fine-scale distribution of five tree species complexes and 22 species within these complexes. Combining forest inventories, botanical determination, and LiDAR-derived topographic data over 120 ha of permanent plots in French Guiana, we used a Bayesian modelling framework to test the role of fine-scale topographic wetness and tree neighbourhood on the occurrence of species complexes and the relative distribution of species within complexes. Species complexes of Neotropical trees were widely spread across the topographic wetness gradient at the local scale. Species within complexes showed pervasive niche differentiation along with topographic wetness and competition gradients. Similar patterns of species-specific habitat preferences were observed within several species complexes: species more tolerant to competition for resources grow in drier and less fertile plateaus and slopes. If supported by partial reproductive isolation of species and adaptive introgression at the species complex level, our results suggest that both species-specific habitat specialisation within species complexes and the broad ecological distribution of species complexes might explain the success of these species complexes at the regional scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Schmitt
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, Cirad, INRAE, Université Des Antilles, Université de La Guyane), Campus Agronomique, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana.
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, 69 route d'Arcachon, 33610, Cestas, France.
| | - Niklas Tysklind
- INRAE, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, CNRS, Cirad, Université Des Antilles, Université de La Guyane), Campus Agronomique, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Géraldine Derroire
- Cirad, UMR EcoFoG (Agroparistech, CNRS, INRAE, Université Des Antilles, Université de La Guyane), Campus Agronomique, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Myriam Heuertz
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, 69 route d'Arcachon, 33610, Cestas, France
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD, UPR Forêts Et Sociétés, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
- Forêts Et Sociétés, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
- Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, INP-HB, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
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7
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Ding Y, Zang R. Effects of thinning on the demography and functional community structure of a secondary tropical lowland rain forest. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 279:111805. [PMID: 33316643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tropical secondary forests play a prominent role in conserving biodiversity and providing ecosystem services, but their recovery can be slow and their succession trajectory is distinct from old-growth forests. Thinning is an essential silvicultural approach to enhance the recovery rate and timber production of forests. However, the selection of trees to thin has been mainly based on size class rather than on species identity. There is little empirical or experimental evidence of species-focused thinning with the goal of altering species composition. We examined the effects of thinning on community structure, demographic rates, species richness and functional diversity of woody plants in a detailed investigation of 60-year-old secondary tropical lowland rain forest on Hainan Island, South China. The density and basal area of trees ≥5 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) increased significantly after five years' recovery with no significant change for saplings (DBH < 5 cm). Species composition after thinning changed significantly and mid-to late-successional species of both saplings and trees were more abundant after five years' recovery. The relative growth rates (RGR) and recruitment rates were significantly higher in thinning plots for both saplings and trees, and RGRs increased by 127% and 48%, respectively. The mortality rate decreased by 13% for trees and increased by 47% for saplings in thinning plots compared to the control. The community weighted mean (CWM) of the specific leaf area (SLA) of saplings showed a significantly decreasing trend while CWMs of wood density (WD) and mean maximum height (Hmax) of saplings increased after thinning. By contrast, CWMs of SLA and Hmax of trees were significantly higher, but WD was significantly lower- in thinning plots than the control. RGR and recruitment rate of saplings and trees increased significantly as thinning intensity increased. However, the thinning intensity had a weak or nil effect on the mortality rate. Our results support the selective removal and girdling of pioneer and mid-successional species in a way that could accelerate recovery and improve the growth and recruitment of late-successional species in tropical secondary forests. Thinning at a relatively low intensity can maintain species diversity and alter species functional composition. This outcome shows promise for improved future management of tropical forests in human-modified tropical forest landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ding
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment, and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment, and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
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8
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Yamashina C, Hara M, Fujita T. The effects of human disturbance on the species composition, species diversity and functional diversity of a Miombo woodland in northern Malawi. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chisato Yamashina
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba Japan
| | - Masaya Hara
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment Kobe University Kobe Japan
| | - Tomohiro Fujita
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies National Institute for Environmental Studies Tsukuba Japan
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9
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Curzon MT, Kern CC, Baker SC, Palik BJ, D'Amato AW. Retention forestry influences understory diversity and functional identity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02097. [PMID: 32078225 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, a paradigm shift in forest management and associated policies has led to greater emphasis on harvest practices that retain mature, overstory trees in forest stands that would otherwise be clear-cut. While it is often assumed that the maintenance of compositional and structural complexity, such as that achieved through retention forestry approaches, will also mitigate negative impacts to functional diversity, empirical evidence of this relationship is sparse. We examined the effects of an aggregated retention system on taxonomic and functional diversity in a regenerating aspen-dominated forest. Sampling was conducted along transects arranged to capture the transition from harvested (regenerating) forest to mature, unharvested forest (both intact forest stands and 0.1 ha retention aggregates). We then assessed the magnitude and distance of edge effects on multiple indices of taxonomic and functional diversity as well as functional identity. Twelve years after harvest, the distance and magnitude of edge effects on functional and taxonomic diversity did not differ between the two unharvested patch sizes (intact vs. aggregate); however, intact forest exhibited greater resistance to edge effects and greater depth of edge influence into harvested areas for some traits compared to aggregates. Analyses relying on functional traits were generally applicable across sites within a highly variable forest type, and our results demonstrate the promise of using functional traits to assess management impacts on plant diversity across a landscape. Aggregates maintained some functional attributes associated with interior forest and influenced adjacent regeneration. However, trends in some traits (i.e., shade tolerance and seed mass), particularly in the seedling layer, suggest aggregates of this size provide primarily edge habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda T Curzon
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, 2310 Pammel Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50011, USA
| | - Christel C Kern
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 5985 Highway K, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501, USA
| | - Susan C Baker
- School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre for Forest Value, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - Brian J Palik
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 1831 Highway 169 East, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 55744, USA
| | - Anthony W D'Amato
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
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10
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Functional Diversity Changes after Selective Thinning in a Tropical Mountain Forest in Southern Ecuador. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12060256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: The impact of selective thinning on forest diversity has been extensively studied in temperate and boreal regions. However, in the tropics, knowledge is still poor regarding the impacts of this silvicultural treatment on functional diversity, especially in tropical mountain forests, which are considered to be highly biodiverse ecosystems and also endangered by human activities. By evaluating the changes on functional diversity by using different indicators, hypothesizing that selective thinning significantly affects (directly or indirectly) tropical mountain forests, this work promotes sustainable ecosystem use. Methods: A total of 52 permanent plots of 2500 m2 each were installed in a primary mountain forest in the San Francisco Biological Reserve to assess the impact of this silvicultural treatment. Selective thinning can be defined as a controlled process, in which trees that compete with ecologically and/or valuable timber species are progressively removed to stimulate the development of profitable ones, called potential crop trees (PCT). In doing so, the best specimens remain in the forest stand until their final harvest. After PCT selection, 30 plots were chosen for the intervention, while 22 plots served as control plots. The thinning intensity fluctuated between 4 and 56 trees ha−1 (average 18.8 ± 12.1 stems ha−1). Functional Diversity (FD) indices, including the community weighted mean (CWM), were determined based on six traits using the FD package implemented in R software. The difference between initial and final conditions of functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDiv), functional evenness (FEve), functional dispersion (FDis), and Rao quadratic entropy (RaoQ) was modeled using linear mixed models (LMM). As fixed factors, we used all the predictors inherent to structural and ecological forest conditions before and after the selective thinning and as a random variable, we used the membership to nested sampling units. Results: Functional Richness (FRic) showed significant changes after selective thinning, the other indexes (FEve, FDis, FDiv, RaoQ) were only influenced by predictors related to ecological conditions and characteristics of the community.
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11
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Mirabel A, Hérault B, Marcon E. Diverging taxonomic and functional trajectories following disturbance in a Neotropical forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 720:137397. [PMID: 32143035 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the current global change context, it is urgent to anticipate the fate of tropical forests. This means understanding tree community response to disturbance and the underlying processes. In that respect, we aim here to clarify taxonomic and functional post-disturbance trajectories, and determine the scope of the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) that remains debated in tropical forests. We analyzed community trajectories following a disturbance gradient from 10 to 60% of above-ground biomass loss in a Neotropical forest over 30 years. We considered trajectories along time of community taxonomic and functional trajectories in terms of richness, evenness, composition, and redundancy. We based on the annual botanical inventories of 75 ha of a Neotropical forest and on large trait datasets comprising seven leaf, stem, and life-history traits. We identified a decoupling between taxonomic composition, differing among communities, and functional composition, similar among communities and convergent in the functional space. The taxonomic diversity followed humped-shaped trajectories along time after disturbance depending on the initial disturbance intensity, which validated the IDH (Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis). The functional diversity trajectories, however, were homogeneous among plots and dismissed the IDH. We explained this decoupling by the variations in community functional redundancy that mitigated the functional impact of disturbance. Although consistent, the recovery of community composition, diversity, and redundancy remained divergent from the initial state after 30 years. These results acknowledged the need of decades-long cycles without disturbance to ensure community complete recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Mirabel
- CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire.
| | - B Hérault
- Forêts et Sociétés, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France; Forêts et Sociétés, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France; Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, INP-HB, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - E Marcon
- CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
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12
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Swinfield T, Both S, Riutta T, Bongalov B, Elias D, Majalap‐Lee N, Ostle N, Svátek M, Kvasnica J, Milodowski D, Jucker T, Ewers RM, Zhang Y, Johnson D, Teh YA, Burslem DFRP, Malhi Y, Coomes D. Imaging spectroscopy reveals the effects of topography and logging on the leaf chemistry of tropical forest canopy trees. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:989-1002. [PMID: 31845482 PMCID: PMC7027875 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Logging, pervasive across the lowland tropics, affects millions of hectares of forest, yet its influence on nutrient cycling remains poorly understood. One hypothesis is that logging influences phosphorus (P) cycling, because this scarce nutrient is removed in extracted timber and eroded soil, leading to shifts in ecosystem functioning and community composition. However, testing this is challenging because P varies within landscapes as a function of geology, topography and climate. Superimposed upon these trends are compositional changes in logged forests, with species with more acquisitive traits, characterized by higher foliar P concentrations, more dominant. It is difficult to resolve these patterns using traditional field approaches alone. Here, we use airborne light detection and ranging-guided hyperspectral imagery to map foliar nutrient (i.e. P, nitrogen [N]) concentrations, calibrated using field measured traits, over 400 km2 of northeastern Borneo, including a landscape-level disturbance gradient spanning old-growth to repeatedly logged forests. The maps reveal that canopy foliar P and N concentrations decrease with elevation. These relationships were not identified using traditional field measurements of leaf and soil nutrients. After controlling for topography, canopy foliar nutrient concentrations were lower in logged forest than in old-growth areas, reflecting decreased nutrient availability. However, foliar nutrient concentrations and specific leaf area were greatest in relatively short patches in logged areas, reflecting a shift in composition to pioneer species with acquisitive traits. N:P ratio increased in logged forest, suggesting reduced soil P availability through disturbance. Through the first landscape scale assessment of how functional leaf traits change in response to logging, we find that differences from old-growth forest become more pronounced as logged forests increase in stature over time, suggesting exacerbated phosphorus limitation as forests recover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Swinfield
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Centre for Conservation ScienceRoyal Society for the Protection of BirdsCambridgeUK
| | - Sabine Both
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
- Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSWAustralia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Boris Bongalov
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Dafydd Elias
- Centre for Ecology & HydrologyLancaster Environment CentreLancasterUK
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | | | - Nicholas Ostle
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster UniversityLancasterUK
| | - Martin Svátek
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jakub Kvasnica
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and GeobiocoenologyFaculty of Forestry and Wood TechnologyMendel University in BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - David Milodowski
- School of GeoSciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- National Centre for Earth ObservationUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | | | - Yi Zhang
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
| | | | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change InstituteSchool of Geography and the EnvironmentUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - David Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation GroupDepartment of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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13
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Corrigendum. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 224:1698-1701. [PMID: 31696570 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
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14
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Odonne G, van den Bel M, Burst M, Brunaux O, Bruno M, Dambrine E, Davy D, Desprez M, Engel J, Ferry B, Freycon V, Grenand P, Jérémie S, Mestre M, Molino JF, Petronelli P, Sabatier D, Hérault B. Long-term influence of early human occupations on current forests of the Guiana Shield. Ecology 2019; 100:e02806. [PMID: 31257578 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To decipher the long-term influences of pre-Columbian land occupations on contemporary forest structure, diversity, and functioning in Amazonia, most of the previous research focused on the alluvial plains of the major rivers of the Amazon basin. Terra firme, that is, nonflooded forests, particularly from the Guiana Shield, are yet to be explored. In this study, we aim to give new insights into the subtle traces of pre-Columbian influences on present-day forests given the archaeological context of terra firme forests of the Guiana Shield. Following archaeological prospects on 13 sites in French Guiana, we carried out forest inventories inside and outside archaeological sites and assessed the potential pre-Columbian use of the sampled tree species using an original ethnobotanical database of the Guiana Shield region. Aboveground biomass (320 and 380 T/ha, respectively), basal area (25-30 and 30-35 m2 /ha, respectively), and tree density (550 and 700 stem/ha, respectively) were all significantly lower on anthropized plots (As) than on nonanthropized plots (NAs). Ancient human presence shaped the species composition of the sampled forests with Arecaceae, Burseraceae, and Lauraceae significantly more frequent in As and Annonaceae and Lecythidaceae more frequent in NAs. Although alpha diversity was not different between As and NAs, the presence of pre-Columbian sites enhances significantly the forest beta diversity at the landscape level. Finally, trees with edible fruits are positively associated with pre-Columbian sites, whereas trees used for construction or for their bark are negatively associated with pre-Columbian sites. Half a millennium after their abandonment, former occupied places from the inner Guiana Shield still bear noticeable differences with nonanthropized places. Considering the lack of data concerning archaeology of terra firme Amazonian forests, our results suggest that pre-Columbian influences on the structure (lower current biomass), diversity (higher beta diversity), and composition (linked to the past human tree uses) of current Amazonian forests might be more important than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Odonne
- LEEISA (Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Martijn van den Bel
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Maxime Burst
- UMR 1434 Silva, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Lorraine-AgroParisTech-INRA, 54506, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Olivier Brunaux
- ONF-Guyane, Réserve de Montabo, 97307, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Miléna Bruno
- LEEISA (Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Etienne Dambrine
- Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, INRA, CARRTEL, 74200, Thonon-les-Bains, France
| | - Damien Davy
- LEEISA (Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Mathilde Desprez
- Cirad, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane), 97310, Kourou, France
| | - Julien Engel
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33199, USA.,AMAP, IRD, Cirad, CNRS, INRA, Université de Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Bruno Ferry
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Vincent Freycon
- Cirad, UR Forests and Societies, Université Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Grenand
- LEEISA (Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Sylvie Jérémie
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Mickael Mestre
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives, 97300, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Jean-François Molino
- AMAP, IRD, Cirad, CNRS, INRA, Université de Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascal Petronelli
- Cirad, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (AgroParisTech, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane), 97310, Kourou, France
| | - Daniel Sabatier
- AMAP, IRD, Cirad, CNRS, INRA, Université de Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France
| | - Bruno Hérault
- Cirad, UR Forests and Societies, Université Montpellier, 34000, Montpellier, France.,Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouet-Boigny (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
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15
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Both S, Riutta T, Paine CET, Elias DMO, Cruz RS, Jain A, Johnson D, Kritzler UH, Kuntz M, Majalap-Lee N, Mielke N, Montoya Pillco MX, Ostle NJ, Arn Teh Y, Malhi Y, Burslem DFRP. Logging and soil nutrients independently explain plant trait expression in tropical forests. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1853-1865. [PMID: 30238458 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional traits regulate ecosystem functions but little is known about how co-occurring gradients of land use and edaphic conditions influence their expression. We test how gradients of logging disturbance and soil properties relate to community-weighted mean traits in logged and old-growth tropical forests in Borneo. We studied 32 physical, chemical and physiological traits from 284 tree species in eight 1 ha plots and measured long-term soil nutrient supplies and plant-available nutrients. Logged plots had greater values for traits that drive carbon capture and growth, whilst old-growth forests had greater values for structural and persistence traits. Although disturbance was the primary driver of trait expression, soil nutrients explained a statistically independent axis of variation linked to leaf size and nutrient concentration. Soil characteristics influenced trait expression via nutrient availability, nutrient pools, and pH. Our finding, that traits have dissimilar responses to land use and soil resource availability, provides robust evidence for the need to consider the abiotic context of logging when predicting plant functional diversity across human-modified tropical forests. The detection of two independent axes was facilitated by the measurement of many more functional traits than have been examined in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Both
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Terhi Riutta
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - C E Timothy Paine
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - Dafydd M O Elias
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - R S Cruz
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú
| | - Annuar Jain
- The South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP), Danum Valley Field Centre, PO Box 60282, 91112, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - David Johnson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Ully H Kritzler
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marianne Kuntz
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Noreen Majalap-Lee
- Forest Research Centre, Peti Surat 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Nora Mielke
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Milenka X Montoya Pillco
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Nicholas J Ostle
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Yit Arn Teh
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia
| | - David F R P Burslem
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Longo
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Michael Keller
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Rio Piedras, 00926, Puerto Rico
- Embrapa Agricultural Informatics, Campinas, SP, 13083-886, Brazil
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17
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Hogan JA, Hérault B, Bachelot B, Gorel A, Jounieaux M, Baraloto C. Understanding the recruitment response of juvenile Neotropical trees to logging intensity using functional traits. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1998-2010. [PMID: 29999560 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging remains a widespread practice in tropical forests, yet the long-term effects of timber harvest on juvenile tree (i.e., sapling) recruitment across the hundreds of species occurring in most tropical forests remain difficult to predict. This uncertainty could potentially exacerbate threats to some of the thousands of timber-valuable tree species in the Amazon. Our objective was to determine to what extent long-term responses of tree species regeneration in logged forests can be explained by their functional traits. We integrate functional trait data for 13 leaf, stem, and seed traits from 25 canopy tree species with a range of life histories, such as the pioneer Goupia glabra and the shade-tolerant Iryanthera hostmannii, together with over 30 yr of sapling monitoring in permanent plots spanning a gradient of harvest intensity at the Paracou Forest Disturbance Experiment (PFDE), French Guiana. We anticipated that more intensive logging would increase recruitment of pioneer species with higher specific leaf area, lower wood densities, and smaller seeds, due to the removal of canopy trees. We define a recruitment response metric to compare sapling regeneration to timber harvest intensity across species. Although not statistically significant, sapling recruitment decreased with logging intensity for eight of 23 species and these species tended to have large seeds and dense wood. A generalized linear mixed model fit using specific leaf area, seed mass, and twig density data explained about 45% of the variability in sapling dynamics. Effects of specific leaf area outweighed those of seed mass and wood density in explaining recruitment dynamics of the sapling community in response to increasing logging intensity. The most intense treatment at the PFDE, which includes stand thinning of non-timber-valuable adult trees and poison-girdling for competitive release, showed evidence of shifting community composition in sapling regeneration at the 30-yr mark, toward species with less dense wood, lighter seeds, and higher specific leaf area. Our results indicate that high-intensity logging can have lasting effects on stand regeneration dynamics and that functional traits can help simplify general trends of sapling recruitment for highly diverse logged tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Aaron Hogan
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33174, USA
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD, Univ Montpellier, UR Forests & Societies, Montpellier, France
- INPHB, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
| | - Bénédicte Bachelot
- UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Kourou, French Guiana
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 77251, USA
| | - Anaїs Gorel
- UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Kourou, French Guiana
- BOISE Unit, Management of Forest Resources, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marianne Jounieaux
- UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33174, USA
- UMR EcoFoG (AgroParisTech, CIRAD, CNRS, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de la Guyane), Kourou, French Guiana
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18
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Linking conservation implications of modified disturbance regimes, plant communities, plant associations, and arthropod communities. Oecologia 2018; 189:267-277. [PMID: 30390157 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Modifications to disturbance regimes have landscape-level effects on plant communities and have the potential to influence organisms at multiple trophic levels. We examined differences in the arthropod community across a gradient of oak/hickory dominance, a plant community maintained by disturbance such as periodic fires and extensive land clearing. In southern Illinois, we used patches of forest that varied in tree dominance ranging from 94 to 0% oak/hickory composition dependent on prior land usage that occurred > 50 years ago at minimum, to test two predictions: (1) oak (Quercus) and hickory (Carya) species contain more arthropod biomass and diversity than mesic tree species [e.g., American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and maples (Acer spp.)] and (2) due to plant associations, arthropod communities are more diverse and abundant on host trees within oak/hickory stands than non-oak/hickory stands. Our results were consistent with the prediction that arthropod biomass, guild Shannon diversity, and guild richness are higher on oaks, hickories and tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) than beech and maples. We also found support for the prediction that due to plant associations, % non-oak/hickory stand composition negatively influenced arthropod guild Shannon diversity and guild richness on host trees, including maples and beech. These results are the first to demonstrate that modified disturbance regimes can influence multiple trophic levels both directly due to species-specific variation in susceptibility of plants to herbivory and indirectly through effects of plant associations. This result is concerning as modified disturbance regimes are influencing large-scale plant community composition among biomes worldwide.
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19
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Kissick AL, Dunning JB, Fernandez-Juricic E, Holland JD. Different responses of predator and prey functional diversity to fragmentation. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1853-1866. [PMID: 30007101 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The study of functional diversity, or the range of species' ecological roles in a community, is a rapidly expanding area in ecology. Given the extent that ecosystems are being altered, effort should shift toward assessing variation in functional diversity across landscapes with the goal of improving land use management decisions. We construct a workflow that creates three-dimensional surfaces and maps of functional diversity to examine changes in beetle functional diversity across an Indiana, USA landscape. We sampled 105 prey wood-borer and predator beetle species along a gradient of forest fragmentation across Indiana and used a number of functional traits from literature sources to capture their functional roles. We developed newly measured functional traits to estimate several traits relevant to beetles' ecological function that was unknown and not easily measured. Functional diversity indices (FRic, FDis, FDiv, and FEve) were calculated from species abundance and functional traits and used to assess changes in functional diversity along the fragmentation gradient. We predicted that habitat fragmentation would have a greater negative impact on predator beetle functional diversity than prey wood-borer functional diversity. Landscape metrics most important to the functional diversity of both wood-borer and predator beetle communities were landscape division index (LDI, an assessment of landscape subdivision) and mean shape index (MSI, a measure of patch shape complexity). Overall, three-dimensional surfaces of functional diversity and functional diversity maps across the Indiana landscape revealed that beetle functional diversity was greatest with minimal landscape subdivision. Opposite to what we predicted, we found that the prey wood-borer functional diversity was more negatively impacted by LDI than the predator beetle functional diversity. Furthermore, predator beetle functional diversity was greater with increasing MSI. The map predicted predator FRic to be highest in forested areas with intact habitat and also less sensitive to habitat fragmentation adjacent to more continuous forest. We propose that land management may be guided by revealing landscapes that are most appropriate for maximizing functional diversity of multiple communities or shifting the relative abundance within prey and beneficial predator beetle functional groups with the use of three-dimensional plots or maps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Kissick
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - John B Dunning
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey D Holland
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
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20
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Cosset CCP, Edwards DP. The effects of restoring logged tropical forests on avian phylogenetic and functional diversity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:1932-1945. [PMID: 28543995 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging is the most prevalent land-use change in the tropics. Despite the resulting degradation of forest structure, selectively logged forests still harbor a substantial amount of biodiversity leading to suggestions that their protection is the next best alternative to conserving primary, old-growth forests. Restoring carbon stocks under Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) schemes is a potential method for obtaining funding to protect logged forests, via enrichment planting and liberation cutting of vines. This study investigates the impacts of restoring logged forests in Borneo on avian phylogenetic diversity, the total evolutionary history shared across all species within a community, and on functional diversity, with important implications for the protection of evolutionarily unique species and the provision of many ecosystem services. Overall and understorey avifaunal communities were studied using point count and mist netting surveys, respectively. Restoration caused a significant loss in phylogenetic diversity and MPD (mean pairwise distance) leaving an overall bird community of less total evolutionary history and more closely related species compared to unlogged forests, while the understorey bird community had MNTD (mean nearest taxon distance) that returned toward the lower levels found in a primary forest, indicating more closely related species pairs. The overall bird community experienced a significant loss of functional strategies and species with more specialized traits in restored forests compared to that of unlogged forests, which led to functional clustering in the community. Restoration also led to a reduction in functional richness and thus niches occupied in the understorey bird community compared to unlogged forests. While there are additional benefits of restoration for forest regeneration, carbon sequestration, future timber harvests, and potentially reduced threat of forest conversion, this must be weighed against the apparent loss of phylogenetic and functional diversity from unlogged forest levels, making the biodiversity-friendliness of carbon sequestration schemes questionable under future REDD+ agreements. To reduce perverse biodiversity outcomes, it is important to focus restoration only on the most degraded areas or at reduced intensity where breaks between regimes are incorporated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy C P Cosset
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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21
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Mensah S, Veldtman R, Assogbadjo AE, Glèlè Kakaï R, Seifert T. Tree species diversity promotes aboveground carbon storage through functional diversity and functional dominance. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7546-7557. [PMID: 28725419 PMCID: PMC5513275 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function has increasingly been debated as the cornerstone of the processes behind ecosystem services delivery. Experimental and natural field-based studies have come up with nonconsistent patterns of biodiversity-ecosystem function, supporting either niche complementarity or selection effects hypothesis. Here, we used aboveground carbon (AGC) storage as proxy for ecosystem function in a South African mistbelt forest, and analyzed its relationship with species diversity, through functional diversity and functional dominance. We hypothesized that (1) diversity influences AGC through functional diversity and functional dominance effects; and (2) effects of diversity on AGC would be greater for functional dominance than for functional diversity. Community weight mean (CWM) of functional traits (wood density, specific leaf area, and maximum plant height) were calculated to assess functional dominance (selection effects). As for functional diversity (complementarity effects), multitrait functional diversity indices were computed. The first hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling. For the second hypothesis, effects of environmental variables such as slope and altitude were tested first, and separate linear mixed-effects models were fitted afterward for functional diversity, functional dominance, and both. Results showed that AGC varied significantly along the slope gradient, with lower values at steeper sites. Species diversity (richness) had positive relationship with AGC, even when slope effects were considered. As predicted, diversity effects on AGC were mediated through functional diversity and functional dominance, suggesting that both the niche complementarity and the selection effects are not exclusively affecting carbon storage. However, the effects were greater for functional diversity than for functional dominance. Furthermore, functional dominance effects were strongly transmitted by CWM of maximum plant height, reflecting the importance of forest vertical stratification for diversity-carbon relationship. We therefore argue for stronger complementary effects that would be induced also by complementary light-use efficiency of tree and species growing in the understory layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvanus Mensah
- Department of Forest and Wood ScienceStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations ForestièresUniversité d'Abomey‐CalaviCotonouBénin
| | - Ruan Veldtman
- South African National Biodiversity InstituteKirstenbosch Research CentreClaremontSouth Africa
- Department of Conservation Ecology and EntomologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | | | - Romain Glèlè Kakaï
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d'Estimations ForestièresUniversité d'Abomey‐CalaviCotonouBénin
| | - Thomas Seifert
- Department of Forest and Wood ScienceStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
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22
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Nogueira DS, Calvão LB, de Assis Montag LF, Juen L, De Marco P. Little effects of reduced-impact logging on insect communities in eastern Amazonia. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2016; 188:441. [PMID: 27353133 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5431-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging has become a major source of threats to tropical forest, bringing challenges for both ecologists and managers to develop low-impact forestry. Reduced-impact logging (RIL) is a prominent activity accounting for such forestry practices to prevent strong forest disturbances. Our aims were to evaluate the effects of RIL on insect communities of forested streams from Eastern Amazon and to test the hypothesis of negative effects of RIL on species richness, abundance, and functional feeding groups of aquatic insect assemblages. Neither of the evaluated metrics of the studied assemblages were negatively affected by RIL. Environmental metrics, such as substrate heterogeneity, woody canopy cover, and hill slope height, varied more among RIL streams than in reference streams, indicating a gradient according to logging impacts, and are suitable candidates to monitor RIL impacts in Amazonian streams. In addition, the PHI index also varied among REF and RIL, according to age class and year of logging, which could reflect trends to recover the forest structure after logging in a time frame of only 10 years. We conclude that RIL impacts have not had detrimental impacts on insect communities, but have changed little of the environmental conditions, especially of the riparian vegetation around streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Silva Nogueira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (Bloco ICB V), Campus II/UFG, Goiânia, Goiás, CEP: 74001-970, Brazil.
| | - Lenize Batista Calvão
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Correia, N° 1 Bairro Guamá, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.075-110, Brazil
| | - Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Correia, N° 1 Bairro Guamá, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.075-110, Brazil
| | - Leandro Juen
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Correia, N° 1 Bairro Guamá, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.075-110, Brazil
| | - Paulo De Marco
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (Bloco ICB V), Campus II/UFG, Goiânia, Goiás, CEP: 74001-970, Brazil
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Dispersal process driving subtropical forest reassembly: evidence from functional and phylogenetic analysis. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1373-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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24
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Vulnerability of Commercial Tree Species to Water Stress in Logged Forests of the Guiana Shield. FORESTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/f7050105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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25
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De Coster G, Banks-Leite C, Metzger JP. Atlantic forest bird communities provide different but not fewer functions after habitat loss. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2014.2844. [PMID: 26136440 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss often reduces the number of species as well as functional diversity. Dramatic effects to species composition have also been shown, but changes to functional composition have so far been poorly documented, partly owing to a lack of appropriate indices. We here develop three new community indices (i.e. functional integrity, community integrity of ecological groups and community specialization) to investigate how habitat loss affects the diversity and composition of functional traits and species. We used data from more than 5000 individuals of 137 bird species captured in 57 sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a highly endangered biodiversity hotspot.Results indicate that habitat loss leads to a decrease in functional integrity while measures of functional diversity remain unchanged or are even positively affected. Changes to functional integrity were caused by (i) a decrease in the provisioning of some functions, and an increase in others; (ii) strong within-guild species turnover; and (iii) a replacement of specialists by generalists. Hence, communities from more deforested sites seem to provide different but not fewer functions. We show the importance of investigating changes to both diversity and composition of functional traits and species, as the effects of habitat loss on ecosystem functioning may be more complex than previously thought. Crucially, when only functional diversity is assessed, important changes to ecological functions may remain undetected and negative effects of habitat loss underestimated, thereby imperiling the application of effective conservation actions.
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Osazuwa-Peters OL, Jiménez I, Oberle B, Chapman CA, Zanne AE. Selective logging: do rates of forest turnover in stems, species composition and functional traits decrease with time since disturbance? - A 45 year perspective. FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT 2015; 357:10-21. [PMID: 26339115 PMCID: PMC4553697 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging, the targeted harvesting of timber trees in a single cutting cycle, is globally rising in extent and intensity. Short-term impacts of selective logging on tropical forests have been widely investigated, but long-term effects on temporal dynamics of forest structure and composition are largely unknown. Understanding these long-term dynamics will help determine whether tropical forests are resilient to selective logging and inform choices between competing demands of anthropogenic use versus conservation of tropical forests. Forest dynamics can be studied within the framework of succession theory, which predicts that temporal turnover rates should decline with time since disturbance. Here, we investigated the temporal dynamics of a tropical forest in Kibale National Park, Uganda over 45 years following selective logging. We estimated turnover rates in stems, species composition, and functional traits (wood density and diameter at breast height), using observations from four censuses in 1989, 1999, 2006, and 2013, of stems ≥ 10 cm diameter within 17 unlogged and 9 logged 200 × 10 m vegetation plots. We used null models to account for interdependencies among turnover rates in stems, species composition, and functional traits. We tested predictions that turnover rates should be higher and decrease with increasing time since the selective logging event in logged forest, but should be less temporally variable in unlogged forest. Overall, we found higher turnover rates in logged forest for all three attributes, but turnover rates did not decline through time in logged forest and was not less temporally variable in unlogged forest. These results indicate that successional models that assume recovery to pre-disturbance conditions are inadequate for predicting the effects of selective logging on the dynamics of the tropical forest in Kibale. Selective logging resulted in persistently higher turnover rates, which may compromise the carbon storage capacity of Kibale's forest. Selective logging effects may also interact with effects from other global trends, potentially causing major long-term shifts in the dynamics of tropical forests. Similar studies in tropical forests elsewhere will help determine the generality of these conclusions. Ultimately, the view that selective logging is a benign approach to the management of tropical forests should be reconsidered in the light of studies of the effects of this practice on long-term forest dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyomoare L. Osazuwa-Peters
- Department of Biology, One University Boulevard, University of Missouri Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63121, USA
| | - Iván Jiménez
- Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299 St. Louis, MO 63166
| | - Brad Oberle
- Department of Biological Sciences, 2023 G St. NW, The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20052, USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology and School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2T7, Canada, and Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, USA 10460
| | - Amy E. Zanne
- Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299 St. Louis, MO 63166
- Department of Biological Sciences, 2023 G St. NW, The George Washington University, Washington DC, 20052, USA
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27
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Lamarre GPA, Hérault B, Fine PVA, Vedel V, Lupoli R, Mesones I, Baraloto C. Taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod assemblages across contrasting Amazonian forests. J Anim Ecol 2015; 85:227-39. [PMID: 26346553 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Arthropods represent most of global biodiversity, with the highest diversity found in tropical rain forests. Nevertheless, we have a very incomplete understanding of how tropical arthropod communities are assembled. We conducted a comprehensive mass sampling of arthropod communities within three major habitat types of lowland Amazonian rain forest, including terra firme clay, white-sand and seasonally flooded forests in Peru and French Guiana. We examined how taxonomic and functional composition (at the family level) differed across these habitat types in the two regions. The overall arthropod community composition exhibited strong turnover among habitats and between regions. In particular, seasonally flooded forest habitats of both regions comprised unique assemblages. Overall, 17·7% (26 of 147) of arthropod families showed significant preferences for a particular habitat type. We present a first reproducible arthropod functional classification among the 147 taxa based on similarity among 21 functional traits describing feeding source, major mouthparts and microhabitats inhabited by each taxon. We identified seven distinct functional groups whose relative abundance contrasted strongly across the three habitats, with sap and leaf feeders showing higher abundances in terra firme clay forest. Our novel arthropod functional classification provides an important complement to link these contrasting patterns of composition to differences in forest functioning across geographical and environmental gradients. This study underlines that both environment and biogeographical processes are responsible for driving arthropod taxonomic composition while environmental filtering is the main driver of the variance in functional composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg P A Lamarre
- Université Antilles-Guyane, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana.,INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana.,Société Entomologique Antilles-Guyane, 97354, Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana
| | - Bruno Hérault
- CIRAD, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana
| | - Paul V A Fine
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Vincent Vedel
- INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana.,Société Entomologique Antilles-Guyane, 97354, Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana
| | - Roland Lupoli
- Société Entomologique Antilles-Guyane, 97354, Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana
| | - Italo Mesones
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1005 Valley Life Sciences Building #3140, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christopher Baraloto
- INRA, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, 97310, Kourou, French Guiana.,International Center for Tropical Botany, Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Botany, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
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28
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Terra-Araujo MH, de Faria AD, Vicentini A, Nylinder S, Swenson U. Species tree phylogeny and biogeography of the Neotropical genus Pradosia (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2015; 87:1-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Variable gene dispersal conditions and spatial deforestation patterns can interact to affect tropical tree conservation outcomes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127745. [PMID: 26000951 PMCID: PMC4441416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical lowland rain forest (TLRF) biodiversity is under threat from anthropogenic factors including deforestation which creates forest fragments of different sizes that can further undergo various internal patterns of logging. Such interventions can modify previous equilibrium abundance and spatial distribution patterns of offspring recruitment and/or pollen dispersal. Little is known about how these aspects of deforestation and fragmentation might synergistically affect TLRF tree recovery demographics and population genetics in newly formed forest fragments. To investigate these TLRF anthropogenic disturbance processes we used the computer program NEWGARDEN (NG), which models spatially-explicit, individual-based plant populations, to simulate 10% deforestation in six different spatial logging patterns for the plant functional type of a long-lived TLRF canopy tree species. Further, each logging pattern was analyzed under nine varying patterns of offspring versus pollen dispersal distances that could have arisen post-fragmentation. Results indicated that gene dispersal condition (especially via offspring) had a greater effect on population growth and genetic diversity retention (explaining 98.5% and 88.8% of the variance respectively) than spatial logging pattern (0.2% and 4.7% respectively), with ‘Near’ distance dispersal maximizing population growth and genetic diversity relative to distant dispersal. Within logged regions of the fragment, deforestation patterns closer to fragment borders more often exhibited lower population recovery rates and founding genetic diversity retention relative to more centrally located logging. These results suggest newly isolated fragments have populations that are more sensitive to the way in which their offspring and pollen dispersers are affected than the spatial pattern in which subsequent logging occurs, and that large variation in the recovery rates of different TLRF tree species attributable to altered gene dispersal regimens will be a likely outcome of fragmentation. Conservation implications include possible manual interventions (manual manipulations of offspring dispersers and/or pollinators) in forest fragments to increase population recovery and genetic diversity retention.
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Osazuwa-Peters OL, Chapman CA, Zanne AE. Selective logging: does the imprint remain on tree structure and composition after 45 years? CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 3:cov012. [PMID: 27293697 PMCID: PMC4778436 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cov012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Revised: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Selective logging of tropical forests is increasing in extent and intensity. The duration over which impacts of selective logging persist, however, remains an unresolved question, particularly for African forests. Here, we investigate the extent to which a past selective logging event continues to leave its imprint on different components of an East African forest 45 years later. We inventoried 2358 stems ≥10 cm in diameter in 26 plots (200 m × 10 m) within a 5.2 ha area in Kibale National Park, Uganda, in logged and unlogged forest. In these surveys, we characterized the forest light environment, taxonomic composition, functional trait composition using three traits (wood density, maximum height and maximum diameter) and forest structure based on three measures (stem density, total basal area and total above-ground biomass). In comparison to unlogged forests, selectively logged forest plots in Kibale National Park on average had higher light levels, different structure characterized by lower stem density, lower total basal area and lower above-ground biomass, and a distinct taxonomic composition driven primarily by changes in the relative abundance of species. Conversely, selectively logged forest plots were like unlogged plots in functional composition, having similar community-weighted mean values for wood density, maximum height and maximum diameter. This similarity in functional composition irrespective of logging history may be due to functional recovery of logged forest or background changes in functional attributes of unlogged forest. Despite the passage of 45 years, the legacy of selective logging on the tree community in Kibale National Park is still evident, as indicated by distinct taxonomic and structural composition and reduced carbon storage in logged forest compared with unlogged forest. The effects of selective logging are exerted via influences on tree demography rather than functional trait composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oyomoare L. Osazuwa-Peters
- Department of Biology, One University Boulevard, University of Missouri Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology and School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2T7
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
| | - Amy E. Zanne
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, 2023 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden, PO Box 299, Saint Louis, MO 63166, USA
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31
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Kusumoto B, Shiono T, Miyoshi M, Maeshiro R, Fujii SJ, Kuuluvainen T, Kubota Y. Functional response of plant communities to clearcutting: management impacts differ between forest vegetation zones. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Buntarou Kusumoto
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Takayuki Shiono
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Mai Miyoshi
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Ryo Maeshiro
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Shin-jiro Fujii
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Timo Kuuluvainen
- Department of Forest Sciences; University of Helsinki; PO Box 27 Latokartanonkaari 7 FIN-00014 Helsinki Finland
| | - Yasuhiro Kubota
- Faculty of Science; University of the Ryukyus; Senbaru 1 Nishihara Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
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32
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The impact of selective-logging and forest clearance for oil palm on fungal communities in Borneo. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111525. [PMID: 25405609 PMCID: PMC4236049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests are being rapidly altered by logging, and cleared for agriculture. Understanding the effects of these land use changes on soil fungi, which play vital roles in the soil ecosystem functioning and services, is a major conservation frontier. Using 454-pyrosequencing of the ITS1 region of extracted soil DNA, we compared communities of soil fungi between unlogged, once-logged, and twice-logged rainforest, and areas cleared for oil palm, in Sabah, Malaysia. Overall fungal community composition differed significantly between forest and oil palm plantation. The OTU richness and Chao 1 were higher in forest, compared to oil palm plantation. As a proportion of total reads, Basidiomycota were more abundant in forest soil, compared to oil palm plantation soil. The turnover of fungal OTUs across space, true β-diversity, was also higher in forest than oil palm plantation. Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal abundance was significantly different between land uses, with highest relative abundance (out of total fungal reads) observed in unlogged forest soil, lower abundance in logged forest, and lowest in oil palm. In their entirety, these results indicate a pervasive effect of conversion to oil palm on fungal community structure. Such wholesale changes in fungal communities might impact the long-term sustainability of oil palm agriculture. Logging also has more subtle long term effects, on relative abundance of EcM fungi, which might affect tree recruitment and nutrient cycling. However, in general the logged forest retains most of the diversity and community composition of unlogged forest.
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Flores O, Hérault B, Delcamp M, Garnier É, Gourlet-Fleury S. Functional traits help predict post-disturbance demography of tropical trees. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105022. [PMID: 25226586 PMCID: PMC4165593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
How tropical tree species respond to disturbance is a central issue of forest ecology, conservation and resource management. We define a hierarchical model to investigate how functional traits measured in control plots relate to the population change rate and to demographic rates for recruitment and mortality after disturbance by logging operations. Population change and demographic rates were quantified on a 12-year period after disturbance and related to seven functional traits measured in control plots. The model was calibrated using a Bayesian Network approach on 53 species surveyed in permanent forest plots (37.5 ha) at Paracou in French Guiana. The network analysis allowed us to highlight both direct and indirect relationships among predictive variables. Overall, 89% of interspecific variability in the population change rate after disturbance were explained by the two demographic rates, the recruitment rate being the most explicative variable. Three direct drivers explained 45% of the variability in recruitment rates, including leaf phosphorus concentration, with a positive effect, and seed size and wood density with negative effects. Mortality rates were explained by interspecific variability in maximum diameter only (25%). Wood density, leaf nitrogen concentration, maximum diameter and seed size were not explained by variables in the analysis and thus appear as independent drivers of post-disturbance demography. Relationships between functional traits and demographic parameters were consistent with results found in undisturbed forests. Functional traits measured in control conditions can thus help predict the fate of tropical tree species after disturbance. Indirect relationships also suggest how different processes interact to mediate species demographic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Flores
- Cirad - Université de La Réunion, UMR PVBMT, 7 chemin de l'IRAT, Saint Pierre, France
| | - Bruno Hérault
- Cirad, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, Kourou, France
| | - Matthieu Delcamp
- Cirad, UR B&SEF, Biens et Services des Ecosystèmes Forestiers tropicaux, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA C-105/D, Montpellier, France
| | - Éric Garnier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS – UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury
- Cirad, UR B&SEF, Biens et Services des Ecosystèmes Forestiers tropicaux, Campus International de Baillarguet, TA C-105/D, Montpellier, France
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Edwards DP, Tobias JA, Sheil D, Meijaard E, Laurance WF. Maintaining ecosystem function and services in logged tropical forests. Trends Ecol Evol 2014; 29:511-20. [PMID: 25092495 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 07/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK; Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia.
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia; Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Erik Meijaard
- Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia; People and Nature Consulting International, Jakarta, Indonesia; Australian research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - William F Laurance
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science (TESS) and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Smithfield, QLD 4878, Australia
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35
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Conservation of fragmented grasslands as part of the urban green infrastructure: how important are species diversity, functional diversity and landscape functionality? Urban Ecosyst 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-014-0393-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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36
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Zamorano-Elgueta C, Cayuela L, Rey-Benayas JM, Donoso PJ, Geneletti D, Hobbs RJ. The differential influences of human-induced disturbances on tree regeneration community: a landscape approach. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00003.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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37
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Edwards FA, Edwards DP, Larsen TH, Hsu WW, Benedick S, Chung A, Vun Khen C, Wilcove DS, Hamer KC. Does logging and forest conversion to oil palm agriculture alter functional diversity in a biodiversity hotspot? Anim Conserv 2013; 17:163-173. [PMID: 25821399 PMCID: PMC4372061 DOI: 10.1111/acv.12074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Forests in Southeast Asia are rapidly being logged and converted to oil palm. These changes in land-use are known to affect species diversity but consequences for the functional diversity of species assemblages are poorly understood. Environmental filtering of species with similar traits could lead to disproportionate reductions in trait diversity in degraded habitats. Here, we focus on dung beetles, which play a key role in ecosystem processes such as nutrient recycling and seed dispersal. We use morphological and behavioural traits to calculate a variety of functional diversity measures across a gradient of disturbance from primary forest through intensively logged forest to oil palm. Logging caused significant shifts in community composition but had very little effect on functional diversity, even after a repeated timber harvest. These data provide evidence for functional redundancy of dung beetles within primary forest and emphasize the high value of logged forests as refugia for biodiversity. In contrast, conversion of forest to oil palm greatly reduced taxonomic and functional diversity, with a marked decrease in the abundance of nocturnal foragers, a higher proportion of species with small body sizes and the complete loss of telecoprid species (dung-rollers), all indicating a decrease in the functional capacity of dung beetles within plantations. These changes also highlight the vulnerability of community functioning within logged forests in the event of further environmental degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A Edwards
- School of Biology, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
| | - D P Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK ; School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - T H Larsen
- Science and Knowledge Division, Conservation International Arlington, VA, USA
| | - W W Hsu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
| | - S Benedick
- School of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - A Chung
- Sepilok Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - C Vun Khen
- Sepilok Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - D S Wilcove
- Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - K C Hamer
- School of Biology, University of Leeds Leeds, UK
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Srinivasan U. A slippery slope: logging alters mass-abundance scaling in ecological communities. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Umesh Srinivasan
- National Centre for Biological Sciences; GKVK Campus; Bellary Road; Bangalore 560065; India
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40
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Maeshiro R, Kusumoto B, Fujii S, Shiono T, Kubota Y. Using tree functional diversity to evaluate management impacts in a subtropical forest. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00125.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. Maeshiro
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - B. Kusumoto
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - S. Fujii
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - T. Shiono
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
| | - Y. Kubota
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213 Japan
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