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Luu H, Ris Lambers JH, Lutz JA, Metz M, Snell RS. The importance of regeneration processes on forest biodiversity in old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230016. [PMID: 38583471 PMCID: PMC10999264 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Forest diversity is the outcome of multiple species-specific processes and tolerances, from regeneration, growth, competition and mortality of trees. Predicting diversity thus requires a comprehensive understanding of those processes. Regeneration processes have traditionally been overlooked, due to high stochasticity and assumptions that recruitment is not limiting for forests. Thus, we investigated the importance of seed production and seedling survival on forest diversity in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) using a forest gap model (ForClim). Equations for regeneration processes were fit to empirical data and added into the model, followed by simulations where regeneration processes and parameter values varied. Adding regeneration processes into ForClim improved the simulation of species composition, compared to Forest Inventory Analysis data. We also found that seed production was not as important as seedling survival, and the time it took for seedlings to grow into saplings was a critical recruitment parameter for accurately capturing tree species diversity in PNW forest stands. However, our simulations considered historical climate only. Due to the sensitivity of seed production and seedling survival to weather, future climate change may alter seed production or seedling survival and future climate change simulations should include these regeneration processes to predict future forest dynamics in the PNW. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang Luu
- Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2978, USA
| | | | - James A. Lutz
- Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | | | - Rebecca S. Snell
- Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2978, USA
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Pastore MA, Classen AT, D'Amato AW, English ME, Rand K, Foster JR, Adair EC. Frequent and strong cold-air pooling drives temperate forest composition. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11126. [PMID: 38571787 PMCID: PMC10985370 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cold-air pooling is an important topoclimatic process that creates temperature inversions with the coldest air at the lowest elevations. Incomplete understanding of sub-canopy spatiotemporal cold-air pooling dynamics and associated ecological impacts hinders predictions and conservation actions related to climate change and cold-dependent species and functions. To determine if and how cold-air pooling influences forest composition, we characterized the frequency, strength, and temporal dynamics of cold-air pooling in the sub-canopy at local to regional scales in New England, USA. We established a network of 48 plots along elevational transects and continuously measured sub-canopy air temperatures for 6-10 months (depending on site). We then estimated overstory and understory community temperature preferences by surveying tree composition in each plot and combining these data with known species temperature preferences. We found that cold-air pooling was frequent (19-43% seasonal occurrences) and that sites with the most frequent inversions displayed inverted forest composition patterns across slopes with more cold-adapted species, namely conifers, at low instead of high elevations. We also observed both local and regional variability in cold-air pooling dynamics, revealing that while cold-air pooling is common, it is also spatially complex. Our study, which uniquely focused on broad spatial and temporal scales, has revealed some rarely reported cold-air pooling dynamics. For instance, we discovered frequent and strong temperature inversions that occurred across seasons and in some locations were most frequent during the daytime, likely affecting forest composition. Together, our results show that cold-air pooling is a fundamental ecological process that requires integration into modeling efforts predicting future forest vegetation patterns under climate change, as well as greater consideration for conservation strategies identifying potential climate refugia for cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A. Pastore
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research StationSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Aimée T. Classen
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- University of Michigan Biological StationPellstonMichiganUSA
| | - Anthony W. D'Amato
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Marie E. English
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Karin Rand
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology DepartmentUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Jane R. Foster
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research StationKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - E. Carol Adair
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
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Abstract
Forest ecosystems are strongly impacted by continuing climate change and increasing disturbance activity, but how forest dynamics will respond remains highly uncertain. Here, we argue that a short time window after disturbance (i.e., a discrete event that disrupts prevailing ecosystem structure and composition and releases resources) is pivotal for future forest development. Trees that establish during this reorganization phase can shape forest structure and composition for centuries, providing operational early indications of forest change. While forest change has been fruitfully studied through a lens of resilience, profound ecological changes can be masked by a resilience versus regime shift dichotomy. We present a framework for characterizing the full spectrum of change after disturbance, analyzing forest reorganization along dimensions of forest structure (number, size, and spatial arrangement of trees) and composition (identity and diversity of tree species). We propose four major pathways through which forest cover can persist but reorganize following disturbance: resilience (no change in structure and composition), restructuring (structure changes but composition does not), reassembly (composition changes but structure does not), and replacement (structure and composition both change). Regime shifts occur when vegetation structure and composition are altered so profoundly that the emerging trajectory leads to nonforest. We identify fundamental processes underpinning forest reorganization which, if disrupted, deflect ecosystems away from resilience. To understand and predict forest reorganization, assessing these processes and the traits modulating them is crucial. A new wave of experiments, measurements, and models emphasizing the reorganization phase will further the capacity to anticipate future forest dynamics.
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Luambua NK, Hubau W, Salako KV, Amani C, Bonyoma B, Musepena D, Rousseau M, Bourland N, Nshimba HS, Ewango C, Beeckman H, Hardy OJ. Spatial patterns of light-demanding tree species in the Yangambi rainforest (Democratic Republic of Congo). Ecol Evol 2021; 11:18691-18707. [PMID: 35003702 PMCID: PMC8717288 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Most Central African rainforests are characterized by a remarkable abundance of light-demanding canopy species: long-lived pioneers (LLP) and non-pioneer light demanders (NPLD). A popular explanation is that these forests are still recovering from intense slash-and-burn farming activities, which abruptly ended in the 19th century. This "human disturbance" hypothesis has never been tested against spatial distribution patterns of these light demanders. Here, we focus on the 28 most abundant LLP and NPLD from 250 one-ha plots distributed along eight parallel transects (~50 km) in the Yangambi forest. Four species of short-lived pioneers (SLP) and a single abundant shade-tolerant species (Gilbertiodendron dewevrei) were used as reference because they are known to be strongly aggregated in recently disturbed patches (SLP) or along watercourses (G. dewevrei). Results show that SLP species are strongly aggregated with clear spatial autocorrelation of their diameter. This confirms that they colonized the patch following a one-time disturbance event. In contrast, LLP and NPLD species have random or weakly aggregated distribution, mostly without spatial autocorrelation of their diameter. This does not unambiguously confirm the "human disturbance" hypothesis. Alternatively, their abundance might be explained by their deciduousness, which gave them a competitive advantage during long-term drying of the late Holocene. Additionally, a canonical correspondence analysis showed that the observed LLP and NPLD distributions are not explained by environmental variables, strongly contrasting with the results for the reference species G. dewevrei, which is clearly aggregated along watercourses. We conclude that the abundance of LLP and NPLD species in Yangambi cannot be unambiguously attributed to past human disturbances or environmental variables. An alternative explanation is that present-day forest composition is a result of adaptation to late-Holocene drying. However, results are inconclusive and additional data are needed to confirm this alternative hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor K. Luambua
- Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources ManagementUniversity of KisanganiKisanganiDemocratic Republic of Congo
- Service of Wood BiologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
- Faculté des sciences AgronomiquesUniversité Officielle de MbujimayiMbujimayiDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Wannes Hubau
- Service of Wood BiologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
- Department of EnvironmentLaboratory of Wood TechnologyFaculty of Bioscience EngineeringGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- School of GeographyUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Kolawolé Valère Salako
- Laboratoire de Biomathématiques et d’Estimations ForestièresFaculty of Agronomic SciencesUniversity of Abomey‐CalaviCotonouBenin
- Service d'Évolution Biologique et ÉcologieUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrusselsBelgium
| | - Christian Amani
- Faculty of Sciences and Applied SciencesUniversité Officielle de Bukavu Departement de la BiologieBukavuDemocratic Republic of Congo
- Center for International Forestry ResearchBogor (Barat)Indonesia
| | - Bernard Bonyoma
- Section de la ForesterieInstitut National pour l'Etude et la Recherche AgronomiqueYangambiDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Donatien Musepena
- Section de la ForesterieInstitut National pour l'Etude et la Recherche AgronomiqueYangambiDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Mélissa Rousseau
- Service of Wood BiologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
| | - Nils Bourland
- Service of Wood BiologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
- Center for International Forestry ResearchBogor (Barat)Indonesia
- Resources & Synergies Development Pte LtdSingaporeSingapore
| | - Hippolyte S.M. Nshimba
- Department of Ecology and Flora Resources ManagementFaculty of SciencesUniversity of KisanganiKisanganiDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Corneille Ewango
- Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources ManagementUniversity of KisanganiKisanganiDemocratic Republic of Congo
| | - Hans Beeckman
- Service of Wood BiologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
| | - Olivier J. Hardy
- Service d'Évolution Biologique et ÉcologieUniversité Libre de BruxellesBrusselsBelgium
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Sommerfeld A, Rammer W, Heurich M, Hilmers T, Müller J, Seidl R. Do bark beetle outbreaks amplify or dampen future bark beetle disturbances in Central Europe? J Ecol 2021; 109:737-749. [PMID: 33664526 PMCID: PMC7894307 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.13502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bark beetle outbreaks have intensified in many forests around the globe in recent years. Yet, the legacy of these disturbances for future forest development remains unclear. Bark beetle disturbances are expected to increase further because of climate change. Consequently, feedbacks within the disturbance regime are of growing interest, for example, whether bark beetle outbreaks are amplifying future bark beetle activity (through the initiation of an even-aged cohort of trees) or dampening it (through increased structural and compositional diversity).We studied bark beetle-vegetation-climate interactions in the Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany), an area characterised by unprecedented bark beetle activity in the recent past. We simulated the effect of future bark beetle outbreaks on forest structure and composition and analysed how disturbance-mediated forest dynamics influence future bark beetle activity under different scenarios of climate change. We used process-based simulation modelling in combination with machine learning to disentangle the long-term interactions between vegetation, climate and bark beetles at the landscape scale.Disturbances by the European spruce bark beetle were strongly amplified by climate change, increasing between 59% and 221% compared to reference climate. Bark beetle outbreaks reduced the dominance of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) on the landscape, increasing compositional diversity. Disturbances decreased structural diversity within stands (α diversity) and increased structural diversity between stands (β diversity). Overall, disturbance-mediated changes in forest structure and composition dampened future disturbance activity (a reduction of up to -67%), but were not able to fully compensate for the amplifying effect of climate change. Synthesis. Our findings indicate that the recent disturbance episode at the Bavarian Forest National Park was caused by a convergence of highly susceptible forest structures with climatic conditions favourable for bark beetle outbreaks. While future climate is increasingly conducive to massive outbreaks, the emerging landscape structure is less and less likely to support them. This study improves our understanding of the long-term legacies of ongoing bark beetle disturbances in Central Europe. It indicates that increased diversity provides an important dampening feedback, and suggests that preventing disturbances or homogenizing post-disturbance forests could elevate the future susceptibility to large-scale bark beetle outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Sommerfeld
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
| | - Werner Rammer
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupSchool of Life SciencesTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Marco Heurich
- Bavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife ManagementUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Torben Hilmers
- Chair of Forest Growth and Yield ScienceSchool of Life Sciences WeihenstephanTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Bavarian Forest National ParkGrafenauGermany
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical BiologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Rupert Seidl
- Institute of SilvicultureUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management GroupSchool of Life SciencesTechnical University of MunichFreisingGermany
- Berchtesgaden National ParkBerchtesgadenGermany
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Zellweger F, Coomes D, Lenoir J, Depauw L, Maes SL, Wulf M, Kirby KJ, Brunet J, Kopecký M, Máliš F, Schmidt W, Heinrichs S, den Ouden J, Jaroszewicz B, Buyse G, Spicher F, Verheyen K, De Frenne P. Seasonal drivers of understorey temperature buffering in temperate deciduous forests across Europe. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 2019; 28:1774-1786. [PMID: 31866760 PMCID: PMC6900070 DOI: 10.1111/geb.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
AIM Forest understorey microclimates are often buffered against extreme heat or cold, with important implications for the organisms living in these environments. We quantified seasonal effects of understorey microclimate predictors describing canopy structure, canopy composition and topography (i.e., local factors) and the forest patch size and distance to the coast (i.e., landscape factors). LOCATION Temperate forests in Europe. TIME PERIOD 2017-2018. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED Woody plants. METHODS We combined data from a microclimate sensor network with weather-station records to calculate the difference, or offset, between temperatures measured inside and outside forests. We used regression analysis to study the effects of local and landscape factors on the seasonal offset of minimum, mean and maximum temperatures. RESULTS The maximum temperature during the summer was on average cooler by 2.1 °C inside than outside forests, and the minimum temperatures during the winter and spring were 0.4 and 0.9 °C warmer. The local canopy cover was a strong nonlinear driver of the maximum temperature offset during summer, and we found increased cooling beneath tree species that cast the deepest shade. Seasonal offsets of minimum temperature were mainly regulated by landscape and topographic features, such as the distance to the coast and topographic position. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Forest organisms experience less severe temperature extremes than suggested by currently available macroclimate data; therefore, climate-species relationships and the responses of species to anthropogenic global warming cannot be modelled accurately in forests using macroclimate data alone. Changes in canopy cover and composition will strongly modulate the warming of maximum temperatures in forest understories, with important implications for understanding the responses of forest biodiversity and functioning to the combined threats of land-use change and climate change. Our predictive models are generally applicable across lowland temperate deciduous forests, providing ecologically important microclimate data for forest understories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Zellweger
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - David Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UR “Ecologie et dynamique des systèmes anthropisés” (EDYSAN, UMR 7058 CNRS‐UPJV)Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Leen Depauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of EnvironmentGhent UniversityMelle‐GontrodeBelgium
| | - Sybryn L. Maes
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of EnvironmentGhent UniversityMelle‐GontrodeBelgium
| | - Monika Wulf
- Leibniz‐ZALF e.V. MünchebergMünchebergGermany
| | - Keith J. Kirby
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesAlnarpSweden
| | - Martin Kopecký
- Institute of BotanyCzech Academy of SciencesPrůhoniceCzech Republic
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood SciencesCzech University of Life SciencesPragueCzech Republic
| | - František Máliš
- Faculty of ForestryTechnical University in ZvolenZvolenSlovakia
| | - Wolfgang Schmidt
- Department Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate ZonesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Steffi Heinrichs
- Department Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate ZonesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Jan den Ouden
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical StationFaculty of BiologyUniversity of WarsawBiałowieżaPoland
| | - Gauthier Buyse
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of EnvironmentGhent UniversityMelle‐GontrodeBelgium
| | - Fabien Spicher
- UR “Ecologie et dynamique des systèmes anthropisés” (EDYSAN, UMR 7058 CNRS‐UPJV)Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiensFrance
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of EnvironmentGhent UniversityMelle‐GontrodeBelgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of EnvironmentGhent UniversityMelle‐GontrodeBelgium
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Williams JW, Burke KD, Crossley MS, Grant DA, Radeloff VC. Land-use and climatic causes of environmental novelty in Wisconsin since 1890. Ecol Appl 2019; 29:e01955. [PMID: 31199539 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Multiple global change drivers are increasing the present and future novelty of environments and ecological communities. However, most assessments of environmental novelty have focused only on future climate and were conducted at scales too broad to be useful for land management or conservation. Here, using historical county-level data sets of agricultural land use, forest composition, and climate, we conduct a regional-scale assessment of environmental novelty for Wisconsin landscapes from ca. 1890 to 2012. Agricultural land-use data include six cropland types, livestock densities for four livestock species, and human populations. Forestry data comprise biomass-weighted relative abundances for 15 tree genera. Climate data comprise seasonal means for temperature and precipitation. We found that forestry and land use are the strongest cause of environmental novelty (NoveltyForest = 3.66, NoveltyAg = 2.83, NoveltyClimate = 1.60, with Wisconsin's forests transformed by early 20th-century logging and its legacies and multiple waves of agricultural innovation and obsolescence. Climate change is the smallest contributor to contemporary novelty, with precipitation signals stronger than temperature. Magnitudes and causes of environmental novelty are strongly spatially patterned, with novelty in southern Wisconsin roughly twice that in northern Wisconsin. Forestry is the most important cause of novelty in the north, land use and climate change are jointly important in the southwestern Wisconsin, and land use and forest composition are most important in central and eastern Wisconsin. Areas of high regional novelty tend also to be areas of high local change, but local change has not pushed all counties beyond regional baselines. Seven counties serve as the best historical analogues for over one-half of contemporary Wisconsin counties (40/72), and so can offer useful historical counterparts for contemporary systems and help managers coordinate to tackle similar environmental challenges. Multi-dimensional environmental novelty analyses, like those presented here, can help identify the best historical analogues for contemporary ecosystems, places where new management rules and practices may be needed because novelty is already high, and the main causes of novelty. Separating regional novelty clearly from local change and measuring both across many dimensions and at multiple scales thus helps advance ecology and sustainability science alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Williams
- Department of Geography and Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Kevin D Burke
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Michael S Crossley
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Daniel A Grant
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Volker C Radeloff
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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Almeyda Zambrano SL, Broadbent EN, Shanee S, Shanee N, Deluycker A, Steinberg M, Ford SA, Hernández Jaramillo A, Fernandez-Hilario R, Lagos Castillo C, Almeyda Zambrano AM. Habitat preference in the critically endangered yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) at La Esperanza, Peru. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e23032. [PMID: 31318082 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Habitat loss is one of the main threats to wildlife. Therefore, knowledge of habitat use and preference is essential for the design of conservation strategies and identification of priority sites for the protection of endangered species. The yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda Humboldt, 1812), categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is endemic to montane forests in northern Peru where its habitat is greatly threatened. We assessed how habitat use and preference in L. flavicauda are linked to forest structure and composition. The study took place near La Esperanza, in the Amazonas region, Peru. Our objective was to identify characteristics of habitat most utilized by L. flavicauda to provide information that will be useful for the selection of priority sites for conservation measures. Using presence records collected from May 2013 to February 2014 for one group of L. flavicauda, we classified the study site into three different use zones: low-use, medium-use, and high-use. We assessed forest structure and composition for all use zones using 0.1 ha Gentry vegetation transects. Results show high levels of variation in plant species composition across the three use zones. Plants used as food resources had considerably greater density, dominance, and ecological importance in high-use zones. High-use zones presented similar structure to medium- and low-use zones; thus it remains difficult to assess the influence of forest structure on habitat preference. We recommend focusing conservation efforts on areas with a similar floristic composition to the high-use zones recorded in this study and suggest utilizing key alimentation species for reforestation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Almeyda Zambrano
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Amazonas, Peru.,School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Eben N Broadbent
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sam Shanee
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Amazonas, Peru.,Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,Neotropical Primate Conservation, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Noga Shanee
- Asociación Neotropical Primate Conservation Perú, Amazonas, Peru.,Neotropical Primate Conservation, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Anneke Deluycker
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia
| | | | - Scott A Ford
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Robin Fernandez-Hilario
- Herbario Forestal MOL, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru
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9
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Jackson ST. Modern pollen-assemblage data from small lakes paired with local forest-composition data in northeastern United States. Ecology 2019; 100:e02784. [PMID: 31183858 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and modeling of how forest composition and pattern are recorded by sedimentary pollen assemblages requires data sets in which modern pollen assemblages are paired with forest-composition data across a range of spatial scales. Pollen data from 33 small lakes (<2.0 ha) in the northeastern United States, paired with estimates of forest composition and basal area by species within successive radial distances from the lake margins (0-20, 20-50, 50-100, 100-500, 500-1,000 m), can support further studies of pollen-vegetation relationships and development of calibration models. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions for research or teaching purposes, other than citation of this source of the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Jackson
- Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 1064 East Lowell Street, Tucson, Arizona, 85721 , USA.,Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
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10
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Rodríguez-García E, Mezquida ET, Olano JM. You'd better walk alone: Changes in forest composition affect pollination efficiency and pre-dispersal cone damage in Iberian Juniperus thurifera forests. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2017; 19:934-941. [PMID: 28834121 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Changes in land-use patterns are a major driver of global environmental change. Cessation of traditional land-use practices has led to forest expansion and shifts in forest composition. Consequently, former monospecific forests maintained by traditional management are progressing towards mixed forests. However, knowledge is scarce on how the presence of other tree species will affect reproduction of formerly dominant species. We explored this question in the wind-pollinated tree Juniperus thurifera. We hypothesised that the presence of heterospecific trees would have a negative effect on cone production and on the proportion of cones attacked by specialised predators. We assessed the relative importance of forest composition on cone production, seed development and pre-dispersal cone damage on nine paired pure and mixed J. thurifera forests in three regions across the Iberian Peninsula. The effects of forest composition on crop size, cone and seed characteristics, as well as damage by pre-dispersal arthropods were tested using mixed models. Cone production was lower and seed abortion higher in mixed forests, suggesting higher pollination failure. In contrast, cone damage by arthropods was higher in pure forests, supporting the hypothesis that presence of non-host plants reduces damage rates. However, the response of each arthropod to forest composition was species-specific and the relative rates of cone damage varied depending on individual tree crops. Larger crop sizes in pure forests compensated for the higher cone damage rates, leading to a higher net production of sound seeds compared to mixed forests. This study indicates that ongoing changes in forest composition after land abandonment may impact tree reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Rodríguez-García
- Laboratorio de Botánica, Department of Agroforestry Sciences - iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Soria, Spain
| | - E T Mezquida
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - J M Olano
- Laboratorio de Botánica, Department of Agroforestry Sciences - iuFOR, Universidad de Valladolid, Soria, Spain
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Ramage BS, Johnson DJ, Gonzalez-Akre E, McShea WJ, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Bourg NA, Clay K. Sapling growth rates reveal conspecific negative density dependence in a temperate forest. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7661-7671. [PMID: 29043023 PMCID: PMC5632615 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Local tree species diversity is maintained in part by conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD). This pervasive mechanism occurs in a variety of forms and ecosystems, but research to date has been heavily skewed toward tree seedling survival in tropical forests. To evaluate CNDD more broadly, we investigated how sapling growth rates were affected by conspecific adult neighbors in a fully mapped 25.6 ha temperate deciduous forest. We examined growth rates as a function of the local adult tree neighborhood (via spatial autoregressive modeling) and compared the spatial positioning of faster‐growing and slower‐growing saplings with respect to adult conspecific and heterospecific trees (via bivariate point pattern analysis). In addition, to determine whether CNDD‐driven variation in growth rates leaves a corresponding spatial signal, we extended our point pattern analysis to a static, growth‐independent comparison of saplings and the next larger size class. We found that negative conspecific effects on sapling growth were most prevalent. Five of the nine species that were sufficiently abundant for analysis exhibited CNDD, while only one species showed evidence of a positive conspecific effect, and one or two species, depending on the analysis, displayed heterospecific effects. There was general agreement between the autoregressive models and the point pattern analyses based on sapling growth rates, but point pattern analyses based on single‐point‐in‐time size classes yielded results that differed markedly from the other two approaches. Our work adds to the growing body of evidence that CNDD is an important force in temperate forests, and demonstrates that this process extends to sapling growth rates. Further, our findings indicate that point pattern analyses based solely on size classes may fail to detect the process of interest (e.g., neighborhood‐driven variation in growth rates), in part due to the confounding of tree size and age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel J Johnson
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM USA
| | - Erika Gonzalez-Akre
- Conservation Ecology Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal VA USA
| | - William J McShea
- Conservation Ecology Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal VA USA
| | - Kristina J Anderson-Teixeira
- Conservation Ecology Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal VA USA.,Center for Tropical Forest Science Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
| | - Norman A Bourg
- Conservation Ecology Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal VA USA.,U.S. Geological Survey National Research Program - Eastern Branch Reston VA USA
| | - Keith Clay
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington IN USA
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