Forest productivity may be determined not only by biodiversity but also by environmental factors and stand structure attributes. However, the relative importance of these factors in determining productivity is still controversial for subtropical forests. Based on a large dataset from 600 permanent forest inventory plots across subtropical China, we examined the relationship between biodiversity and forest productivity and tested whether stand structural attributes (stand density in terms of trees per ha, age and tree size) and environmental factors (climate and site conditions) had larger effects on productivity. Furthermore, we quantified the relative importance of environmental factors, stand structure and diversity in determining forest productivity. Diversity, together with stand structure and site conditions, regulated the variability in forest productivity. The relationship between diversity and forest productivity did not vary along environmental gradients. Stand density and age were more important modulators of forest productivity than diversity. Synthesis. Diversity had significant and positive effects on productivity in species‐rich subtropical forests, but the effects of stand density and age were also important. Our work highlights that while biodiversity conservation is often important, the regulation of stand structure can be even more important to maintain high productivity in subtropical forests.

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Tree rings have long been used to calibrate the net primary production (NPP) time-series predicted by process-based models, based on an implicit assumption that ring-width indices (RWI) can well reflect temporal NPP change. However, this assumption has seldom been tested systematically. In this study, 36 plots were set in three forest types from four sites along a latitudinal gradient in northeast China. For each plot, we constructed chronologies and stand NPP of the past 20 years to examine: is RWI a good proxy of inter-annual variation of forest NPP for different forest types under different climate? If it is, why? Our results indicate that RWI was closely related to stand NPP in most cases, and could be used as a good proxy of NPP in temperate forests. Standard and arstan chronologies were better related to NPP series than residual chronology. Stand NPP time-series were mainly determined by large trees, and the correlation between RWI and NPP was also higher for larger trees. We suggest that large trees and dominant species of canopy layer should be sampled for chronology construction. Large trees are major contributors of forest biomass and productivity, and should have priority in forest conservation in a rapid-warming world.