Deterministic processes drive functional and phylogenetic temporal changes of woody species in temperate forests in Northeast China

Abstract

& Key Message Deterministic processes drive functional and phylogenetic temporal changes of woody species in temperate forest, depending on successional stage and tree size classes. The dominant influential factors changed from abiotic (especially topographic factors) to biotic (e.g., basal area), with both increasing successional stage and tree size, suggesting that deterministic processes shifted from habitat filtering to biotic interactions. & Context Disentangling how deterministic and stochastic processes govern the temporal change of community composition is critical for understanding community assembly and predicting long-term ecosystem change. However, rare studies have examined the distinctive imprint of these two processes on functional and phylogenetic temporal changes of woody species in temperate forests. & Aims The objectives of this study are to detect (1) the relative importance of deterministic vs. stochastic process in driving the functional and phylogenetic temporal changes at different successional stages and tree size classes in temperate forests and (2) the relative influence of abiotic vs. biotic factors on temporal change. & Methods We analyzed 10 years of detailed species composition, phylogenetic information, and 14 functional traits from 66 woody species in young-growth (5-ha) and old-growth (25-ha) forest plots in Northeast China. We devised a null model approach to determine the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in driving functional and phylogenetic temporal changes. Then, we investigated the influence of abiotic (soil and topography) and biotic (basal area, stem density, and species richness) factors on temporal change using boosted regression tree (BRT) models. All analyses were conducted for different tree sizes (all trees, small trees [diameter at breast height (DBH) < 10 cm], and large trees [DBH ≥ 10 cm]).

Response of taxonomic and functional diversity to disturbance severity in temperate hardwood forests

“…Our results agree with previous research that suggest that in mature forests, functional and taxonomic diversity are relatively stable over time when disturbances are low‐severity or absent (Verburg & van Eijk‐Bos, 2003; Schweitzer & Dey, 2011; Curzon et al ., 2017; Fang et al ., 2019). The limited literature from temperate forests suggests that partial silvicultural disturbances do little to alter overstorey taxonomic and functional diversity metrics relative to unmanaged forests.…”

Interactions between all pairs of neighboring trees in 16 forests worldwide reveal details of unique ecological processes in each forest, and provide windows into their evolutionary histories

“…This delay results from spatial and temporal storage effects [ 4 , 6 ], allowing relatively dense clusters of trees of the same or phylogenetically related species to become established in regions where physical resources are initially plentiful and where species-specific pathogens, browsers, and seed-predators are initially few. As the trees in the clusters grow older and larger, their species-specific pathogens begin to accumulate, browsers and seed-predators become increasingly attracted to the area, and species-specific physical resources become limiting [ 33 ]. As a consequence, the trees in the clusters thin out over time, so that new clusters of saplings of the same species as those in the clusters can only be established elsewhere.…”

Not just with the natives, but phylogenetic relationship between stages of the invasion process determines invasion success of alien plant species

“…The phylogenetic clustering should vary across the invasion continuum as the alien species of different invasion stages can respond differently to the environmental filtering process 14 . Hypothesis 3: Since phylogenetic composition reflects adaptations shared in evolutionary history 15 , the phylogenetic change pattern will be influenced by the deterministic processes (i.e., biotic interactions) 16 We expected that the communities with the introduced species show relatively stable phylogenetic changes (due to phylogenetic similarity with the natives, pre-adaptation hypothesis), and the invasive and naturalized aliens would create more phylogenetic changes (due to phylogenetic dissimilarity with the natives, naturalization hypothesis) in the community over time.…”

“…The phylogenetic clustering should vary across the invasion continuum as the alien species of different invasion stages can respond differently to the environmental filtering process 14 . Hypothesis 3: Since phylogenetic composition reflects adaptations shared in evolutionary history 15 , the phylogenetic change pattern will be influenced by the deterministic processes (i.e., biotic interactions) 16 .…”