Forest productivity and tree diversity relationships depend on ecological context within mid-Atlantic and Appalachian forests (USA)

Belote, R. Travis; Prisley, Steve; Jones, Robert H.; Fitzpatrick, Matthew C.; Beurs, Kirsten M. de

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.01.010

Cited by 47 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…As observed elsewhere (Waring et al 2006, Nightengale et al 2008, Belote et al 2011) and consistent with our predictions, productivity and v www.esajournals.org tree diversity were positively related in forested ecoregions of Montana and were likely influenced by strong geographic gradients in precipitation. The most productive forests support greater numbers of tree species and more structurally complex forests consistent with predictions shown in Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Land protection and timber harvesting along productivity and diversity gradients in the Northern Rocky Mountains

Belote¹,

Aplet

2014

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Understanding the complex and reciprocal ways in which ecosystem functions (such as productivity) and biodiversity interact may provide important insights into sustaining ecosystem services and protecting species diversity. Despite years of research, observed relationships between productivity and biodiversity have been varied and hypotheses explaining patterns are diverse and equivocal. The ways in which patterns of productivity-biodiversity relationships can inform conservation may depend on understanding how gradients in human land use map onto gradients of productivity and biodiversity. Here, we used diverse publicly available spatial datasets on ecosystem productivity, tree diversity, climate, and land cover to explore two broad questions in ecoregions of Montana: (1) what is the relationship between productivity and tree diversity and (2) are land use gradients (from timber harvesting to wilderness protection) related to gradients of productivity and diversity? We also investigated the possible climatic and topographic drivers of these ecological and anthropogenic patterns. We found the most productive ecoregions support greater numbers of tree species, which appears to be influenced by precipitation but not temperature gradients. The most productive and diverse ecoregions included greater amounts of timber harvesting disturbance and associated road densities. The amount of protected area within ecoregions was highest at intermediate levels of productivity and diversity and was strongly related to mean elevation of ecoregions. Our results suggest that climate-influenced productivity gradients may influence patterns of biodiversity and are related to patterns in human land use. Further, given the existing conditions and current distribution of protected areas, we recommend that the most altered productive and diverse ecoregions may offer opportunities both for additional protection and for holistic restoration programs.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Land protection and timber harvesting along productivity and diversity gradients in the Northern Rocky Mountains

Belote¹,

Aplet

2014

Ecosphere

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“…For example, the relationship between species diversity and forest productivity can depend on site richness (Belote et al . ) or forest type (Paquette & Messier ; Vilà et al . ) and enhanced productivity has even been found to be more affected by species evenness than by richness (Zhang, Chen & Reich ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest diversity promotes individual tree growth in central European forest stands

Chamagne

Tanadini

Frank

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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* Most experimental evidence on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning comes from ecosystems with fast-growing plants, such as grasslands. Although forests provide essential ecological services, they have been less well investigated. * We used dendrochronology to compare the tree radial growth rates of four important timber species in replicated, spatially mapped stands that differed in tree composition and diversity within a central European managed forest. * Growth rates differed among species but were largely unaffected by the density of neighbouring trees. * Increasing stand diversity enhanced individual growth rates, after accounting for the effects of tree density and size. These increases were statistically indistinguishable among the four species. In contrast, the effects of stand and neighbourhood species composition on growth rates were non-significant. * Policy implications. Our study of long-established central European forest stands revealed levels of tree diversity can be increased in managed forests, with the potential for modest increases in tree growth rates. These results suggest that in addition to the biodiversity and risk mitigation benefits associated with shifting practices away from monoculture management, increased carbon sequestration and yields in mature forests are likely to be realized. Our results suggest that it is possible to increase forest diversity with little or no costs to production and even with the potential for modest increases in tree growth rates

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“…The tree species richness-productivity relationship has been investigated in forests by analyzing forest inventory data [11], [12], [13], [14], experimentally by manipulating tree species diversity in plantations [15], [16], [17], [18], [19] and by simulation modeling [20], [21]. Studies based on forest inventory data have the potential for testing whether there is a positive relationship between tree species richness and wood production in the “real world”.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies based on forest inventory data have the potential for testing whether there is a positive relationship between tree species richness and wood production in the “real world”. However, such studies must control for the spatial heterogeneity of forest structure and confounding environmental factors such as climate [14]. To date, most studies have been conducted within certain climatic regions and for particular monospecific-mixed assemblages (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disentangling Biodiversity and Climatic Determinants of Wood Production

et al. 2013

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BackgroundDespite empirical support for an increase in ecosystem productivity with species diversity in synthetic systems, there is ample evidence that this relationship is dependent on environmental characteristics, especially in structurally more complex natural systems. Empirical support for this relationship in forests is urgently needed, as these ecosystems play an important role in carbon sequestration.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe tested whether tree wood production is positively related to tree species richness while controlling for climatic factors, by analyzing 55265 forest inventory plots in 11 forest types across five European countries. On average, wood production was 24% higher in mixed than in monospecific forests. Taken alone, wood production was enhanced with increasing tree species richness in almost all forest types. In some forests, wood production was also greater with increasing numbers of tree types. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the increase in wood production with tree species richness was largely mediated by a positive association between stand basal area and tree species richness. Mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation affected wood production and species richness directly. However, the direction and magnitude of the influence of climatic variables on wood production and species richness was not consistent, and vary dependent on forest type.ConclusionsOur analysis is the first to find a local scale positive relationship between tree species richness and tree wood production occurring across a continent. Our results strongly support incorporating the role of biodiversity in management and policy plans for forest carbon sequestration.

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Forest productivity and tree diversity relationships depend on ecological context within mid-Atlantic and Appalachian forests (USA)

Cited by 47 publications

References 37 publications

Land protection and timber harvesting along productivity and diversity gradients in the Northern Rocky Mountains

Land protection and timber harvesting along productivity and diversity gradients in the Northern Rocky Mountains

Forest diversity promotes individual tree growth in central European forest stands

Disentangling Biodiversity and Climatic Determinants of Wood Production

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