Tree diversity reduces the risk of bark beetle infestation for preferred conifer species, but increases the risk for less preferred hosts

Berthelot, Sylvie; Frühbrodt, Tobias; Hajek, Peter; Nock, Charles A.; Dormann, Carsten F.; Bauhus, Jürgen; Fründ, Jochen

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13672

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…However, we observed a significant negative effect of tree species diversity on insect-caused mortality using forest survey data measured during a drought period. Moreover, these effects may vary by species, for example, in contrast to preferred conifer species, the risk of bark beetle infestation for less preferred hosts is increased by higher species richness increases (Berthelot et al, 2021). The effects are also contingent on diet breadth of specific insects, for example, damage from specialist insects could be reduced in diverse stands owing to low host occurrence (Guo et al, 2019).…”

Section: Species and Functional Diversity Were Negatively Associated ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire, insect and disease‐caused tree mortalities increased in forests of greater structural diversity during drought

Zhai

Coyle

et al. 2022

Journal of Ecology

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1. Structural diversity is an emerging dimension of biodiversity that accounts for size variations in organs among individuals in a community. Previous studies show significant effects of structural diversity on forest growth, but its effects on forest mortality are not known, particularly at a large scale.2. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified structural diversity using stem structural diversity (SSD) based on both tree diameter and height. We obtained U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data from over 2400 plots across southcentral U.S. forests that have suffered a recent drought. Using data from multiple sampling times, we calculated SSD and compared the relative importance of SSD, species diversity, functional diversity and other stand attributes in determining tree mortalities caused by fire, insects and diseases. We also used FIRETEC, a physics-based fire model, to test the effect of SSD on canopy consumption by fire.3. Our results showed that (1) SSD was positively associated with tree mortalities caused by all three disturbances; (2) species richness was negatively associated with insect-and disease-caused mortalities; (3) functional diversity was negatively associated with fire-and disease-caused mortalities and (4) more phylogenetically related species had more similar mortality rates by insect and disease but not fire. Moreover, the FIRETEC model showed increasing canopy consumption by fire in stands with greater SSD.4. Together, the different tree mortalities during drought associated with SSD more consistently than the other biodiversity metrics were evaluated. Synthesis.Our results suggest that SSD could be considered in modelling forest dynamics and planning management to sustain forest health under disturbances. K E Y W O R D Sforest health, plant population and community dynamics, plant-climate interactions, plantherbivore interactions, plant-pathogen interactions, stand structure, tree mortalityThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Section: Species and Functional Diversity Were Negatively Associated ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire, insect and disease‐caused tree mortalities increased in forests of greater structural diversity during drought

Zhai

Coyle

et al. 2022

Journal of Ecology

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“…Increases of non‐host basal area results in reduced forest canopy area killed during an outbreak, which has been previously observed for spruce beetle disturbances (e.g., Schmid & Frye, 1976 ). Managers could focus on maintaining tree species diversity across the landscape, thereby increasing the forest resistance to future beetle attacks (Fettig et al, 2007 ), although managers should also be aware of spill‐over effects towards non‐host species (Berthelot et al, 2021 ). Generally, in our study region high‐elevation sites on northerly aspects that were highly productive prior to outbreak were likely to be the least resistant to spruce beetle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring resistance and resilience using carbon trajectories: Analysis of forest management–disturbance interactions

Davis

Meddens

Stevens‐Rumann

et al. 2022

Ecological Applications

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A changing climate is altering ecosystem carbon dynamics with consequences for natural systems and human economies, but there are few tools available for land managers to meaningfully incorporate carbon trajectories into planning efforts. To address uncertainties wrought by rapidly changing conditions, many practitioners adopt resistance and resilience as ecosystem management goals, but these concepts have proven difficult to monitor across landscapes. Here, we address the growing need to understand and plan for ecosystem carbon with concepts of resistance and resilience. Using time series of carbon fixation (n = 103), we evaluate forest management treatments and their relative impacts on resistance and resilience in the context of an expansive and severe natural disturbance. Using subalpine spruce–fir forest with a known management history as a study system, we match metrics of ecosystem productivity (net primary production, g C m−2 year−1) with site‐level forest structural measurements to evaluate (1) whether past management efforts impacted forest resistance and resilience during a spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreak, and (2) how forest structure and physiography contribute to anomalies in carbon trajectories. Our analyses have several important implications. First, we show that the framework we applied was robust for detecting forest treatment impacts on carbon trajectories, closely tracked changes in site‐level biomass, and was supported by multiple evaluation methods converging on similar management effects on resistance and resilience. Second, we found that stand species composition, site productivity, and elevation predicted resistance, but resilience was only related to elevation and aspect. Our analyses demonstrate application of a practical approach for comparing forest treatments and isolating specific site and physiographic factors associated with resistance and resilience to biotic disturbance in a forest system, which can be used by managers to monitor and plan for both outcomes. More broadly, the approach we take here can be applied to many scenarios, which can facilitate integrated management and monitoring efforts.

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“…This effect may be more prominent during epidemic than endemic phases, because overall beetle density is lower during endemic phases. These spillover events also affect nonhost species such as Pinus spp., as has been observed in mixed stands with high beetle densities of Pityogenes chalcographus (Berthelot et al ., 2021).…”

Section: Ips Typographus Ecology and Population Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing a century‐old hypothesis – do pioneer beetles of Ips typographus use volatile cues to find suitable host trees?

et al. 2023

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Summary Global warming and more frequent climate extremes have caused bark beetle outbreaks of unprecedented scale of these insects in many conifer forests world‐wide. Conifers that have been weakened by drought and heat or damaged by storms are highly susceptible to bark beetle infestation. A large proportion of trees with impaired defences provides good conditions for beetle population build‐up of beetles, but mechanisms driving host search of pioneer beetles are still uncertain in several species, including the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus. Despite a two‐century‐long history of bark beetle research, we still lack a sufficient understanding of interactions between I. typographus and its host Norway spruce (Picea abies) to forecast future disturbance regimes and forest dynamics. Depending on the scale (habitat or patch) and beetle population state (endemic or epidemic), host selection is likely driven by a combination of pre and postlanding cues, including visual selection or olfactory detection (kairomones). Here, we discuss primary attraction mechanisms and how volatile emission profiles of Norway spruce may provide cues on tree vitality and suitability for attacks by I. typographus, in particular during the endemic phase. We identify several crucial knowledge gaps and provide a research agenda addressing the experimental challenges of such investigations.

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Tree diversity reduces the risk of bark beetle infestation for preferred conifer species, but increases the risk for less preferred hosts

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Cited by 33 publications

References 95 publications

Fire, insect and disease‐caused tree mortalities increased in forests of greater structural diversity during drought

Fire, insect and disease‐caused tree mortalities increased in forests of greater structural diversity during drought

Monitoring resistance and resilience using carbon trajectories: Analysis of forest management–disturbance interactions

Addressing a century‐old hypothesis – do pioneer beetles of Ips typographus use volatile cues to find suitable host trees?

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