Tree species richness promotes an early increase of stand structural complexity in young subtropical plantations

Perles-Garcia, Maria D.; Kunz, Matthias; Fichtner, Andreas; Oheimb, Goddert von

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13973

Cited by 27 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 77 publications

(106 reference statements)

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“…We showed that the positive effects of tree diversity on wood productivity was strongly mediated by structural complexity within a stand: the higher the number of tree species in a plot, the greater the structural complexity and wood productivity of a forest stand. Although previous studies from tropical (18), subtropical (14), and temperate forests (17) using SSCI values derived from terrestrial laser scanning data have also demonstrated that tree species richness promotes structurally complex stands, our findings provide experimental evidence that variation in stand structural complexity acts as a central mechanism shaping BPRs in young tree communities. The greater structural complexity in mixtures also comes from the phenotypic plasticity of trees, as trees growing in species-rich neighbourhoods can adapt their crown morphology, both in size and shape, to maximise light capture, resulting in greater 13 crown complementarity and wood volume growth (5).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 45%

“…The point cloud was converted to a voxel grid and then the ratio of the total number of filled voxels to the total number of voxels was quantified (58). We used a voxel size of 5 cm and a slice thickness of 25 cm following (14). SSCI consists of two components (Equation 1, Fig.…”

Section: Quantifying the Structural Complexity Of Tree Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ENL quantifies the effective number of layers within a cross-section. It is closely related to the height of a tree and increases with increasing stand height (14,57). Thus, it captures the vertical stratification within a community.…”

Section: Equation 1 𝑆𝑆𝐶𝐼 = 𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑐 𝑙𝑛 (𝐸𝑁𝐿)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(1) the vertical distribution of structural elements, such as stems, branches and leaves, and (2) the density of these elements in 3D space. SSCI therefore encapsulates information about the 3D heterogeneity in biomass distribution of all trees within a community (13,14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The structural complexity of a stand is shaped by tree species diversity (15,16). Several studies using SSCI showed that stands become structurally more complex with increasing tree species richness (14,17,18) and that positive biodiversity effects on complexity become stronger over time (14). Stand structural complexity is strongly related to canopy space occupation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree diversity increases productivity through enhancing structural complexity across mycorrhizal types

Ray

Delory

Bruelheide

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Tree species diversity plays a central role for forest productivity, but factors driving positive biodiversity-productivity relationships remain poorly understood. In a biodiversity experiment manipulating tree diversity and mycorrhizal associations, we examined the roles of above- and belowground processes in modulating wood productivity in young temperate tree communities, as well as potential underlying mechanisms. We found that tree species richness increased forest productivity indirectly by enhancing structural complexity within communities. After six years, structurally complex communities were twice as productive as structurally simple stands. This pattern was consistent across stands with different mycorrhizal associations. Our results also demonstrate that taxonomic diversity and functional variation in shade tolerance, but not phenotypic plasticity, are key drivers of structural complexity in mixtures, which in turn lead to overyielding. Consideration of stand structural complexity appears to be a crucial element in predicting carbon sequestration in the early successional stages of mixed-species forests.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 45%

Section: Quantifying the Structural Complexity Of Tree Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Equation 1 𝑆𝑆𝐶𝐼 = 𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑐 𝑙𝑛 (𝐸𝑁𝐿)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree diversity increases productivity through enhancing structural complexity across mycorrhizal types

Ray

Delory

Bruelheide

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The spatial distribution of tree–tree interaction effects on soil microbial biomass and respiration

Christel,

Bruelheide,

Cesarz

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The capacity of forests to sequester carbon in both above‐ and belowground compartments is a crucial tool to mitigate rising atmospheric carbon concentrations. Belowground carbon storage in forests is strongly linked to soil microbial communities that are the key drivers of soil heterotrophic respiration, organic matter decomposition and thus nutrient cycling. However, the relationships between tree diversity and soil microbial properties such as biomass and respiration remain unclear with inconsistent findings among studies. It is unknown so far how the spatial configuration and soil depth affect the relationship between tree richness and microbial properties. Here, we studied the spatial distribution of soil microbial properties in the context of a tree diversity experiment by measuring soil microbial biomass and respiration in subtropical forests (BEF‐China experiment). We sampled soil cores at two depths at five locations along a spatial transect between the trees in mono‐ and hetero‐specific tree pairs of the native deciduous species Liquidambar formosana and Sapindus saponaria. Our analyses showed decreasing soil microbial biomass and respiration with increasing soil depth and distance from the tree in mono‐specific tree pairs. We calculated belowground overyielding of soil microbial biomass and respiration – which is higher microbial biomass or respiration than expected from the monocultures – and analysed the distribution patterns along the transect. We found no general overyielding across all sampling positions and depths. Yet, we encountered a spatial pattern of microbial overyielding with a significant microbial overyielding close to L. formosana trees and microbial underyielding close to S. saponaria trees. We found similar spatial patterns across microbial properties and depths that only differed in the strength of their effects. Our results highlight the importance of small‐scale variations of tree–tree interaction effects on soil microbial communities and functions and are calling for better integration of within‐plot variability to understand biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships.

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Abiotic and biotic drivers of tree trait effects on soil microbial biomass and soil carbon concentration

Beugnon

Bruelheide

et al. 2023

Ecological Monographs

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Forests are ecosystems critical to understanding the global carbon budget, due to their carbon sequestration potential in both aboveground and belowground compartments, especially in species‐rich forests. Soil carbon sequestration is strongly linked to soil microbial communities, and this link is mediated by the tree community, likely due to modifications of microenvironmental conditions (i.e., biotic conditions, soil properties, and microclimate). We studied soil carbon concentration and the soil microbial biomass of 180 local neighborhoods along a gradient of tree species richness ranging from 1 to 16 tree species per plot in a Chinese subtropical forest experiment (BEF‐China). Tree productivity and different tree functional traits were measured at the neighborhood level. We tested the effects of tree productivity, functional trait identity, and dissimilarity on soil carbon concentrations, and their mediation by the soil microbial biomass and microenvironmental conditions. Our analyses showed a strong positive correlation between soil microbial biomass and soil carbon concentrations. In addition, soil carbon concentration increased with tree productivity and tree root diameter, while it decreased with litterfall C:N content. Moreover, tree productivity and tree functional traits (e.g., fungal root association and litterfall C:N ratio) modulated microenvironmental conditions with substantial consequences for soil microbial biomass. We also showed that soil history and topography should be considered in future experiments and tree plantations, as soil carbon concentrations were higher at sites where historical (i.e., at the beginning of the experiment) carbon concentrations were high, themselves being strongly affected by the topography. Altogether, these results implied that the quantification of the different soil carbon pools is critical for understanding microbial community–soil carbon stock relationships and their dependence on tree diversity and microenvironmental conditions.

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Tree species richness promotes an early increase of stand structural complexity in young subtropical plantations

Cited by 27 publications

References 77 publications

Tree diversity increases productivity through enhancing structural complexity across mycorrhizal types

Tree diversity increases productivity through enhancing structural complexity across mycorrhizal types

The spatial distribution of tree–tree interaction effects on soil microbial biomass and respiration

Abiotic and biotic drivers of tree trait effects on soil microbial biomass and soil carbon concentration

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