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Godlee JL, Ryan CM, Bauman D, Bowers SJ, Carreiras JMB, Chisingui AV, Cromsigt JPGM, Druce DJ, Finckh M, Gonçalves FM, Holdo RM, Makungwa S, McNicol IM, Mitchard ETA, Muchawona A, Revermann R, Ribeiro NS, Siampale A, Syampungani S, Tchamba JJ, Tripathi HG, Wallenfang J, Te Beest M, Williams M, Dexter KG. Structural diversity and tree density drives variation in the biodiversity-ecosystem function relationship of woodlands and savannas. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:579-594. [PMID: 34292602 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Positive biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships (BEFRs) have been widely documented, but it is unclear if BEFRs should be expected in disturbance-driven systems. Disturbance may limit competition and niche differentiation, which are frequently posited to underlie BEFRs. We provide the first exploration of the relationship between tree species diversity and biomass, one measure of ecosystem function, across southern African woodlands and savannas, an ecological system rife with disturbance from fire, herbivores and humans. We used > 1000 vegetation plots distributed across 10 southern African countries and structural equation modelling to determine the relationship between tree species diversity and above-ground woody biomass, accounting for interacting effects of resource availability, disturbance by fire, tree stem density and vegetation type. We found positive effects of tree species diversity on above-ground biomass, operating via increased structural diversity. The observed BEFR was highly dependent on organismal density, with a minimum threshold of c. 180 mature stems ha-1 . We found that water availability mainly affects biomass indirectly, via increasing species diversity. The study underlines the close association between tree diversity, ecosystem structure, environment and function in highly disturbed savannas and woodlands. We suggest that tree diversity is an under-appreciated determinant of wooded ecosystem structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Godlee
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Casey M Ryan
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - David Bauman
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Végétale et Biogéochimie, CP 244, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, B-1050, Belgium
| | - Samuel J Bowers
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Joao M B Carreiras
- National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK
| | | | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-907 36, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584CS, the Netherlands
| | - Dave J Druce
- Ecological Advice, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, 3202, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Manfred Finckh
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, Institute of Plant Sciences and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, Hamburg, 22609, Germany
| | | | - Ricardo M Holdo
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green St., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Steve Makungwa
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Iain M McNicol
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | | | | | - Rasmus Revermann
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, Institute of Plant Sciences and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, Hamburg, 22609, Germany
- Faculty of Natural Resources and Spatial Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, 10005, Namibia
| | - Natasha Sofia Ribeiro
- Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Av. Julius Nyerere, 3453, Campus Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Abel Siampale
- Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Cairo Road, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - José João Tchamba
- Herbarium of Lubango, ISCED Huíla, Sarmento Rodrigues Str. No. 2, CP 230, Lubango, Angola
| | - Hemant G Tripathi
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Johannes Wallenfang
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, Institute of Plant Sciences and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststr. 18, Hamburg, 22609, Germany
| | - Mariska Te Beest
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3508, the Netherlands
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Grasslands-Forests-Wetlands Node, Montrose, 3201, South Africa
| | - Mathew Williams
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - Kyle G Dexter
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK
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D'Andrea E, Rezaie N, Prislan P, Gričar J, Collalti A, Muhr J, Matteucci G. Frost and drought: Effects of extreme weather events on stem carbon dynamics in a Mediterranean beech forest. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:2365-2379. [PMID: 32705694 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The effects of short-term extreme events on tree functioning and physiology are still rather elusive. European beech is one of the most sensitive species to late frost and water shortage. We investigated the intra-annual C dynamics in stems under such conditions. Wood formation and stem CO2 efflux were monitored in a Mediterranean beech forest for 3 years (2015-2017), including a late frost (2016) and a summer drought (2017). The late frost reduced radial growth and, consequently, the amount of carbon fixed in the stem biomass by 80%. Stem carbon dioxide efflux in 2016 was reduced by 25%, which can be attributed to the reduction of effluxes due to growth respiration. Counter to our expectations, we found no effects of the 2017 summer drought on radial growth and stem carbon efflux. The studied extreme weather events had various effects on tree growth. Even though late spring frost had a strong impact on beech radial growth in the current year, trees fully recovered in the following growing season, indicating high resilience of beech to this stressful event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore D'Andrea
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), Ercolano, Naples, Italy
| | - Negar Rezaie
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), Ercolano, Naples, Italy
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l'Analisi dell'Economia Agraria, Centro Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari (CREA-IT), Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessio Collalti
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Department of Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Jan Muhr
- Bioclimatology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Biogeochemical Processes, Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Giorgio Matteucci
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean (CNR-ISAFOM), Ercolano, Naples, Italy
- Institute for BioEconomy (CNR-IBE), National Research Council of Italy, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
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