Diversity effects and compensatory dynamics drive productivity and stability in temperate old-growth forests

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F24%3A43908324" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/24:43908324 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/67985939:_____/24:00599435

Result on the web

<a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.14391" target="_blank" >https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.14391</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14391" target="_blank" >10.1111/1365-2745.14391</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Diversity effects and compensatory dynamics drive productivity and stability in temperate old-growth forests

Original language description

Understanding mechanisms stabilizing ecosystem functions, such as primary production, is crucial for forecasting global environmental responses. While biological diversity is expected to enhance stability through compensatory reactions to environmental changes, empirical evidence is lacking, especially in old-growth forests vital for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Moreover, whether increased niche complementarity and stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition are key mechanisms promoting compensatory dynamics and stabilizing ecosystem functions in diverse forests remains unexplored. This study investigates productivity and stability in temperate old-growth forests over 20 years at community and individual levels. Analysing 4380 trees in a 4-ha plot in northern Japan with over 35 tree species, structural equation models evaluated the effects of biodiversity and average asynchrony in species fluctuations (compensatory dynamics) on productivity stability across 100 m2 grid quadrats. Functional traits and taxonomic diversity represented species complementarity and the insurance effect. Temporal growth correlations between conspecific and heterospecific neighbours and neighbourhood effects on growth performance indicated intra- and interspecific interactions at the individual level. Communities with greater stability exhibited higher diversity and asynchronous species fluctuations, suggesting that compensatory dynamics buffer community productivity against environmental variability. The inverse relationship between tree size variation and stability indicates that communities with less pronounced size and abundance hierarchies have more efficient compensatory mechanisms, ensuring stable forest functioning. The absence of negative temporal correlations in biomass production among heterospecific neighbours suggests the limited significance of interspecific competition in compensatory dynamics. Conversely, positive correlations among conspecific neighbours and their suppressed growth in dense conspecific patches highlight the importance of conspecific negative density-dependent mechanisms in sustaining tree species diversity and ensuring stable productivity. Synthesis: The study underscores the critical role of tree species richness in stabilizing ecosystem functioning via asynchronous growth in one of the world&apos;s most diverse temperate forests. Stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition helps prevent single-species dominance, maintaining diversity and productivity stability. Despite occasional destabilization from size-asymmetric interspecific competition, species-trait complementarity enhances stability by promoting overall biomass production. This study highlights the importance of overall diversity for the stability of forest productivity, with implications for nature conservation and ecosystem functionality. The study emphasizes the importance of tree species richness in stabilizing ecosystem functions via asynchronous growth in diverse temperate forests. Stronger intraspecific than interspecific competition prevents single-species dominance, maintaining diversity and productivity. While size-asymmetric interspecific competition can cause destabilization, species-trait complementarity enhances stability by increasing biomass production. This highlights the role of biodiversity in forest productivity, with implications for conservation and ecosystem functions.image

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10618 - Ecology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Ecology

ISSN

0022-0477

e-ISSN

1365-2745

Volume of the periodical

112

Issue of the periodical within the volume

10

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

2249-2263

UT code for WoS article

001298169900001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85202069762