Light competition affects how tree growth and survival respond to climate
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F86652079%3A_____%2F25%3A00617964" target="_blank" >RIV/86652079:_____/25:00617964 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2745.14489" target="_blank" >https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2745.14489</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14489" target="_blank" >10.1111/1365-2745.14489</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Light competition affects how tree growth and survival respond to climate
Original language description
Competition between individuals is a key process that drives tree growth and survival in forests. Ecological theories predict that the effect of competition should be weaker in stressful environments. However, quantitative studies have failed to reach a consensus on the direction of the interaction between climate and competition. In this study, we demonstrate that this interaction appears clearly when we explicitly focus on light competition. We analysed the effect of light competition on tree growth and survival along both temperature and aridity gradients for the 33 major European tree species. We collected forest inventories from nine European countries, encompassing over 1 million trees from Spain to Scandinavia. We used species-specific crown allometric equations to connect this extensive database to the SamsaraLight ray tracing model and to calculate a tree-based light competition index from the light intercepted by the tree crown. Within a given species' climatic niche, the effect of light competition on tree growth and survival decreased towards both the dry and cold margins, supporting the stress gradient hypothesis. Climate mainly affected tree growth in light, with slower growth in drier or colder conditions. In contrast, for survival, climate mainly affected trees in shade, with better survival in the dry or cold stress margins. Among species, the mean sensitivity of tree growth and survival to light competition decreased with increasing mean aridity niche and shade tolerance of the species. Synthesis. Our study emphasises the importance of considering species-specific interactions between light competition and climate on tree growth and survival. The impact of climate change on an individual tree is likely to depend on its light competition status within the forest stand, as well as its species-specific climatic niche and shade tolerance.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - 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
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Journal of Ecology
ISSN
0022-0477
e-ISSN
1365-2745
Volume of the periodical
113
Issue of the periodical within the volume
3
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
17
Pages from-to
672-688
UT code for WoS article
001415725100001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85217056238