Abstract
AbstractAimsWe examined differences in life span among the dominant tree species (spruce, Picea abies; fir, Abies alba; beech, Fagus sylvatica; and maple, Acer pseudoplatanus) across primary mountain forests of Europe. We asked how disturbance history, lifetime growth patterns, and environmental factors influence life span.LocationsBalkan Mountains, Carpathian Mountains, Dinaric Mountains.MethodsAnnual ring widths from 20,600 cores from primary forests were used to estimate tree life spans, growth trends, and disturbance history metrics. Mixed models were used to examine species‐specific differences in life span (i.e., defined as species‐specific 90th percentiles of age distributions), and how metrics of radial growth, disturbance parameters, and selected environmental factors influence life span.ResultsWhile only a few beech trees surpassed 500 years, individuals of all four species were older than 400 years. There were significant differences in life span among the four species (beech > fir > spruce > maple), indicating life history differentiation in life span. Trees were less likely to reach old age in areas affected by more severe disturbance events, whereas individuals that experienced periods of slow growth and multiple episodes of suppression and release were more likely to reach old age. Aside from a weak but significant negative effect of vegetation season temperature on fir and maple life span, no other environmental factors included in the analysis influenced life span.ConclusionsOur results indicate species‐specific biological differences in life span, which may play a role in facilitating tree species coexistence in mixed temperate forests. Finally, natural disturbance regimes were a key driver of life span, which could have implications for forest dynamics if regimes shift under global change.
Highlights
Tree life span plays an important role in the structure and function of forest ecosystems
While it is generally assumed that trees will reach old ages on less productive sites sheltered from disturbance (Larson, 2001; Lanner, 2002; Di Filippo et al, 2015), few studies have quantified the relationship between local disturbance history and tree life span in multi-aged forests
We found compelling evidence of biological differences in life span among the four coexisting trees species across mountain regions of Europe, yet these differences are not entirely consistent with published literature on the ecology of European tree species
Summary
Tree life span plays an important role in the structure and function of forest ecosystems. The growth history of a tree is largely a function of local disturbance history, which controls the trajectory of canopy accession This is especially the case in multi-aged forests where gap scale and periodic intermediate severity disturbances drive stand dynamics (Frelich & Lorimer, 1991; Nagel et al, 2014). While it is generally assumed that trees will reach old ages on less productive sites sheltered from disturbance (Larson, 2001; Lanner, 2002; Di Filippo et al, 2015), few studies have quantified the relationship between local disturbance history and tree life span in multi-aged forests. We ask how variation in life span within species is influenced by a variety of different drivers, including local disturbance history, lifetime radial growth patterns, and environmental factors available in our data set (i.e., slope, aspect, Journal of Vegetation Scienc e | 3 of 12 temperature). We examine how common exceptionally old trees are within these old-growth forest sites, which has implications for conservation of forest biodiversity
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