Regeneration patterns in Mexican pine-oak forests

Teresa Alfaro Reyna,Jordi Martínez-Vilalta,Javier Retana

doi:10.1186/s40663-019-0209-8

Teresa Alfaro Reyna, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-019-0209-8

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Abstract

BackgroundGlobal change is causing an increase in the incidence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on forests, which frequently interact synergistically and promote changes in forest structure, composition and functioning. In this study we evaluate the regeneration of Pinaceae and Fagaceae species in pure and mixed stands in Mexico to determine if current regeneration patterns are indicative of changes in the relative dominance of these two tree families, as observed in other temperate regions. We also identify the environmental factors that determine the regeneration patterns of Pinaceae and Fagaceae species in these forests.ResultsWe use data from two consecutive surveys of the National Inventory of Forests and Soils of Mexico (INFyS), obtained in 2004–2009 and 2009–2014. Our results show that the spatial patterns of regeneration are affected by forest structure, by climate, by the type and intensity of disturbances and by land tenure. Importantly, the presence and abundance of Fagaceae regeneration is generally higher than that of Pinaceae, and tends to be favoured (relative to Pinaceae) under warmer climates and by the presence of wildfires.ConclusionsThe higher regeneration of Fagaceae relative to Pinaceae under warmer and fire-prone conditions could have important impacts on the composition and functioning of Mexican temperate forests under ongoing climate change, as well as affect their resilience to future disturbances.

Highlights

Global change is causing an increase in the incidence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on forests, which frequently interact synergistically and promote changes in forest structure, composition and functioning
Mixedeffects linear models with a binomial distribution and a Regeneration of Pinaceae and Fagaceae as a function of overstory composition The presence of Fagaceae saplings was very common in the conglomerates with oak and mixed overstory, where the percentage of conglomerates with Fagaceae saplings was > 80% (Fig. 2)
Densities of Pinaceae and Fagaceae saplings and young trees varied depending on overstory composition (Fig. 3)

Summary

Introduction

Global change is causing an increase in the incidence of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on forests, which frequently interact synergistically and promote changes in forest structure, composition and functioning. Climate change is causing an increase in the incidence of disturbances such as drought, natural fires, pests and diseases (Brecka et al 2018; Prăvălie 2018), which can drive rapid changes in forests (Allen et al 2015). To understand and forecast shifts in forest composition, it is essential to characterize the regeneration patterns of tree species (cf Martínez-Vilalta and Lloret 2016 for the specific case of drought-induced forest decline), including the conditions that allow the establishment and survival of new recruits of different species, as well as their response under different natural and anthropogenic disturbance regimes (Denslow 1980). Shade-intolerant species tend to have a higher growth rate under direct light conditions and usually dominate the low canopies initially, but when canopies close they are typically replaced by species that tolerate more shaded conditions, at least in their early stages of development, which are usually classified as late-successional species (Swaine and Whitmore 1988)

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