Forest Community Ecology Research Articles

Forest tree community ecology and plant–soil feedback: Theory and evidence

AbstractMounting evidence suggests that reciprocal interactions between plants and the soil microbiota can be a primary force that generates key macroscopic patterns of plant communities (coexistence, dominance, and succession) in forest ecosystems. The aim of this article is to review empirical and theoretical perspectives of plant–soil feedback research in the context of forest community ecology. I first use a simple theoretical model to get insights into an array of the dynamics generated by plant–soil feedback: negative plant–soil feedback maintains plant species diversity and reduces plant growth, while positive plant–soil feedback drives plant growth of certain species and hence their dominance. I then describe how ecologists have unveiled the enormously complex plant‐microbiota interaction (i.e., the soil conditioning experiment) and review the linkage of plant–soil feedback with three key plant community patterns: (i) dominance, (ii) spatial structure and (iii) succession. I highlight one belowground plant trait (mycorrhizal type) that can mediate these linkages: arbuscular mycorrhizal species tend to exhibit negative plant–soil feedback while ectomycorrhizal species tend to exhibit positive plant–soil feedback. Although mycorrhizal plant–soil feedback potentially explains the patterns of tree diversity from local to global scales, many questions remain. Future studies should expand plant–soil feedback theory to incorporate numerous other feedback mechanisms and test how mycorrhizal types mediate the net feedback effects that could propagate to shape large‐scale forest structures and dynamics.

Deep Ecology, Biodiversity and Assisted Natural Regeneration of European Hemiboreal Forests

Climate change and the associated disturbances have disrupted the relative stability of tree species composition in hemiboreal forests. The natural ecology of forest communities, including species occurrence and composition, forest structure, and food webs, have been affected. Yet, the hemiboreal forest zone of Lithuania is the least studied in the country for climate change risks and possible management adaption techniques. This problem is further complicated by the fact that Lithuania uses a traditional centralised forest management system. Therefore, this work proposes assisted natural regeneration (ANR) of tree species as a more viable means of building hemiboreal forest resilience to cope with future climate change risks. The ANR model implies that forest management is localised in local communities, to provide opportunities for the local people to participate in forest management based on local knowledge, thereby facilitating the transition from cultural diversity to biodiversity. Further, ANR is grounded on an ethical framework—deep ecology—to provide ethical justification for the proposal to transit forest management in Lithuania from the traditional centralised segregated system to a community-driven practice. The work combines the theories of ANR, deep ecology, and hemiboreal forest knowledge systems to provide complementary information that builds on gaps in the existing literature. This study is unique in that no previous work has linked ANR and deep ecology in the context of Lithuania’s forest ecosystems.

Diversity and ecology of forest communities in Küre Mountains National Park of Turkey

This study aimed at analyzing the diversity and ecological characteristics of forest associations (121 releves classified under eight associations) in Kure Mountains National Park. Ordination analyses (DCA and CCA) and response curves were used to reveal ecological characteristics of vegetation using soil parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, sand, clay and dust content, soil moisture) and topographical variables (altitude, slope, potential direct incident radiation and heat load). Ecological conditions of communities were also tested using average Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs). Among forest associations, the highest species diversity was found in Phillyreo latifoliae-Pinetum brutiae and the lowest diversity in Hedero-Castanetum sativae, which had a dense Rhododendron ponticum shrub layer. However, Salicio-Platanetum orientale and Buxo sempervirens-Carpinetum betuli had the highest beta diversity since they harbored unique species composition. Conditional effects of altitude, slope, pH and electrical conductivity, soil dust and sand content, sandy-loam and loam soil types presented significant contributions in species composition. While Carpino-Quercetum petraeae was found on soil with high dust content having high pH and electrical conductivity values, Quercetum roburi-Aceretum campestri and Salicio-Platanetum orientale were related to soil with loam. Species responses to soil and topographical variables varied for most tree species. Light EIVs, which has a high positive correlation with potential direct incident radiation and heat load, related to Phillyreo latifoliae-Pinetum brutiae and Salicio-Platanetum orientale. Riverside forest communities differed from other communities in nutrient and humidity EIVs. However, EIVs did not show a good correlation with associated soil parameters such as soil moisture-humidity EIVs and soil pH-acidity EIVs.

The Status of Prunus padus L. (Bird Cherry) in Forest Communities throughout Europe and Asia

Prunus padus L. (bird cherry) belongs to the Racemosa group in subgenus Padus in the genus Prunus L. It is a hardy invasive species, which makes it valuable for securing slopes, and for eco-design. It is a good solitary park tree with early flowering of white flowers in racemes, which have a pleasant smell. However, it may be attacked by cherry-oat aphid, and the small ermine moth, which may weave giant webs over the whole tree, which demonstrates the important role of P. padus in the food web of forest ecosystems. The species is in balance with these pests, other herbivores and diseases throughout Europe and Asia. Another threat is the competition against the invasive P. serotina, but it seems that P. padus is not strongly threatened, though they compete for the same habitats. Moreover, human interference of forest community ecology is probably the greatest threat. The tree is not only winter hardy; it can also survive hot summers and tolerate a wide variety of soil types. It may form dense thickets due to the regeneration of branches bent to the ground and basal shoots, and may be invasive. These characteristics are important in determining the ecological niche of P. padus, which involves the position of the species within an ecosystem, comprising both its habitat requirements and the functional role. It is also important that P. padus has effective dispersal of pollen and seeds. This, together with the previously noted characteristics and the fact that the tree can cope well with climate change, define it as a not threatened species. However, the ssp. borealis is threatened and national level monitoring is required. Prunus padus has been exploited by farmers and rural population, but is less used today. However, it is still used for making syrup, jam and liquor. Moreover, the wood is valuable for wood carving and making cabinets. All tissues are valuable as sources of powerful natural antioxidants. However, the interest in the P. padus fruit and other tissues is overshadowed by the interest in other wild species of edible and human health-related berries. Moreover, the tree is used in horticulture as an ornamental in gardens and parks, values that deserve a new focus.

Analysing taxonomic structures and local ecological processes in temperate forests in North Eastern China

BackgroundOne of the core issues of forest community ecology is the exploration of how ecological processes affect community structure. The relative importance of different processes is still under debate. This study addresses four questions: (1) how is the taxonomic structure of a forest community affected by spatial scale? (2) does the taxonomic structure reveal effects of local processes such as environmental filtering, dispersal limitation or interspecific competition at a local scale? (3) does the effect of local processes on the taxonomic structure vary with the spatial scale? (4) does the analysis based on taxonomic structures provide similar insights when compared with the use of phylogenetic information? Based on the data collected in two large forest observational field studies, the taxonomic structures of the plant communities were analyzed at different sampling scales using taxonomic ratios (number of genera/number of species, number of families/number of species), and the relationship between the number of higher taxa and the number of species. Two random null models were used and the “standardized effect size” (SES) of taxonomic ratios was calculated, to assess possible differences between the observed and simulated taxonomic structures, which may be caused by specific ecological processes. We further applied a phylogeny-based method to compare results with those of the taxonomic approach.ResultsAs expected, the taxonomic ratios decline with increasing grain size. The quantitative relationship between genera/families and species, described by a linearized power function, showed a good fit. With the exception of the family-species relationship in the Jiaohe study area, the exponents of the genus/family-species relationships did not show any scale dependent effects. The taxonomic ratios of the observed communities had significantly lower values than those of the simulated random community under the test of two null models at almost all scales. Null Model 2 which considered the spatial dispersion of species generated a taxonomic structure which proved to be more consistent with that in the observed community. As sampling sizes increased from 20 m × 20 m to 50 m × 50 m, the magnitudes of SESs of taxonomic ratios increased. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, we found that the Jiaohe plot was phylogenetically clustered at almost all scales. We detected significant phylogenetically overdispersion at the 20 m × 20 m and 30 m × 30 m scales in the Liangshui plot.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the effect of abiotic filtering is greater than the effects of interspecific competition in shaping the local community at almost all scales. Local processes influence the taxonomic structures, but their combined effects vary with the spatial scale. The taxonomic approach provides similar insights as the phylogenetic approach, especially when we applied a more conservative null model. Analysing taxonomic structure may be a useful tool for communities where well-resolved phylogenetic data are not available.

강화도 마니산 산림식생의 군집구조 특성

The purpose of this study was to furnish basic information for forest community ecology and to accumulate vegetational datum related to hierarchy of forest community for the efficient management of forest vegetation in Mt. Mani. Samples were collected and analyzed by 32 releves from August to October in 2010 using phytosociological analysis methodology of Z-M school and importance value analysis. The results were summarized that the forest vegetation was classified into 5 units in total. Importance value at vegetation unit 1 indicated Pinus densiflora 54.31 (18.10%), Quercus mongolica 39.21 (13.07%), Carpinus coreana 37.29 (12.43%), at vegetation unit 2 Quercus mongolica 89.43 (22.23%), Rhododendron mucronulatum 57.75 (14.43%), Carpinus coreana 47.19(11.80%), at vegetation unit 3 Styrax japonica 53.97 (13.50%), Acer mono 33.60 (8.40%), Carpinus coreana 26.48 (6.62%), Quercus serrata 22.51 (5.64%), at vegetation unit 4 Carpinus coreana 47.70 (11.92%), Quercus acutissima 38.40 (9.60%) and at vegetation unit 5 Evodia daniellii 80.59 (20.14%), Robinia pseudoacacia 35.00 (8.74%), Pueraria thunbergiana 28.63 (7.15%), Quercus dentata 28.20 (7.05%) in the order, respectively.

Vegetation Database of the Hyrcanian Area

The Hyrcanian (Caspian) area located in the north of Iran comprises a narrow band of temperate deciduous forests and is contiguous with a larger forest region extending through the Caucasus to eastern Turkey. These forests are covering the north-facing slopes of the Alborz mountain range and extend from the northwest to the northeast of Iran with an area of about 19,000 km2. Generally, the Hyrcanian area ranges from cool deciduous-lowland forests towards cool deciduous-mountain and timberline forests. The flora and vegetation of the Hyrcanian forests have been studied during the last half of century and comparative studies on the ecology of forest communities in the area are increasing. However, there is no comprehenisive database on the whole area. The Vegetation Database of the Hyrcanian Area (GIVD ID AS-IR-003) aims at providing a preliminary database for future comprehensive vegetation analysis.

Ecological impacts of a widespread frost event following early spring leaf‐out

AbstractIn the spring of 2010, temperatures averaged ~3 °C above the long‐term mean (March–May) across the northeastern United States. However, in mid‐to‐late spring, much of this region experienced a severe frost event. The spring of 2010 therefore provides a case study on how future spring temperature extremes may affect northeastern forest ecosystems. We assessed the response of three northern hardwood tree species (sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch) to these anomalous temperature patterns using several different data sources and addressed four main questions: (1) Along an elevational gradient, how was each species affected by the late spring frost? (2) How did differences in phenological growth strategy influence their response? (3) How did the late spring frost affect ecosystem productivity within the study domain? (4) What are the potential long‐term impacts of spring frost events on forest community ecology? Our results show that all species exhibited early leaf development triggered by the warm spring. However, yellow birch and American beech have more conservative growth strategies and were largely unaffected by the late spring frost. In contrast, sugar maples responded strongly to warmer temperatures and experienced widespread frost damage that resulted in leaf loss and delayed canopy development. Late spring frost events may therefore provide a competitive advantage for yellow birch and American beech at the expense of sugar maple. Results from satellite remote sensing confirm that frost damage was widespread throughout the region at higher elevations (>500 m). The frost event is estimated to have reduced gross ecosystem productivity by 70–153 g C m−2, or 7–14% of the annual gross productivity (1061 ± 82 g C m−2) across 8753 km2 of high‐elevation forest. We conclude that frost events following leaf out, which are expected to become more common with climate change, may influence both forest composition and ecosystem productivity.

Tropical Forest Community Ecology

Austral EcologyVolume 36, Issue 8 p. e48-e49 Tropical Forest Community Ecology NOEL PREECE, NOEL PREECE Principal Ecologist, Biome5, Atherton, Queensland, Australia, Email: noel@biome5.com.auSearch for more papers by this author NOEL PREECE, NOEL PREECE Principal Ecologist, Biome5, Atherton, Queensland, Australia, Email: noel@biome5.com.auSearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 November 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2011.02288.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume36, Issue8December 2011Pages e48-e49 RelatedInformation

Tropical forests revisited

The fascination for tropical forests, one of the most intriguing ecological systems on the planet, is greater than ever. The rapid development of tropical forest ecology since the seventies, although providing answers to many research questions, simultaneously triggered a hype of theories, approaches, discoveries, and questions, which this book tries to summarize and integrate into an overall picture. As it certainly will be for scholars interested in tropical community ecology, this volume should be highly stimulating for ecologists specialized in a wide array of disciplines and habitats. The book offers the peer-reviewed works of 57 contributors who aptly linked theory with empirical information, supporting their work with more than 2,000 milestone references. The editors played the role of an orchestra conductor by selecting and organizing a series of topics that depict the state of the art in tropical forest community ecology. Such an ambitious goal was achieved by organizing the book into six sections, each representing a specialized synthesis: (1) Introduction; (2) Large-scale patterns in tropical communities; (3) Testing theories of forest regeneration and the maintenance of species diversity; (4) Animal community ecology and trophic interactions; (5) Secondary forest succession, dynamics, and invasion; and (6) Tropical forest conservation. The Introduction is the only section built around a single Chap. 1. It presents the book’s scope and provides a short overview of the remaining sections and chapters, describing the key points and the connections between them. This is a perfect starting point, especially for those who may choose to read the book in a non-linear way. In Sect. 2 (Chaps. 2–7) the spatial variation of plant diversity is explored through a wide range of methods that use environmental, historic and biogeographic factors occurring at multiple scales. The detailed discussion around the scale issue makes this section a must for anyone interested in understanding the spatial distribution of species in a landscape. In Sect. 3 (Chaps. 8–15) we find a thorough debate around old and new theories on the regeneration and maintenance of species diversity in tropical forests. Among the others, Chap. 9 stands out as it presents Hubbell’s own defense of his ‘‘Neutral Theory’’. The relevance of this theory to the progress of ecological knowledge is undeniable even if one disagrees with its tenets. For this reason, no one should miss reading this chapter, even if feeling uneasy about the numerous formulas that accompany it. In Sect. 4 (Chaps. 16–21), animals as a further trophic level are added and ecosystem J. A. Gallardo-Cruz (&) Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 04510 Mexico, D.F, Mexico e-mail: jagc@ciencias.unam.mx

Interspecific relationships among growth, mortality and xylem traits of woody species from New Zealand

Summary 1. Wood density is considered a key functional trait influencing the growth and survival of woody plants and has been shown to be related to a slow–fast rate‐of‐living continuum. Wood density is, however, an emergent trait arising from several vascular properties of wood, including the diameter and frequency of xylem conduits. 2. We aimed to test the hypotheses that there is a set of inter‐related trade‐offs linked to the different functions of wood, that these trade‐offs have direct consequences for tree growth and survival and that these trade‐offs underlie the observed correlations between wood density and demographic rates. We evaluated the covariation between xylem anatomical traits among woody species of New Zealand and whether that covariation had the potential to constrain variation in wood density and demographic rates. 3. Several xylem traits were strongly correlated with each other, but wood density was not correlated with any of them. We also found no significant relationships between wood density and growth or mortality rate. Instead, growth was strongly related to xylem traits associated with hydraulic capacity (conduit diameter and a conductivity index) and to maximum height, whereas mortality rate was strongly correlated only with maximum height. The diameter and frequency of conduits exhibited a significant negative relationship, suggesting a trade‐off, which restricted variation in wood density and growth rate, but not mortality rate. 4. Our results suggest, for woody species in New Zealand, that growth rate is more closely linked to xylem traits determining hydraulic conductance, rather than wood density. We also found no evidence that denser woods conferred higher survival, or that risk of cavitation caused by wide conduits increased mortality. 5. In summary, we found little support for the idea that wood density is a good proxy for position along a fast–slow rate‐of‐living continuum. Instead, the strong, negative relationship between vessel diameter and frequency may constrain the realized diversity of demographic niches of tree species in New Zealand. Trade‐offs in function therefore have the potential to shape functional diversity and ecology of forest communities by linking selection on structure and function to population‐level dynamics.

Tropical forest community ecology

Tropical forest community ecology

Why Do Temperate Deciduous Trees Leaf Out at Different Times? Adaptation and Ecology of Forest Communities

Why Do Temperate Deciduous Trees Leaf Out at Different Times? Adaptation and Ecology of Forest Communities

Host Specificity of Epiphytic Bryophytes near Mountain Lake, Virginia

Fifty-four species of mosses and eighteen species of liverworts were present on the bases (0-1.8 m) of 120 trees belonging to six host species in a cove forest. Of the epiphytic species occurring at a frequency of 20% or more, only three were restricted to just one host species but 21 species showed strong singlehost preferences. Epiphytic communities named after their host species were ordered using frequency-based coefficients of similarity as follows (with the most dissimilar communities at the two poles): red oak-red maple-beech-yellow birch-black birch-hemlock. This arrangement also represented a gradient of decreasing species richness of epiphytic communities. The ordering of epiphytic communities was correlated with a gradient of decreasing bark pH and in part with the water absorption capacities of the barks. Epiphytic bryophytes are important in the ecology of forest communities. Not only do they serve as sites for accumulation of minerals (Witcamp 1970; Rasmussen & Johnsen 1976; Grubb et al. 1969) and radionuclides (Odum et al. 1970) but they also provide food, moisture, shelter and camouflage for certain species of arthropods (Gerson 1969). Epiphytic bryophytes are also significant as ecological indicators. The composition of epiphytic communities of bryophytes varies predictably with levels of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (Gilbert 1970; LeBlanc et al. 1972). Species composition also varies with climate. Impoverishment of epiphytic communities in some cities may be attributed partly to aridity (Stringer & Stringer 1974). Changes in species composition at different heights on a tree corresponds with progressive changes in microclimate (Hosokawa et al. 1964). In view of the ability of epiphytes to indicate levels of particular chemical and physical factors, understanding the reasons for the host specificity of many epiphytic bryophytes is an interesting challenge. When an epiphytic bryophyte prefers a given tree as a host, it has chosen a complex hierarchy of interacting biotic, chemical and physical factors of substrate and habitat (Barkman 1958). The problem is made all the more interesting by the fact that host specificity is rarely absolute. Most species of epiphytic bryophytes in Europe and eastern North America are evidently facultative; in different geographic regions epiphytic species may switch preferred host species or even switch to terrestrial substrates (Barkman 1958; Slack 1976). It would seem logical to investigate the problem of host specificity in an environment where bryophytes display luxuriant growth and high species richness. Therefore a cove forest identified by Patterson (1940) as having an unusually rich bryoflora was chosen as the study site. For the same reason, the focus was on tree bases where bryophytes are more abundant than further up the trunk (Culberson 1955; Hale 1955). This study had two major objectives. Firstly, the host specificity of bryophyte communities on six species of trees (red oak, red maple, beech, yellow birch, black birch and hemlock) was investigated. 007-2745/82/37-50$1.55/0 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.35 on Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:53:23 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 38 THE BRYOLOGIST [Volume 85 Secondly, an attempt was made to correlate differences in bryophyte communities on different species with bark characteristics.