Different facets of tree sapling diversity influence browsing intensity by deer dependent on spatial scale

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Bettina Ohse
  • Carolin Seele
  • Frédéric Holzwarth
  • Christian Wirth

Browsing of tree saplings by deer hampers forest regeneration in mixed forests across Europe and North America. It is well known that tree species are differentially affected by deer browsing, but little is known about how different facets of diversity, such as species richness, identity, and composition, affect browsing intensity at different spatial scales. Using forest inventory data from the Hainich National Park, a mixed deciduous forest in central Germany, we applied a hierarchical approach to model the browsing probability of patches (regional scale) as well as the species-specific proportion of saplings browsed within patches (patch scale). We found that, at the regional scale, the probability that a patch was browsed increased with certain species composition, namely with low abundance of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and high abundance of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), whereas at the patch scale, the proportion of saplings browsed per species was mainly determined by the species’ identity, providing a “preference ranking” of the 11 tree species under study. Interestingly, at the regional scale, species-rich patches were more likely to be browsed; however, at the patch scale, species-rich patches showed a lower proportion of saplings per species browsed. Presumably, diverse patches attract deer, but satisfy nutritional needs faster, such that fewer saplings need to be browsed. Some forest stand parameters, such as more open canopies, increased the browsing intensity at either scale. By showing the effects that various facets of diversity, as well as environmental parameters, exerted on browsing intensity at the regional as well as patch scale, our study advances the understanding of mammalian herbivore–plant interactions across scales. Our results also indicate which regeneration patches and species are (least) prone to browsing and show the importance of different facets of diversity for the prediction and management of browsing intensity and regeneration dynamics.

OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftEcology and Evolution
Jahrgang7
Ausgabenummer17
Seiten (von - bis)6779-6789
Anzahl der Seiten11
ISSN2045-7758
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 09.2017
Extern publiziertJa

Bibliographische Notiz

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Fachgebiete

  • Ökosystemforschung - biodiversity, foraging theory, forest inventory data, forest regeneration, plant-herbivore interactions, species composition, species identity, species richness, temperate forest, ungulate browsing

DOI

Zuletzt angesehen

Publikationen

  1. Introduction to Thinking the Problematic
  2. From simulation to real-world robotic mobile fulfillment systems
  3. The representative turn in EU studies
  4. Influence of measurement errors on networks
  5. Effects Of Different Order Processing Strategies On Operating Curves Of Logistic Models
  6. Reconfiguring Desecuritization
  7. Control of a two-thermoelectric-cooler system for ice-clamping application using Lyapunov based approach
  8. Participation in multi-level policy implementation: exploring the influence of governance culture
  9. Knowledge Graph Question Answering Datasets and Their Generalizability
  10. Determinants in the online distribution of digital content
  11. Bitcoin und Blockchain
  12. Navigating (In)Visibility
  13. The principle of unjust enrichment
  14. Junior High School Students’ Length Estimation Skills and Use of Strategies for Making Estimations
  15. Performance Saga: Interview 01
  16. Unlocking knowledge-policy action gaps in disaster-recovery-risk governance cycle
  17. Home range size and resource use of breeding and non-breeding white storks along a land use gradient
  18. Feature Extraction and Aggregation for Predicting the Euro 2016
  19. Editorial: Machine Learning and Data Mining in Materials Science
  20. Development and validation of a U.S. and German short version of the Later Life Workplace Index (LLWI-S)
  21. Effect of internal defects on tensile properties of A356 casting alloys
  22. Nest site selection and the effects of land use in a multi-scale approach on the distribution of a passerine in an island arid environment
  23. Forging of Mg–3Sn–2Ca–0.4Al Alloy Assisted by Its Processing Map and Validation Through Analytical Modeling
  24. Accuracy and bias of methods used for root length measurements in functional root research
  25. Reduction of capital tie up for assembly processes
  26. Tree mixtures mediate negative effects of introduced tree species on bird taxonomic and functional diversity
  27. The Politics of (Non)Knowledge in the (Un)Making of Migration
  28. A comparison between private and public access rules to bottlenecks - experiences and expectations from telecommunication and energy
  29. Modeling Converging Material Flows In The Supply Chain
  30. Estimation of minimal data sets sizes for machine learning predictions in digital mental health interventions