Facilitative-competitive interactions in an Old-Growth Forest: The Importance of Large-Diameter Trees as Benefactors and Stimulators for Forest Community Assembly

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Standard

Facilitative-competitive interactions in an Old-Growth Forest: The Importance of Large-Diameter Trees as Benefactors and Stimulators for Forest Community Assembly. / Fichtner, Andreas; Forrester, David I.; Härdtle, Werner et al.
In: PLoS ONE, Vol. 10, No. 3, e0120335, 24.03.2015.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Harvard

APA

Vancouver

Bibtex

@article{ff9bd00b0abb4aeda3b1be2ae662241d,
title = "Facilitative-competitive interactions in an Old-Growth Forest: The Importance of Large-Diameter Trees as Benefactors and Stimulators for Forest Community Assembly",
abstract = "The role of competition in tree communities is increasingly well understood, while little is known about the patterns and mechanisms of the interplay between above- and belowground competition in tree communities. This knowledge, however, is crucial for a better understanding of community dynamics and developing adaptive near-natural management strategies. We assessed neighbourhood interactions in an unmanaged old-growth European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest by quantifying variation in the intensity of above- (shading) and belowground competition (crowding) among dominant and co-dominant canopy beech trees during tree maturation. Shading had on average a much larger impact on radial growth than crowding and the sensitivity to changes in competitive conditions was lowest for crowding effects. We found that each mode of competition reduced the effect of the other. Increasing crowding reduced the negative effect of shading, and at high levels of shading, crowding actually had a facilitative effect and increased growth. Our study demonstrates that complementarity in above- and belowground processes enable F. sylvatica to alter resource acquisition strategies, thus optimising tree radial growth. As a result, competition seemed to become less important in stands with a high growing stock and tree communities with a long continuity of anthropogenic undisturbed population dynamics. We suggest that growth rates do not exclusively depend on the density of potential competitors at the intraspecific level, but on the conspecific aggregation of large-diameter trees and their functional role for regulating biotic filtering processes. This finding highlights the potential importance of the rarely examined relationship between the spatial aggregation pattern of large-diameter trees and the outcome of neighbourhood interactions, which may be central to community dynamics and the related forest ecosystem services.",
keywords = "Sustainability Science, Ecosystems Research",
author = "Andreas Fichtner and Forrester, {David I.} and Werner H{\"a}rdtle and Knut Sturm and Goddert Oheimb",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Fichtner et al.",
year = "2015",
month = mar,
day = "24",
doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0120335",
language = "English",
volume = "10",
journal = "PLoS ONE",
issn = "1932-6203",
publisher = "Public Library of Science",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Facilitative-competitive interactions in an Old-Growth Forest: The Importance of Large-Diameter Trees as Benefactors and Stimulators for Forest Community Assembly

AU - Fichtner, Andreas

AU - Forrester, David I.

AU - Härdtle, Werner

AU - Sturm, Knut

AU - Oheimb, Goddert

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Fichtner et al.

PY - 2015/3/24

Y1 - 2015/3/24

N2 - The role of competition in tree communities is increasingly well understood, while little is known about the patterns and mechanisms of the interplay between above- and belowground competition in tree communities. This knowledge, however, is crucial for a better understanding of community dynamics and developing adaptive near-natural management strategies. We assessed neighbourhood interactions in an unmanaged old-growth European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest by quantifying variation in the intensity of above- (shading) and belowground competition (crowding) among dominant and co-dominant canopy beech trees during tree maturation. Shading had on average a much larger impact on radial growth than crowding and the sensitivity to changes in competitive conditions was lowest for crowding effects. We found that each mode of competition reduced the effect of the other. Increasing crowding reduced the negative effect of shading, and at high levels of shading, crowding actually had a facilitative effect and increased growth. Our study demonstrates that complementarity in above- and belowground processes enable F. sylvatica to alter resource acquisition strategies, thus optimising tree radial growth. As a result, competition seemed to become less important in stands with a high growing stock and tree communities with a long continuity of anthropogenic undisturbed population dynamics. We suggest that growth rates do not exclusively depend on the density of potential competitors at the intraspecific level, but on the conspecific aggregation of large-diameter trees and their functional role for regulating biotic filtering processes. This finding highlights the potential importance of the rarely examined relationship between the spatial aggregation pattern of large-diameter trees and the outcome of neighbourhood interactions, which may be central to community dynamics and the related forest ecosystem services.

AB - The role of competition in tree communities is increasingly well understood, while little is known about the patterns and mechanisms of the interplay between above- and belowground competition in tree communities. This knowledge, however, is crucial for a better understanding of community dynamics and developing adaptive near-natural management strategies. We assessed neighbourhood interactions in an unmanaged old-growth European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest by quantifying variation in the intensity of above- (shading) and belowground competition (crowding) among dominant and co-dominant canopy beech trees during tree maturation. Shading had on average a much larger impact on radial growth than crowding and the sensitivity to changes in competitive conditions was lowest for crowding effects. We found that each mode of competition reduced the effect of the other. Increasing crowding reduced the negative effect of shading, and at high levels of shading, crowding actually had a facilitative effect and increased growth. Our study demonstrates that complementarity in above- and belowground processes enable F. sylvatica to alter resource acquisition strategies, thus optimising tree radial growth. As a result, competition seemed to become less important in stands with a high growing stock and tree communities with a long continuity of anthropogenic undisturbed population dynamics. We suggest that growth rates do not exclusively depend on the density of potential competitors at the intraspecific level, but on the conspecific aggregation of large-diameter trees and their functional role for regulating biotic filtering processes. This finding highlights the potential importance of the rarely examined relationship between the spatial aggregation pattern of large-diameter trees and the outcome of neighbourhood interactions, which may be central to community dynamics and the related forest ecosystem services.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84925795706&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0120335

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0120335

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 25803035

VL - 10

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 3

M1 - e0120335

ER -

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Activities

  1. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
  2. Zur Geschichtsphilosophie Ernst Cassirers
  3. 4th International Conference on Health Promotion in Schools
  4. Die Amisch und die Verweigerung der Moderne
  5. Workshop "Globalizing Lifestyles between McDonaldization and sustainability perspecives. The case of the New Middle Classes"
  6. Universität Liege (Externe Organisation)
  7. DigiSchreib - Ein Instrument zur Unterstützung von Lehrkräften bei Auswahl und Einsatz digitaler Schreibtools
  8. The Impact of Television Program on Individual Action for Climate Protection regarding Adolescents in Germany
  9. 10. Graduiertenkonferenz an der Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg - 2011
  10. Investigating the situational impact of academic language demands on university students’ boredom with an instructional video
  11. 4th Danish Conference on Biotechnology and Molecular Biology - 2009
  12. Art & Sustainability (with some thoughts on theatre)
  13. Leuphana Universität Lüneburg (Organisation)
  14. Ästhetische Biologie bei Uexküll
  15. Fakultät Management und Technologie (Organisation)
  16. Sufficiency: The Missing Elephant in the EU Trade and Biodiversity Agenda?
  17. Waste Management (Fachzeitschrift)
  18. Europe’s Mega-Regional Investment Agreements - Not more than a flash in the pan?
  19. International Conference “Improving financial institutions. The proper balance between regulation and governance” 2012
  20. Umkämpfte Transformation
  21. Business Strategy and the Environment (Zeitschrift)
  22. The Thick Blue Net: The Hashtag #thinblueline and the Digital Community Policing by the Lower Saxony State Police on Instagram
  23. Interdisziplinäre Tagung: Debatten der Gegenwart
  24. Institut für Politikwissenschaft (Organisation)
  25. 4th International Conference on Health Promotion in Schools