Tree diversity increases forest temperature buffering via enhancing canopy density and structural diversity
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In: Ecology Letters, Vol. 28, No. 3, e70096, 01.03.2025, p. 1-11.
Research output: Journal contributions › Comments / Debate / Reports › Research
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Tree diversity increases forest temperature buffering via enhancing canopy density and structural diversity
AU - Schnabel, Florian
AU - Beugnon, Rémy
AU - Yang, Bo
AU - Richter, Ronnie
AU - Eisenhauer, Nico
AU - Huang, Yuanyuan
AU - Liu, Xiaojuan
AU - Wirth, Christian
AU - Cesarz, Simone
AU - Fichtner, Andreas
AU - Perles-García, María Dolores
AU - Hähn, Georg
AU - Härdtle, Werner
AU - Kunz, Matthias
AU - Castro-Izaguirre, Nadia
AU - Niklaus, Pascal A.
AU - von Oheimb, Goddert
AU - Schmid, Bernhard
AU - Trogisch, Stefan
AU - Wendisch, Manfred
AU - Ma, Keping
AU - Bruelheide, Helge
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025/3/1
Y1 - 2025/3/1
N2 - Global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Forests may buffer climate extremes by creating their own attenuated microclimate below their canopy, which maintains forest functioning and biodiversity. However, the effect of tree diversity on temperature buffering in forests is largely unexplored. Here, we show that tree species richness increases forest temperature buffering across temporal scales over six years in a large-scale tree diversity experiment covering a species richness gradient of 1 to 24 tree species. We found that species richness strengthened the cooling of hot and the insulation against cold daily and monthly air temperatures and temperature extremes. This buffering effect of tree species richness was mediated by enhanced canopy density and structural diversity in species-rich stands. Safeguarding and planting diverse forests may thus mitigate negative effects of global warming and climate extremes on below-canopy ecosystem functions and communities.
AB - Global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Forests may buffer climate extremes by creating their own attenuated microclimate below their canopy, which maintains forest functioning and biodiversity. However, the effect of tree diversity on temperature buffering in forests is largely unexplored. Here, we show that tree species richness increases forest temperature buffering across temporal scales over six years in a large-scale tree diversity experiment covering a species richness gradient of 1 to 24 tree species. We found that species richness strengthened the cooling of hot and the insulation against cold daily and monthly air temperatures and temperature extremes. This buffering effect of tree species richness was mediated by enhanced canopy density and structural diversity in species-rich stands. Safeguarding and planting diverse forests may thus mitigate negative effects of global warming and climate extremes on below-canopy ecosystem functions and communities.
KW - Ecosystems Research
KW - BEF-China
KW - biodiversity
KW - heat stress
KW - microclimate
KW - mixed-species forest
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000902340&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ele.70096
DO - 10.1111/ele.70096
M3 - Comments / Debate / Reports
C2 - 40119529
VL - 28
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Ecology Letters
JF - Ecology Letters
SN - 1461-023X
IS - 3
M1 - e70096
ER -