Determinants of spatial patterns of canopy tree species in a tropical evergreen forest in Gabon

Obiang, Nestor Laurier Engone; Kenfack, David; Picard, Nicolas; Lutz, James A.; Bissiengou, Pulchérie; Memiaghe, Hervé R.; Alonso, Alfonso

doi:10.1111/jvs.12778

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Large plots are useful for advancing understanding of how disturbances influence the diversity and dynamics of tropical forests since many (though certainly not all) disturbances in tropical forests occur on the scale of 0.25-5 ha (e.g., tree falls, landslides, lightning, etc.). Large mapped plots provide a valuable resource for exploring the spatial patterns in forests, especially for large-diameter trees that occur at relatively low densities (Lutz et al, 2018;Engone-Obiang et al, 2019). Many of the mechanisms posited to maintain diversity and drive patterns of species turnover are spatial, including abiotic components of edaphic, hydrologic and light variation, and interactions among neighboring con-and heterospecific individuals.…”

Section: Why Large Plots With the Inclusion Of Small Stems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network

Davies

Abiem

Salim

et al. 2021

Biological Conservation

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146

117

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ForestGEO is a network of scientists and long-term forest dynamics plots (FDPs) spanning the Earth's major forest types. ForestGEO's mission is to advance understanding of the diversity and dynamics of forests and to strengthen global capacity for forest science research. ForestGEO is unique among forest plot networks in its large-scale plot dimensions, censusing of all stems ≥1 cm in diameter, inclusion of tropical, temperate and boreal forests, and investigation of additional biotic (e.g., arthropods) and abiotic (e.g., soils) drivers, which together provide a holistic view of forest functioning. The 71 FDPs in 27 countries include approximately 7.33 million living trees and about 12,000 species, representing 20% of the world's known tree diversity. With >1300 published papers, ForestGEO researchers have made significant contributions in two fundamental areas: species coexistence and diversity, and ecosystem functioning. Specifically, defining the major biotic and abiotic controls on the distribution and coexistence of species and functional types and on variation in species' demography has led to improved understanding of how the multiple dimensions of forest diversity are structured across space and time and how this diversity relates to the processes controlling the role of forests in the Earth system. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain that impede our ability to predict how forest diversity and function will respond to climate change and other stressors. Meeting these global research challenges requires major advances in standardizing taxonomy of tropical species, resolving the main drivers of forest dynamics, and integrating plotbased ground and remote sensing observations to scale up estimates of forest diversity and function, coupled with improved predictive models. However, they cannot be met without greater financial commitment to sustain the long-term research of ForestGEO and other forest plot networks, greatly expanded scientific capacity across the world's forested nations, and increased collaboration and integration among research networks and disciplines addressing forest science.

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Section: Why Large Plots With the Inclusion Of Small Stems?mentioning

confidence: 99%

ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network

Davies

Abiem

Salim

et al. 2021

Biological Conservation

Self Cite

146

117

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“…Structural heterogeneity has been a long-recognized feature of old-growth forests (i.e., Lutz et al 2013;Michel et al 2014;Furniss et al 2017;Engone-Obiang et al 2019), and that heterogeneity creates complex vertical habitat for a variety of arboreal taxa (i.e., Blomdahl et al 2019). It is likely that the extreme heterogeneity in deadwood also creates a variety of terrestrial habitat niches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of large-diameter trees to the creation of snag and deadwood biomass

et al. 2021

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Background Baseline levels of tree mortality can, over time, contribute to high snag densities and high levels of deadwood (down woody debris) if fire is infrequent and decomposition is slow. Deadwood can be important for tree recruitment, and it plays a major role in terrestrial carbon cycling, but deadwood is rarely examined in a spatially explicit context. Methods Between 2011 and 2019, we annually tracked all trees and snags ≥1 cm in diameter and mapped all pieces of deadwood ≥10 cm diameter and ≥1 m in length in 25.6 ha of Tsuga heterophylla / Pseudotsuga menziesii forest. We analyzed the amount, biomass, and spatial distribution of deadwood, and we assessed how various causes of mortality that contributed uniquely to deadwood creation. Results Compared to aboveground woody live biomass of 481 Mg ha−1 (from trees ≥10 cm diameter), snag biomass was 74 Mg ha−1 and deadwood biomass was 109 Mg ha−1 (from boles ≥10 cm diameter). Biomass from large-diameter trees (≥60 cm) accounted for 85%, 88%, and 58%, of trees, snags, and deadwood, respectively. Total aboveground woody live and dead biomass was 668 Mg ha−1. The annual production of downed wood (≥10 cm diameter) from tree boles averaged 4 Mg ha−1 yr−1. Woody debris was spatially heterogeneous, varying more than two orders of magnitude from 4 to 587 Mg ha−1 at the scale of 20 m × 20 m quadrats. Almost all causes of deadwood creation varied in importance between large-diameter trees and small-diameter trees. Biomass of standing stems and deadwood had weak inverse distributions, reflecting the long period of time required for trees to reach large diameters following antecedent tree mortalities and the centennial scale time required for deadwood decomposition. Conclusion Old-growth forests contain large stores of biomass in living trees, as well as in snag and deadwood biomass pools that are stable long after tree death. Ignoring biomass (or carbon) in deadwood pools can lead to substantial underestimations of sequestration and stability.

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“…The diameter class structure is an important indicator reflecting the age structure and growth status of the forest, providing reliable data for studying forest succession trends and ecological balance [19][20][21][22]. Based on the survey data, this study utilized the upper limit exclusion method to categorize the diameter class structure of the Abies ziyuanensis communities into seven levels according to the following criteria: Level I saplings, with heights of <0.5 m; Level II young trees, with heights of 0.5-1.2 m and DBH < 2.5 cm; Level III small trees, with heights of >1.2 m and DBH of 2.5-5 cm; Level IV medium trees, with DBH of 5-10 cm; Level V large trees, with DBH of 10-25 cm; Level VI larger trees, with DBH of 25-45 cm; and Level VII largest trees, with DBH of >45 cm.…”

Section: Analysis Of Structural Characteristics Of the Abies Ziyuanen...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbance on the Structure, Competition, and Succession of Abies ziyuanensis Communities

Zhang,

Li,

et al. 2024

Forests

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Attention to habitat dynamics in subtropical mid-mountain forest plant communities containing endangered vegetation is critical for understanding the responses of ecosystems to global climate change and for their effective conservation. This study examines the species composition, structure, and interspecies competition within endemic and endangered Abies ziyuanensis (Abies ziyuanensis L.K.Fu and S.L.Mo) communities in China, comparing undisturbed and anthropogenically disturbed conditions. The survey recorded a total of 71 plant species across 39 families and 60 genera. PERMANOVA analysis highlighted significant disparities in species composition between the two forest community conditions. Communities impacted by anthropogenic disturbances showed a higher diversity of shrub and herbaceous species compared to those that were undisturbed, coupled with a significant increase in the number of Abies ziyuanensis seedlings, suggesting a greater potential for self-renewal. Nonetheless, the distribution of diameter class structures in these two community conditions indicates a declining trend in population numbers. In undisturbed Abies ziyuanensis communities, the Weighted Hegyi Competition Index (WCI) for Abies ziyuanensis was 6.04, below the average WCI of 12.24 for all trees within these communities. In contrast, within communities affected by anthropogenic disturbances, the WCI for Abies ziyuanensis reached 7.76, higher than the average WCI of 7.43 for all trees, indicating that Abies ziyuanensis in disturbed communities face heightened competitive pressure compared to undisturbed settings. These findings underscore that previous anthropogenic disturbances have altered the community composition, competition dynamics, growth environment, and succession trends of Abies ziyuanensis communities. While these disturbances promote the regeneration of Abies ziyuanensis, they also reduce its current dominance as a target species.

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Determinants of spatial patterns of canopy tree species in a tropical evergreen forest in Gabon

Cited by 12 publications

References 70 publications

ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network

ForestGEO: Understanding forest diversity and dynamics through a global observatory network

The importance of large-diameter trees to the creation of snag and deadwood biomass

Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbance on the Structure, Competition, and Succession of Abies ziyuanensis Communities

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