Forest Structural Complexity and Biomass Predict First-Year Carbon Cycling Responses to Disturbance

Gough, Christopher M.; Atkins, Jeff W.; Bond‐Lamberty, Ben; Agee, Elizabeth; Dorheim, Kalyn; Fahey, Robert T.; Grigri, Maxim S.; Haber, Lisa T.; Mathes, Kayla; Pennington, Stephanie C.; Shiklomanov, Alexey; Tallant, Jason

doi:10.1007/s10021-020-00544-1

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…The variable response of rugosity to disturbance type indicates that multiple canopy structural metrics should be considered to gain a more holistic perspective on which aspect(s) of the canopy change. As our stands continue to develop, rugosity could become a useful metric to predict NPP in light of herbivory disturbance, as it is strongly correlated with greater net primary productivity within maturing stands (Gough et al., 2019, 2021). Furthermore, since stand age and time since disturbance are of particular importance when measuring rugosity, but are often difficult to standardize across studies, long‐term experimental studies such as ours are particularly important to better understand these disturbance–canopy interactions (Wales et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long‐term impacts of deer herbivory in determining temperate forest stand and canopy structural complexity

Reed

Royo

Fotis

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Ungulates place immense consumptive pressure on forest vegetation globally, leaving legacies of reduced biodiversity and simplified vegetative structure. However, what remains unresolved is whether browse‐induced changes occurring early in succession ultimately manifest themselves in the developed forest canopy. Understanding the development and persistence of these legacies is critical as canopy structure is an important determinant of forest ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration and wildlife habitat. We measured how white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus browse during stand initiation affected canopy structure, tree species richness, diversity, stem density, and basal area on Pennsylvania's Allegheny Plateau using a portable canopy LiDAR system. We capitalized on an historic deer enclosure experiment where forests were subjected to four deer densities (4, 8, 15, and 25 deer/km2) for 10 years following stand initiation. Deer browsing impacts on the forest canopy are apparent nearly four decades since stand initiation. The highest deer density treatment experienced a significant reduction in tree species diversity, density, and basal area with stands becoming dominated by black cherry Prunus serotina. Reductions in overstorey diversity and tree density resulted in a more open canopy with low leaf area and high horizontal leaf variability. Canopies were tallest at the lowest and highest deer densities. Synthesis and applications. Using a portable canopy LiDAR system and a former deer enclosure experiment, we show that high deer browsing pressure during stand initiation can have a decades‐long impact on stand and canopy structure. High deer densities led to stands with lower species diversity and tree density, which resulted in canopies that were taller and less dense. As remote sensing of the canopy becomes more prevalent, considering the legacy of ungulate herbivory on canopy structure may inform both land management and our understanding of ecological function, such as forest carbon sequestration, maintenance of diverse understory communities, and creation of wildlife habitat

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long‐term impacts of deer herbivory in determining temperate forest stand and canopy structural complexity

Reed

Royo

Fotis

et al. 2021

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…Variables related to vegetation cover and structural properties included pre-cyclone mean EVI or NDII, AGB and mean maximum canopy height (see section 2.3) because pre-disturbance forest structure and composition and total biomass are important factors in determining the magnitude of disturbance effects (Gough et al, 2021;Hogan et al, 2018;Kosugi et al, 2016;Lin et al, 2020). Although AGB and canopy height are likely to be correlated, we included both as predictors in the linear models.…”

Section: Cyclone-induced Change In Relationship To Forest Cyclone and Climatic Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disturbance frequency, intensity and forest structure modulate cyclone‐induced changes in mangrove forest canopy cover

Peereman

Hogan

Lin

2021

Global Ecol. Biogeogr.

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“…First, it is designed to enable analysis of compositional and functional responses to disturbance; this is appealing because compositional (e.g., taxonomic diversity) or structural (e.g., LAI) change may foreshadow or co-vary with C cycling responses to disturbance (Stuart-Ha€ entjens et al 2015). Despite this knowledge, the study of compositional changes following disturbance is historically the domain of community ecologists and ecosystem-scale functional responses such as primary production the focus of ecosystem ecologists (Gough et al 2021a). Second, while population and community properties such as species and richness more commonly decline after disturbance (Armesto andPickett 1985, Murphy andRomanuk 2014), the analytical approach used here acknowledges that C fluxes may decrease or increase.…”

Section: A Multidimensional Stability Framework For Analysis Of Carbon Flux Response To Disturbancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, 20th-century theorists hypothesized a pattern of primary production decline and recovery following successionresetting disturbance (Bormann and Likens 1979;Odum 1969, Vitousek 1982; empiricists used chronosequences and long-term observations to test this theory, documenting and comparing the stability of primary production following disturbance (Amiro et al 2010, Hicke et al 2012, Gough et al 2013; and modelers used theoretical and empirical information to build, parameterize, and challenge earth system models' representation of disturbance responses (Cao andWoodward 1998, Dorheim et al 2021). Following Holling's (1973) definition of resilience as the capacity of ecosystems to withstand and recover from perturbation (Holling 1973), ecosystem ecologists have also characterized the temporal dynamics and degrees of functional change that follow disturbances varying in scale, source, severity, and frequency (Turner et al 1993, Goulden et al 2011, Nave et al 2011, Gough et al 2021a. Despite these advances, ecosystem ecologists, including carbon (C) cycling scientists, have not embraced the theories and analytical tools developed and applied by other disciplines for assessing the stability of ecological properties and processes following disturbance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gough et al (2021a),Nave et al (2011) Which dimensions of stability are correlated with one another and are therefore consistent trade-offs among stability dimensions?Radchuk et al (2019), Dom ınguez-Garc ıa et al (2019) How can management cultivate ecosystems with more robust multidimensional stability profiles in an era of rapid global change? F€ uhrer (2000), Albrich et al (2018), Egli et al (2019) How does evolution shape functional stability across biomes?…”

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confidence: 99%

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A multidimensional stability framework enhances interpretation and comparison of carbon cycling response to disturbance

Mathes

Kleinke

et al. 2021

Ecosphere

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The concept of stability is central to the study and sustainability of vital ecosystem goods and services as disturbances increase globally. While ecosystem ecologists, including carbon (C) cycling scientists, have long-considered multiple dimensions of disturbance response, our discipline lacks an agreedupon analytical framework for characterizing multidimensional stability. Here, we advocate for the broader adoption of a standardized and normalized multidimensional stability framework for analyzing disturbance response. This framework includes four dimensions of stability: the degree of initial change in C fluxes (i.e., resistance); rate (i.e., resilience) and variability (i.e., temporal stability) of return to predisturbance C fluxes; and the extent of return to pre-disturbance C fluxes (i.e., recovery). Using this framework, we highlight findings not readily seen from analysis of absolute fluxes, including trade-offs between initial and long-term C flux responses to disturbance; different overall stability profiles among fluxes; and, using a pilot dataset, similar relative stability of net primary production following fire and insect disturbances. We conclude that ecosystem ecologists' embrace of a unifying multidimensional stability framework as a complement to approaches focused on absolute C fluxes could advance global change research by aiding in the novel interpretation, comprehensive synthesis, and improved forecasting of ecosystems' response to an increasing array of disturbances.

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Forest Structural Complexity and Biomass Predict First-Year Carbon Cycling Responses to Disturbance

Cited by 20 publications

References 55 publications

The long‐term impacts of deer herbivory in determining temperate forest stand and canopy structural complexity

The long‐term impacts of deer herbivory in determining temperate forest stand and canopy structural complexity

Disturbance frequency, intensity and forest structure modulate cyclone‐induced changes in mangrove forest canopy cover

A multidimensional stability framework enhances interpretation and comparison of carbon cycling response to disturbance

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