Plant functional traits and environmental conditions shape community assembly and ecosystem functioning during restoration

Zirbel, Chad R.; Bassett, Tyler; Grman, Emily; Brudvig, Lars A.

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12885

Cited by 146 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Soil NH 4 -N played a positive role in the niche differentiation of seed mass along the succession. This is in line with the results from other grassland successional series (Lalibert e et al 2014, Zirbel et al 2017. This mechanism has previously been detected experimentally in Mediterranean shrubland (Walters and Reich 2000), where it was found that interactions among light and available N could influence seed mass and plant growth.…”

Section: Community Assembly Process Based On Fixed Species Mean Traitsupporting

confidence: 91%

The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession

et al. 2019

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2019. The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession.Abstract. Trait-based approaches applied to community assembly have led to a considerable advance in understanding the drivers that underlie community dynamics. However, species respond to environmental conditions based on traits, and the role of intraspecific trait variability (ITV) in community assembly during succession has not been studied in detail. Here, we explored the effects of environmental conditions on plant trait composition and tested the role of ITV on understanding the assembly processes throughout a longterm forest succession on the Loess Plateau of China. Thirty plots were established across six successional stages, and 15 functional traits of 210 species were measured. Rao's quadratic entropy of each community with and without accounting for ITV was calculated and then compared with random expectation to evaluate the community functional structure. A structural equation model was used to determine the effects of soil abiotic factors on community functional structure. Community functional structure based on multiple traits transitioned from a stochastic pattern in the early community to a significantly overdispersed pattern in the latest climax community, mainly driven by the increasing niche differentiation of plant height and seed mass. In contrast, community functional structure for most chemical and structure traits showed a neutral but increasing clustering pattern throughout succession. We found that consideration of intraspecific variability did not result in the misreading of the assembly process along a successional gradient; consideration of intraspecific variability only increased the divergence of traits for the latest climax community. Soil NH 4 -N was an especially important factor that influenced community functional structure and ITV during succession. Our results suggest a change in the dominant assembly mechanism from stochastic to deterministic processes and a strong environmental modification that drives community assembly during a long-term forest succession. Ignoring ITV (except for plant height) may be acceptable in understanding community assembly along a local secondary forest succession in a semiarid ecosystem, such as the Loess Plateau.

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Section: Community Assembly Process Based On Fixed Species Mean Traitsupporting

confidence: 91%

The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession

et al. 2019

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“…Past work in this system found a similar pattern, with environmental conditions often being more strongly correlated with ecosystem functions than communityweighted mean traits (Zirbel et al 2017b). Past work in this system found a similar pattern, with environmental conditions often being more strongly correlated with ecosystem functions than communityweighted mean traits (Zirbel et al 2017b).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Landscape context explains ecosystem multifunctionality in restored grasslands better than plant diversity

Zirbel

Grman

Bassett

et al. 2019

Ecology

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There is strong evidence for a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning at local spatial scales. However, how different aspects of biodiversity relate to multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality) across heterogeneous landscapes, and how the magnitude of biodiversity, dominant species, and environmental effects on functioning compare, remain poorly understood. We compared relationships between plant phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality across 29 restored grasslands. Functional diversity was positively associated with multifunctionality, more strongly than other diversity measures; however, landscape composition explained nearly four times more variation in multifunctionality than did functional diversity, with plots within human-modified landscapes supporting lower multifunctionality. Individual functions were typically more strongly correlated with environmental variables than with diversity. We also found that abundance of the dominant species, Andropogon gerardii, was positively correlated with multifunctionality. Plant diversity, dominant species, and underlying environmental conditions underpin ecosystem multifunctionality in grasslands, but how biodiversity is measured matters for the strength and direction of biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships. Finally, in natural systems environmental variation unrelated to local biodiversity is important for determining ecosystem functioning.

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“…Zirbel et al. () found that in prairie restoration both plant trait composition and environmental conditions predicted ecosystem functioning, with variation in which plant traits affected which functions (Suding et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Groffman and Tiedje , Zirbel et al. ). We predicted denitrification rates to increase in greater soil moisture conditions within gully landscapes (Nyberg ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

et al. 2018

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Forest restoration has potential to recover degraded ecosystem functions in disturbed environments. Decomposition and denitrification are two critical functions involved in forest nutrient cycling that are often compromised in degraded ecosystems. As forest canopy structure develops following initial plantings, it may indirectly impact ecosystem functions by altering abiotic conditions. It is likely, however, that there are other abiotic factors that affect decomposition and denitrification that are unrelated to forest canopy structure. Here, we aimed to determine whether forest canopy openness, topography, and soil sand content would affect litter decomposition and denitrification by regulating the microclimate, the herbaceous plant layer, soil chemistry, and soil moisture. Research occurred in restored native temperate rainforest patches in two New Zealand cities. Urban forests are an excellent context for measuring impact of canopy restoration on ecosystem properties such as microclimate due to the extreme swings in city conditions (e.g., urban heat island). Decomposition rates were determined using leaf litter bags and denitrification rates through denitrification enzyme activity assays. We used structural equation modeling to quantify the direct and indirect drivers of these ecosystem functions. Results indicated that decomposition rates were positively related to soil moisture, relative humidity, and herbaceous plant cover. Interestingly, forest canopy openness indirectly affected decomposition through counteracting forces, meaning greater canopy openness in young forests permitted dense herbaceous plant growth which enhanced decomposition, while less canopy openness in older forests enhanced humidity levels which increased decomposition. Denitrification was negatively related to soil pH and positively related to soil moisture, but these abiotic factors were unrelated to the forest canopy. Discovering drivers of ecosystem functions can improve approaches to the restoration of degraded ecosystems, especially in disturbed urban areas. Identifying counteracting effects on ecosystem functions could improve management by focusing restoration actions on specific drivers to elicit desired changes. Some ecosystem processes, like denitrification, are not affected by forest canopy restoration or management, but are instead driven by edaphic and landscape factors.

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Plant functional traits and environmental conditions shape community assembly and ecosystem functioning during restoration

Cited by 146 publications

References 57 publications

The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession

The role of intraspecific trait variability and soil properties in community assembly during forest secondary succession

Landscape context explains ecosystem multifunctionality in restored grasslands better than plant diversity

Forest canopy restoration has indirect effects on litter decomposition and no effect on denitrification

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