Spatial complementarity in tree crowns explains overyielding in species mixtures

Williams, Laura; Paquette, Alain; Cavender‐Bares, Jeannine; Messier, Christian; Reich, Peter B.

doi:10.1038/s41559-016-0063

Cited by 337 publications

(383 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

327

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This applies to mixed-species stands where inter-and intra-specific interactions may increase structural hetero geneity (Pretzsch, 2014). Interspecific differences in morphological and physiological traits among coexisting species may enhance complementary mechanisms, such as the filling of canopy space, accumulating leaf area index (LAI), light capture and light use efficiency, all of which can contribute to explaining greater productivity in more diverse forests (Jucker et al, 2015;Larocque et al, 2013;Pretzsch, 2014;Toïgo et al, 2017;Williams et al, 2017). Recent studies have also uncovered evidence that intraspecific differences in allometric scaling of tree crowns in mixed stands were dependent on the competitive environment and competitive species composition in the stand (Forrester et al, 2017b;Pretzsch, 2014), which are directly related to canopy structure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in structural heterogeneity and stand productivity by mixing Scots pine and Maritime pine

Riofrío

Rı́o

Pretzsch

et al. 2017

Forest Ecology and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mixed-species stands have been studied extensively due to their potentially superior productivity, multi-functionality benefits and high ecological value compared to pure stands. The higher structural heterogeneity in mixed stands that can emerge from species interactions could be linked to the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functions. We tested whether changes in stand structure also occur in mixtures of species with similar traits and whether they explain over-yielding patterns. Based on research with 12 triplets of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) in the northern Iberian Peninsula (Spain), we provide evidence that species mixing increased structural heterogeneity and may induce over-yielding in mixed-species stands compared to monospecific stands. In this mixture of two light-demanding species, we observed that (i) stand composition influenced the inter-specific crown allometric variation, (ii) structural heterogeneity in mixed stands was caused by both specie-specific traits and species interactions, and (iii) intraspecific and interspecific differences in both crown size plasticity and size-distribution differentiation were associated with the increased relative productivity of mixed stands. We detected that crown complementarity and vertical stratification in the canopy space is a crucial mechanism for enhancing ecosystem productivity in light-demanding species and could be related to light interception and light-use. This work improves our understanding of emerging properties in mixed stands and introduces considerations for properly scaling and tracing mixing effects at individual tree, size distribution and stand levels.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in structural heterogeneity and stand productivity by mixing Scots pine and Maritime pine

Riofrío

Rı́o

Pretzsch

et al. 2017

Forest Ecology and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, such studies with multitemporal point cloud data analyses are rare, mainly focusing on standard tree dendrometrics or wood volume estimations (Liang et al., 2012; Srinivasan et al., 2014). Our new method is, thus, a very promising approach which should lead to important advances in several aspects of forest ecological research, such as investigations on crown growth, morphology and plasticity (Longuetaud, Piboule, Wernsdörfer, & Collet, 2013; Schröter, Härdtle, & von Oheimb, 2012), canopy structures and canopy packing (Jucker, Bouriaud, Coomes, & Baltzer, 2015; Morin, 2015; Pretzsch, 2014), crown‐related tree interactions and competition (Fichtner, Sturm, Rickert, von Oheimb, & Härdtle, 2013; Lang et al., 2012; Potvin & Dutilleul, 2009; Thorpe, Astrup, Trowbridge, & Coates, 2010), and niche differentiation and spatial complementarity (Ishii & Asano, 2010; Sapijanskas, Paquette, Potvin, Kunert, & Loreau, 2014; Williams, Paquette, Cavender‐Bares, Messier, & Reich, 2017), including changes over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A high‐resolution approach for the spatiotemporal analysis of forest canopy space using terrestrial laser scanning data

Hess

Härdtle

Kunz

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Forest canopies and tree crown structures are of high ecological importance. Measuring canopies and crowns by direct inventory methods is time‐consuming and of limited accuracy. High‐resolution inventory tools, in particular terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), is able to overcome these limitations and obtain three‐dimensional (3D) structural information about the canopy with a very high level of detail. The main objective of this study was to introduce a novel method to analyze spatiotemporal dynamics in canopy occupancy at the individual tree and local neighborhood level using high‐resolution 3D TLS data. For the analyses, a voxel grid approach was applied. The tree crowns were modeled through the combination of two approaches: the encasement of all crown points with a 3D α‐shape, which was then converted into a voxel grid, and the direct voxelization of the crown points. We show that canopy occupancy at individual tree level can be quantified as the crown volume occupied only by the respective tree or shared with neighboring trees. At the local neighborhood level, our method enables the precise determination of the extent of canopy space filling, the identification of tree–tree interactions, and the analysis of complementary space use. Using multitemporal TLS data recordings, this method allows the precise detection and quantification of changes in canopy occupancy through time. The method is applicable to a wide range of investigations in forest ecology research, including the study of tree diversity effects on forest productivity or growing space analyses for optimal tree growth. Due to the high accuracy of this novel method, it facilitates the precise analyses even of highly plastic individual tree crowns and, thus, the realistic representation of forest canopies. Moreover, our voxel grid framework is flexible enough to allow for the inclusion of further biotic and abiotic variables relevant to complex analyses of forest canopy dynamics.

show abstract

“…The presence of overtopping deciduous competition could also lead to a complementary use of resources [62]. For example, spatial complementarity in tree crowns between cedar and its competitors could optimize light-use efficiency at the stand level and even lead to stem biomass overyielding [63]. Avoiding cedar plantations contiguous to forests providing good winter cover could also contribute to a decreased likelihood of browsing, as could avoiding brushing operations to leave a barrier in the form of competitor species.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Northern White-Cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) Plantations within and outside Deer Yards

Villemaire-Côté

Ruel

Sirois

2017

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:Regional surveys done over the last decades show a clear decline in abundance of Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) throughout its range. A lack of seed trees, difficulties in the establishment of natural regeneration and high browsing pressure caused by increasing deer populations have been identified as plausible causes. Current silvicultural strategies for cedar restoration recommend partial cutting to promote and release natural regeneration, but there is also a need to restore the species in areas where it became absent. Yet, little attention has been given to cedar plantations. This study provides a first characterisation of the effects of competition, silvicultural treatments and deer, moose and hare browsing on planted cedar growth, survival, and stem form. Pure and mixed cedar plantations aged 5-27 years located in Eastern Québec were sampled. Both inside and outside deer yards, planted cedars showed high survival rates and were generally subject to low browsing pressure, but 45% were forked. Cedars showed high growth rates and strong reaction to stand opening. Results suggest that at reduced competition levels, a 9-year browser exclusion could be sufficient to establish safe-from-browsing cedar stands of >3 m in height.

show abstract

Spatial complementarity in tree crowns explains overyielding in species mixtures

Cited by 337 publications

References 56 publications

Changes in structural heterogeneity and stand productivity by mixing Scots pine and Maritime pine

Changes in structural heterogeneity and stand productivity by mixing Scots pine and Maritime pine

A high‐resolution approach for the spatiotemporal analysis of forest canopy space using terrestrial laser scanning data

Development of Northern White-Cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) Plantations within and outside Deer Yards

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About