Aims In forests,the herbaceous understory vegetation plays an important role for ecosystem functioning as it represents a significant component of total aboveground productivity.In addition,the herb layer contributes ...Aims In forests,the herbaceous understory vegetation plays an important role for ecosystem functioning as it represents a significant component of total aboveground productivity.In addition,the herb layer contributes to overall forest species richness and controls tree species regeneration.Vice versa,trees in the overstory control understory herb and shrub growth through competition for resources.Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree richness,we asked to which degree tree species richness and identity affect herb layer composition,richness and productivity and how these relationships across strata change with abiotic environmental conditions and competition intensity.Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China(BEF-China),we made use of the integrated BEFmod experiment arranged along a tree species richness gradient at two sites,with additional subplot treatments of phosphorus addition,herb layer weeding and no weeding.We recorded the understory vegetation and determined herb layer biomass production on a total of 201 subplots.Important Findings We found only minor effects of tree layer richness on herb layer species composition and no significant effect on herb layer richness or productivity yet.However,there were strong tree layer identity effects on all response variables,which were partly explained by differences in leaf area index and by a high share of woody species both in total herb layer species richness and biomass.There were strong treatment effects,which were largest in the‘no weeding’treatment but we did not find any treatment×tree layer richness interaction in herb layer responses.Thus,these effects are mainly explained by increased competition intensity within the herb layer in the absence of weeding.Despite the young age of the experiment,the interactions between tree species identity,tree richness and the herb layer did already emerge and can be expected to become stronger with ongoing runtime of the experiment.展开更多
Aims Positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships have been widely reported,predominately from grassland ecosystems.However,this does not necessarily have to apply accordingly in more complex situations s...Aims Positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships have been widely reported,predominately from grassland ecosystems.However,this does not necessarily have to apply accordingly in more complex situations such as in forests across different vertical strata.For instance,overstorey tree species richness has been shown to be associated with a lower understorey productivity.Whether or not tree species richness effects add to understorey productivity by increasing(i.e.due to habitat heterogeneity)or reducing resource availability(i.e.through increasing competition)and whether understorey productivity is indeed being governed more strongly by tree species identity are likely to change over time.Moreover,studies also suggested that richness-productivity relationships change with the environmental context.Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree species richness,this study examined these temporal and environmental dynamics across strata.Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China(BEF-China),we made use of understorey biomass samples repeatedly collected over a time period of 3 years along a tree species richness gradient.The effects of tree species richness,tree species identities and time were studied across different environmental treatments for their impact on understorey biomass.Important Findings While we found significant and consistent tree layer identity effects on understorey biomass,no such effect was encountered for tree species richness.Our results also indicate that among structural layers in forests,there might not be a single,generalizable overstorey species richness-understorey productivity relationship,and that the extent as to which overstorey-related environmental factors such as light transmittance contribute to understorey productivity change with time.Overall,we demonstrate that temporal dynamics should be considered when studying relationship among structural layers in forests.展开更多
基金the coordination team of the BEF-China project for their supportthe support of M.S.G.from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research(iDiv)Halle-Jena-Leipzig funded by the German Research Foundation(FZT 118)+1 种基金the Sino-German Centre for Research Promotion for the participation of M.S.G.in a Summer School in Jingdezhen(GZ 1146)funded by the German Research Foundation(DFG FOR 891/3)with a grant to A.E.(ER 573/1-3).
文摘Aims In forests,the herbaceous understory vegetation plays an important role for ecosystem functioning as it represents a significant component of total aboveground productivity.In addition,the herb layer contributes to overall forest species richness and controls tree species regeneration.Vice versa,trees in the overstory control understory herb and shrub growth through competition for resources.Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree richness,we asked to which degree tree species richness and identity affect herb layer composition,richness and productivity and how these relationships across strata change with abiotic environmental conditions and competition intensity.Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China(BEF-China),we made use of the integrated BEFmod experiment arranged along a tree species richness gradient at two sites,with additional subplot treatments of phosphorus addition,herb layer weeding and no weeding.We recorded the understory vegetation and determined herb layer biomass production on a total of 201 subplots.Important Findings We found only minor effects of tree layer richness on herb layer species composition and no significant effect on herb layer richness or productivity yet.However,there were strong tree layer identity effects on all response variables,which were partly explained by differences in leaf area index and by a high share of woody species both in total herb layer species richness and biomass.There were strong treatment effects,which were largest in the‘no weeding’treatment but we did not find any treatment×tree layer richness interaction in herb layer responses.Thus,these effects are mainly explained by increased competition intensity within the herb layer in the absence of weeding.Despite the young age of the experiment,the interactions between tree species identity,tree richness and the herb layer did already emerge and can be expected to become stronger with ongoing runtime of the experiment.
基金This work was supported by the German Research Foundation(DFG FOR 891/3)with a grant to A.E.(ER 573/1-3).
文摘Aims Positive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships have been widely reported,predominately from grassland ecosystems.However,this does not necessarily have to apply accordingly in more complex situations such as in forests across different vertical strata.For instance,overstorey tree species richness has been shown to be associated with a lower understorey productivity.Whether or not tree species richness effects add to understorey productivity by increasing(i.e.due to habitat heterogeneity)or reducing resource availability(i.e.through increasing competition)and whether understorey productivity is indeed being governed more strongly by tree species identity are likely to change over time.Moreover,studies also suggested that richness-productivity relationships change with the environmental context.Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree species richness,this study examined these temporal and environmental dynamics across strata.Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China(BEF-China),we made use of understorey biomass samples repeatedly collected over a time period of 3 years along a tree species richness gradient.The effects of tree species richness,tree species identities and time were studied across different environmental treatments for their impact on understorey biomass.Important Findings While we found significant and consistent tree layer identity effects on understorey biomass,no such effect was encountered for tree species richness.Our results also indicate that among structural layers in forests,there might not be a single,generalizable overstorey species richness-understorey productivity relationship,and that the extent as to which overstorey-related environmental factors such as light transmittance contribute to understorey productivity change with time.Overall,we demonstrate that temporal dynamics should be considered when studying relationship among structural layers in forests.
