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Journal article
Diversity in Resource Use Strategies Promotes Productivity in Young Planted Tree Species Mixtures
Global change biology, Vol.31(9), e70493
2025
PMID: 41013876
Abstract
Mixed-species forestry is a promising approach to enhance productivity, increase carbon sequestration, and mitigate climate change. Diverse forests, composed of species with varying structures and functional trait profiles, may have higher functional and structural diversity, which are attributes relevant to a number of mechanisms that can influence productivity. However, it remains unclear whether the context-dependent roles of functional identity, functional diversity, and structural diversity can lead to a generalized understanding of tree diversity effects on stand productivity. To address these gaps, we analyzed growth data from 83,600 trees from 89 species across 21 young tree diversity experiments spanning five continents and three biomes. Results revealed a positive saturating relationship between tree species richness and stand productivity, with reduced variability in growth rates among more diverse stands. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that functional diversity mediated the positive effects of species richness on productivity. We additionally report a negative relationship between structural diversity and productivity, which decreased with increasing species richness. When partitioning net diversity effects, we found that selection effects played a dominant role in driving the overall increase in productivity in these predominantly young stands, contributing 77% of the net diversity effect. Selection effects increased with diversity in wood density. Furthermore, acquisitive species with lower wood density and higher leaf nitrogen content had higher productivity in more diverse stands, while conservative species showed neutral to slightly negative responses to species mixing. Together, these results suggest that combining acquisitive with conservative species allows acquisitive species to drive positive selection effects while conservative species tolerate competition. Thus, contrasting resource-use strategies can enhance productivity to optimize mixed-species forestry, with potential for both ecological and economic benefits.
Details
- Title
- Diversity in Resource Use Strategies Promotes Productivity in Young Planted Tree Species Mixtures
- Authors/Creators
- Joel Jensen - Uppsala UniversityHaben Blondeel - Ghent UniversityJoannès Guillemot - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le DéveloppementFlorian Schnabel - University of FreiburgHernán Serrano-León - University of FreiburgHarald Auge - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity ResearchLander Baeten - University College GhentNadia Barsoum - Forest ResearchJürgen Bauhus - University of FreiburgChristel Baum - University of RostockRaimundo Bermudez - University of MinnesotaFriderike Beyer - University of FreiburgPedro Brancalion - re.green, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilJeannine Cavender-Bares - University of MinnesotaNico Eisenhauer - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity ResearchAdam Felton - Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesOlga Ferlian - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity ResearchSebastian Fiedler - University of GöttingenTobias Gebauer - University of FreiburgDouglas L Godbold - BOKU UniversityPeter Hajek - University of FreiburgJefferson S Hall - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteDirk Hölscher - University of GöttingenHervé Jactel - UMR BIOdiversity, GEnes & CommunitiesHolger Kreft - University of GöttingenCathleen Lapadat - University of MinnesotaChloe MacLaren - Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesNicolas Martin-StPaul - Écologie des Forêts MéditerranéennesCéline Meredieu - UMR BIOdiversity, GEnes & CommunitiesSimone Mereu - National Research CouncilChristian Messier - Université du Québec à MontréalRebecca A Montgomery - University of MinnesotaBart Muys - KU LeuvenCharles A Nock - University of AlbertaJohn D Parker - Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterWilliam C Parker - Ontario Forest Research InstituteGustavo B Paterno - University of GöttingenMichael P Perring - UK Centre for Ecology & HydrologyQuentin Ponette - UCLouvainCatherine Potvin - McGill UniversityPeter B Reich - University of MichiganJames Rentch - West Virginia UniversityBoris Rewald - BOKU UniversityAgnès Robin - Universidade de São PauloMichael Scherer-Lorenzen - University of FreiburgHans Sandén - BOKU UniversityKatherine Sinacore - Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteRachel J Standish - Murdoch University, Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and SustainabilityArtur Stefanski - University of MinnesotaKris Verheyen - University College GhentLaura J Williams - Western Sydney UniversityMartin Weih - Uppsala University
- Publication Details
- Global change biology, Vol.31(9), e70493
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Grant note
- 2106014 / NSF Walloon forest service (SPW-DNF) 2021/10573-4 / FAPESP 2044406 / NSF European Social Fund National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) I 5086-B / FWF University of Freiburg, Germany USDA Forest Service 101087262 / European Union's Horizon
- Identifiers
- 991005816848807891
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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