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Updated: May 7, 2026
11:09
Relating Stomatal Conductance to Leaf Functional Traits
Published on: October 12, 2015
Functional traits reveal processes driving natural afforestation at large spatial scales
Norman W H Mason1, Susan K Wiser, Sarah J Richardson
1Landcare Research, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Plos One
|September 24, 2013
Summary
Understanding natural afforestation is key for carbon sequestration. Plant functional traits reveal environmental and land cover factors limiting tree establishment in non-forest areas, particularly temperature and woody cover.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forestry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Natural afforestation is crucial for enhancing forest carbon sequestration.
- Understanding factors influencing tree establishment in non-forest areas is vital for predicting forest expansion.
- Plant functional traits offer insights into ecological processes driving afforestation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key environmental and land cover variables influencing tree occurrence in non-forest vegetation.
- To examine how these variables affect the diversity of plant functional traits related to ecological strategy and dispersal.
- To infer the processes governing natural afforestation using trait-based approaches.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 10,061 survey plots in New Zealand to analyze tree occurrence probability.
- Assessed relationships between environmental (temperature) and land cover (woody cover, distance to forest) variables.
- Investigated functional trait diversity (ecological strategy, dispersal ability) in relation to these variables.
Main Results:
- Mean annual temperature, local woody cover, and distance to forest were primary predictors of tree occurrence.
- A trade-off was observed between light competition and colonization ability for ecological strategy traits.
- Biotic dispersal did not enhance colonization of non-woody vegetation under abiotic stress.
Conclusions:
- Environmental and land cover factors filter tree species establishment based on ecological strategy traits.
- Low temperatures, woody cover, and distance to forest limit tree establishment, but not through dispersal traits.
- Snapshot survey plot and functional trait data can reveal large-scale afforestation processes.
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