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Tree diversity mitigates defoliation after a drought-induced tipping point
Rita Sousa-Silva1, Kris Verheyen2, Quentin Ponette3
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Global Change Biology
|May 27, 2018
Summary
Forest species richness increasingly benefits forest health under drought stress, shifting from competition to facilitation. Diverse forests show greater resilience to climate change impacts.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Forest Science
- Climate Change Biology
Background:
- Forest vitality monitoring in Europe began in the 1980s due to acid rain concerns.
- ICP Forests intensive monitoring plots track air pollution and climate change effects on forests.
- Long-term data on crown defoliation since 1990 are available from over 100 plots.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between tree species richness and forest health under drought stress.
- Identify shifts in species interactions (competition vs. facilitation) related to biodiversity.
- Assess the role of species diversity in enhancing forest resilience to climate change.
Main Methods:
- Utilized long-term forest vitality data from over 100 ICP Forests monitoring plots.
- Analyzed crown defoliation assessments conducted extensively since 1990.
- Examined the temporal shift in the effect of species richness on forest health, particularly under increasing drought stress.
Main Results:
- A progressive shift was observed from a negative to a positive effect of species richness on forest health.
- A tipping point was identified where net species interactions shifted from competition to facilitation.
- Higher species diversity was found to reduce the severity of defoliation over the long term.
Conclusions:
- Diverse forests demonstrate greater resilience to climate change-induced stress, including drought.
- Tree species mixtures offer significant potential for facing multiple disturbances in a changing global environment.
- The findings highlight the importance of biodiversity for maintaining forest health and function.
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