Early overyielding in a mixed deciduous forest is driven by both above- and below-ground species-specific...

Mixed forest plantations are increasingly recognized for their role in mitigating the impacts of climate change and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Yet, there remains a significant gap in understanding the early-stage dynamics of species trait diversity and interspecies interactions, particularly in pure deciduous mixtures. This study aims to explore the timing and mechanisms by which trait diversity of deciduous species and competitive interactions influence yield, carbon allocation and space occupation in mixed forests, both above and below ground.

A forest inventory was conducted in planted monocultures, two-species and four-species mixtures of European Acer, Tilia, Carpinus and Quercus, representing a spectrum from acquisitive to conservative tree species. Effects of competition were assessed with linear mixed-effects models at the level of biomass and space acquisition, including leaf, canopy, stem and fine root traits.

Early above-ground growth effects were observed 6 years post-planting, with significant biomass accumulation after 8 years, strongly influenced by species composition. Mixtures, especially with acquisitive species, exhibited above-ground overyielding, 1.5-1.9 times higher than monocultures. Fine roots showed substantial overyielding in high-diversity stands. Biomass allocation was species specific and varied markedly by tree size and the level of diversity and between acquisitive Acer and the more conservative species. No root segregation was found.

Our findings underscore the crucial role of species trait diversity in enhancing productivity in mixed deciduous forest plantations. Allometric changes highlight the need to differentiate between (active) acclimatizations and (passive) tree size-related changes, but illustrate major consequences of competitive interactions for the functional relationship between leaves, stem and roots. This study points towards the significant contributions of both above- and below-ground components to overall productivity of planted mixed-species forests.