Historic Land Use Modifies Impacts of Climate and Isolation in Rear Edge European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Forestry
• Climate Change Science

Background:

• Human land use legacies can influence species' responses to climate change.
• Rear-edge populations are crucial for species' long-term persistence but are often vulnerable.
• Few studies explore the combined effects of land use legacies and climate on tree demography.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how human land use legacies affect demographic responses to climate and isolation in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) rear-edge populations.
• To analyze interactions between land use, climate, and population isolation on key demographic rates.
• To understand the implications for future population dynamics and species persistence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Spanish Forest Inventory.
• Applied generalized linear mixed models to assess interactions.
• Examined four demographic rates: growth, survival, new adult recruitment, and sapling recruitment.

Main Results:

• Demographic rates were significantly affected by the interplay of land use legacies, climate, and population isolation.
• Intense historical management exacerbated negative relationships between demography and climate or isolation.
• Intense management reduced demographic performance even in favorable climates.

Conclusions:

• Human land use legacies, particularly intense historical management, negatively impact European beech demography at rear edges.
• These impacts can compromise future carbon stocks and long-term population viability.
• Disentangling human and environmental factors is essential for understanding demographic heterogeneity and predicting species responses to climate change.