Neighbourhood species richness and drought-tolerance traits modulate tree growth and δ13C responses to drought

F Schnabel, KE Barry, S Eckhardt, J Guillemot, H Geilmann, A Kahl, H Moossen, J Bauhus, C Wirth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Mixed-species forests are promoted as a forest management strategy for climate change adaptation, but whether they are more resistant to drought than monospecific forests remains contested. In particular, the trait-based mechanisms driving the role of tree diversity under drought remain elusive.
Using tree cores from a large-scale biodiversity experiment, we investigated tree growth and physiological stress responses (i.e. increase in wood carbon isotopic ratio; δ13C) to changes in climate-induced water availability (wet to dry years) along gradients in neighbourhood tree species richness and drought-tolerance traits. We hypothesized that neighbourhood species richness increases growth and decreases δ13C and that these relationships are modulated by the abiotic (i.e. climatic conditions) and the biotic context. We characterised the biotic context using drought-tolerance traits of focal trees and their neighbours. These traits are related to cavitation resistance versus resource acquisition and stomatal control.
Tree growth increased with neighbourhood species richness. However, we did not observe a universal relief of water stress in species-rich neighbourhoods. The effects of neighbourhood species richness and climate on growth and δ13C were modulated by the traits of focal trees and the traits of their neighbours. At either end of each drought-tolerance gradient, species responded in opposing directions during dry and wet years.
We show that species' drought-tolerance traits can explain the strength and nature of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in experimental tree communities experiencing drought. Mixing tree species can increase growth but may not universally relieve drought stress.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)330-345
Number of pages16
JournalPlant Biology
Volume26
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Funding

We thank local workers, in particular Mr. Wang and Mr. Shi, for invaluable help in the field, Luise Münsterberg, Paulina Tjandraputri and Lara Schmitt for supporting the sample preparation for the carbon isotope analyses, and Wenzel Kröber and Helge Bruelheide for trait measurements. This research was supported by the International Research Training Group TreeDì funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – 319936945/GRK2324 and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

FundersFunder number
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft319936945/GRK2324
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

    Keywords

    • biodiversity–ecosystem functioning
    • carbon isotopes
    • climate change
    • functional traits
    • mixed-species forest
    • plant–plant interactions
    • tree rings

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