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Taxonomic and structural diversity indices predict soil carbon storage better than functional diversity indices along a dieback intensity gradient in semi-arid oak forests

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The use of structural diversity indices can be efficient tools to increase understanding of changes in soil carbon storage as a key ecosystem function along the oak dieback intensity.

Abstract

Investigating the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions within the mass‐ratio and niche complementary hypotheses is still a challenging issue in terrestrial ecology. These relationships have not been studied along a dieback gradient of disturbance in semi-arid forest ecosystems. To fill this gap, we investigated the relationships between a main ecosystem function -soil carbon storage- and various diversity indices along a dieback intensity gradient (no, low, moderate or high dieback intensity) in protected or intensively managed mixed oak forests in western Iran. We used different diversity approaches and calculated the functional divergence index (FDvar), community weighted mean trait values; CWM, taxonomic diversity indices (richness, Shannon–Wiener diversity and evenness) and structural diversity indices (MI: mingling index, HD: height differentiation, DD: diameter differentiation). Soil carbon storage was significantly influenced by the type of management, the intensity of dieback and their interactions and was higher in the protected areas (95.90 ± 4.62 ton ha−1) than in the intensively managed areas (76.52 ± 2.04 ton ha−1). It showed a humped-shaped pattern along the dieback intensity gradient in the protected areas, as it peaked at the low dieback intensity (122.47 ± 10.12 ton ha-1), indicating that soil function was maximized at a low disturbance level. Soil carbon storage was positively and significantly correlated with all structural and taxonomic diversity indices, except for evenness, but negatively with most functional composition indices (CWM of LNC: leaf nitrogen concentration, H: mean of woody species height and LDMC: leaf dry-matter content). It was best predicted by a structural index (Mingling index: R2 = 0.214) followed by a taxonomic index (species richness, R2 = 0.173) and a CWM index (CWM LDMC, R2 = 0.158). Our results emphasize the role played by the diversity indices to predict ecosystem functions in contrasted management conditions and along a dieback gradient. They also provide evidence to support both the mass‐ratio and niche complementary hypotheses.

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Acknowledgements

This research has been carried out using the proposal approved by the Vice chancellor for Research & Technology of Islamic Azad University, Chalus Branch and research core of Ilam University managed by Dr. Mehdi Heydari.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry, Chalous Branch, , Islamic Azad University, Chalous, Iran

    Mona Karami, Ali Sheykholeslami & Majid Eshagh Nimvari

  2. Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

    Mehdi Heydari

  3. Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

    Reza Omidipour

  4. UMR RECOVER, Mediterranean Ecosystems and Risks, INRAE, Aix Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Bernard Prevosto

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  1. Mona Karami
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  2. Ali Sheykholeslami
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  3. Mehdi Heydari
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  5. Reza Omidipour
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Correspondence to Mehdi Heydari.

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Appendix

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Fig. 5
figure 5

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) ordination diagrams showing distribution of the plots along the first two axes when using only one diversity approach; functional divergence (a), functional composition (b), taxonomic diversity indices (c) and structural indices (d). CWM community weighted mean, Fdvar functional divergence, LPC leaf phosphorus concentration, LNC leaf nitrogen concentration, H mean of woody species height, LDMC leaf dry-matter content, SLA specific leaf area, WD wood density, MI mingling index, HDif height differentiation, Ddif diameter differentiation, S Richness, H′ Shannon–Wiener index, E evenness. Plots are identified by two letters, the first letter refers to the dieback intensity class (L, M, H, C) i.e. low, medium, high or control (no dieback), while the second letter refers (D and P) to the degraded or protected area. Blank and solid symbols indicate degraded and protected areas, respectively

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Karami, M., Sheykholeslami, A., Heydari, M. et al. Taxonomic and structural diversity indices predict soil carbon storage better than functional diversity indices along a dieback intensity gradient in semi-arid oak forests. Trees 36, 537–551 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-021-02227-3

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