Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Climate Change Could Negate Positive Tree Diversity Effects on Forest Productivity: A Study Across Five Climate Types in Spain and Canada

Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A positive relationship between tree diversity and forest productivity is reported for many forested biomes of the world. However, whether tree diversity is able to increase the stability of forest growth to changes in climate is still an open question. We addressed this question using 36,378 permanent forest plots from National Forest Inventories of Spain and Québec (Eastern Canada), covering five of the most important climate types where forests grow on Earth and a large temperature and precipitation gradient. The plots were used to compute forest productivity (aboveground woody biomass increment) and functional diversity (based on the functional traits of species). Divergence from normal levels of precipitation (dryer or wetter than 30-year means) and temperature (warmer or colder) were computed for each plot from monthly temperature and precipitation means. Other expected drivers of forest growth were also included. Our results show a significant impact of climate divergences on forest productivity, but not always in the expected direction. Furthermore, although functional trait diversity had a general positive impact on forest productivity under normal conditions, this effect was not maintained in stands having suffered from temperature divergence (i.e., warmer conditions). Contrary to our expectations, we found that tree diversity did not result in more stable forest’s growth conditions during changes in climate. These results could have important implications for the future dynamics and management of mixed forests worldwide under climate change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure. 2

References

  • Allen CD, Macalady AK, Chenchouni H, Bachelet D, McDowell N, Vennetier M, Kitzberger T, Rigling A, Breshears DD, Hogg EH, Gonzalez P, Fensham R, Zhang Z, Castro J, Demidova N, Lim J-H, Allard G, Running SW, Semerci A, Cobb N. 2010. A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. For Ecol Manage 259:660–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Archambault C. 2016. Effet de la diversité spécifique et fonctionnelle des arbres sur la densité et profondeur d’enracinement. Sciences biologiques. Montreal: Université du Québec à Montréal. p p87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balvanera P, Siddique I, Dee L, Paquette A, Byrnes J, O’Connor MI, Isbell F, Griffin JN, Hungate B, Gonzalez A, Duffy E. 2014. Linking biodiversity and ecosystem services: current uncertainties and the necessary next step. Bioscience 64:49–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Hur E, Fragman-Sapir O, Hadas R, Singer A, Kadmon R. 2012. Functional trade-offs increase species diversity in experimental plant communities. Ecol Lett 15:1276–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cardinale BJ, Matulich KL, Hooper DU, Byrnes JE, Duffy E, Gamfeldt L, Balvanera P, O’Connor MI, Gonzalez A. 2011. The functional role of producer diversity in ecosystems. Am J Bot 98:572–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chave J, Coomes D, Jansen S, Lewis SL, Swenson NG, Zanne AE. 2009. Towards a worldwide wood economics spectrum. Ecol Lett 12:351–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Choat B, Jansen S, Brodribb TJ, Cochard H, Delzon S, Bhaskar R, Bucci SJ, Feild TS, Gleason SM, Hacke UG, Jacobsen AL, Lens F, Maherali H, Martinez-Vilalta J, Mayr S, Mencuccini M, Mitchell PJ, Nardini A, Pittermann J, Pratt RB, Sperry JS, Westoby M, Wright IJ, Zanne AE. 2012. Global convergence in the vulnerability of forests to drought. Nature 491:752–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz S, Hodgson JG, Thompson K, Cabido M, Cornelissen JHC, Jalili A, Montserrat-Martí G, Grime JP, Zarrinkamar F, Asri Y, Band SR, Castro-Díez P, Funes G, Hamzehee B, Khoshnevi M, Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Pérez-Rontomé MC, Shirvany FA, Vendramini F, Yazdani S, Abbas-Azimi R, Bogaard A, Boustani S, Charles M, Dehghan M, de Torres-Espuny L, Falczuk V, Guerrero-Campo J, Hynd A, Jones G, Kowsary E, Kazemi-Saeed F, Maestro-Martínez M, Romo-Díez A, Shaw S, Siavash B, Villar-Salvador P, Zak MR. 2004. The plant traits that drive ecosystems: evidence from three continents. J Veg Sci 15:295–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duchesne L, Ouimet R. 2008. Population dynamics of tree species in southern Quebec, Canada: 1970–2005. For Ecol Manag 255:3001–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forrester DI, Kohnle U, Albrecht AT, Bauhus J. 2013. Complementarity in mixed-species stands of Abies alba and Picea abies varies with climate, site quality and stand density. For Ecol Manag 304:233–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gamfeldt L, Snall T, Bagchi R, Jonsson M, Gustafsson L, Kjellander P, Ruiz-Jaen MC, Froberg M, Stendahl J, Philipson CD, Mikusinski G, Andersson E, Westerlund B, Andren H, Moberg F, Moen J, Bengtsson J. 2013. Higher levels of multiple ecosystem services are found in forests with more tree species. Nat Commun 4:1340.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gracia C, Burriel JA, Ibàñez JJ, Mata T, Vayreda J. 2004. Inventari Ecològic i Forestal de Catalunya. Mètodes. Bellaterra: CREAF. p 112p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimm NB, Chapin FS, Bierwagen B, Gonzalez P, Groffman PM, Luo Y, Melton F, Nadelhoffer K, Pairis A, Raymond PA, Schimel J, Williamson CE. 2013. The impacts of climate change on ecosystem structure and function. Front Ecol Environ 11:474–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossiord C, Granier A, Gessler A, Jucker T, Bonal D. 2014a. Does drought influence the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in boreal forests? Ecosystems 17:394–404.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grossiord C, Granier A, Gessler A, Pollastrini M, Bonal D. 2013. The influence of tree species mixture on ecosystem-level carbon accumulation and water use in a mixed boreal plantation. For Ecol Manag 298:82–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossiord C, Granier A, Ratcliffe S, Bouriaud O, Bruelheide H, Chećko E, Forrester DI, Dawud SM, Finér L, Pollastrini M, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Valladares F, Bonal D, Gessler A. 2014b. Tree diversity does not always improve resistance of forest ecosystems to drought. Proc Natl Acad Sci 111:14812–15.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heiberger RM, Holland B. 2015. Statistical analysis and data display: an intermediate course with examples in R. Berlin: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hooper DU, Chapin FSIII, Ewel JJ, Hector A, Inchausti P, Lavorel S, Lawton JH, Lodge DM, Loreau M, Naeem S, Schmid B, Setälä H, Symstad AJ, Vandermeer J, Wardle DA. 2005. Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge. Ecol Monogr 75:3–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isbell F, Craven D, Connolly J, Loreau M, Schmid B, Beierkuhnlein C, Bezemer TM, Bonin C, Bruelheide H, de Luca E, Ebeling A, Griffin JN, Guo Q, Hautier Y, Hector A, Jentsch A, Kreyling J, Lanta V, Manning P, Meyer ST, Mori AS, Naeem S, Niklaus PA, Polley HW, Reich PB, Roscher C, Seabloom EW, Smith MD, Thakur MP, Tilman D, Tracy BF, van der Putten WH, van Ruijven J, Weigelt A, Weisser WW, Wilsey B, Eisenhauer N. 2015. Biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystem productivity to climate extremes. Nature 526:574–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jucker T, Bouriaud O, Avacaritei D, Dănilă I, Duduman G, Valladares F, Coomes DA. 2014. Competition for light and water play contrasting roles in driving diversity–productivity relationships in Iberian forests. J Ecol 102:1202–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kottek M, Grieser J, Beck C, Rudolf B, Rubel F. 2006. World map of the Koppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorol Z 15:259–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunert N, Schwendenmann L, Potvin C, Hölscher D. 2012. Tree diversity enhances tree transpiration in a Panamanian forest plantation. J Appl Ecol 49:135–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunstler G, Falster D, Coomes DA, Hui F, Kooyman RM, Laughlin DC, Poorter L, Vanderwel M, Vieilledent G, Wright SJ, Aiba M, Baraloto C, Caspersen J, Cornelissen JHC, Gourlet-Fleury S, Hanewinkel M, Herault B, Kattge J, Kurokawa H, Onoda Y, Peñuelas J, Poorter H, Uriarte M, Richardson S, Ruiz-Benito P, Sun IF, Ståhl G, Swenson NG, Thompson J, Westerlund B, Wirth C, Zavala MA, Zeng H, Zimmerman JK, Zimmermann NE, Westoby M. 2016. Plant functional traits have globally consistent effects on competition. Nature 529:204–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laliberté E, Legendre P. 2010. A distance-based framework for measuring functional diversity from multiple traits. Ecology 91:299–305.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert MC, Ung CH, Raulier F. 2005. Canadian national tree aboveground biomass equations. Can J For Res 35:1996–2018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavorel S, Grigulis K, McIntyre S, Williams NSG, Garden D, Dorrough J, Berman S, Quétier F, Thébault A, Bonis A. 2008. Assessing functional diversity in the field—methodology matters!. Funct Ecol 22:134–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lebourgeois F, Gomez N, Pinto P, Mérian P. 2013. Mixed stands reduce Abies alba tree-ring sensitivity to summer drought in the Vosges mountains, western Europe. For Ecol Manag 303:61–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei X, Wang W, Peng C. 2009. Relationships between stand growth and structural diversity in spruce-dominated forests in New Brunswick, Canada. Can J For Res 39:1835–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liang J, Crowther TW, Picard N, Wiser S, Zhou M, Alberti G, Schulze E-D, McGuire AD, Bozzato F, Pretzsch H, de-Miguel S, Paquette A, Hérault B, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Barrett CB, Glick HB, Hengeveld GM, Nabuurs G-J, Pfautsch S, Viana H, Vibrans AC, Ammer C, Schall P, Verbyla D, Tchebakova N, Fischer M, Watson JV, Chen HYH, Lei X, Schelhaas M-J, Lu H, Gianelle D, Parfenova EI, Salas C, Lee E, Lee B, Kim HS, Bruelheide H, Coomes DA, Piotto D, Sunderland T, Schmid B, Gourlet-Fleury S, Sonké B, Tavani R, Zhu J, Brandl S, Vayreda J, Kitahara F, Searle EB, Neldner VJ, Ngugi MR, Baraloto C, Frizzera L, Bałazy R, Oleksyn J, Zawiła-Niedźwiecki T, Bouriaud O, Bussotti F, Finér L, Jaroszewicz B, Jucker T, Valladares F, Jagodzinski AM, Peri PL, Gonmadje C, Marthy W, O’Brien T, Martin EH, Marshall AR, Rovero F, Bitariho R, Niklaus PA, Alvarez-Loayza P, Chamuya N, Valencia R, Mortier F, Wortel V, Engone-Obiang NL, Ferreira LV, Odeke DE, Vasquez RM, Lewis SL, Reich PB. 2016. Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests. Science 354:aaf8957.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loreau M, de Mazancourt C. 2013. Biodiversity and ecosystem stability: a synthesis of underlying mechanisms. Ecol Lett 16:106–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. 2007. Tercer inventario forestal nacional. Madrid: Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokany K, Ash J, Roxburgh S. 2008. Functional identity is more important than diversity in influencing ecosystem processes in a temperate native grassland. J Ecol 96:884–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montero G, Ruíz-Peinado R, Muñoz M. 2005. Producción de biomasa y fijación de CO2 por los bosques españoles. Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaría (INIA). p 270p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paquette A, Joly S, Messier C. 2015. Explaining forest productivity using tree functional traits and phylogenetic information: two sides of the same coin over evolutionary scale? Ecol Evol 5:1774–83.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Paquette A, Messier C. 2011. The effect of biodiversity on tree productivity: from temperate to boreal forests. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 20:170–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng C, Ma Z, Lei X, Zhu Q, Chen H, Wang W, Liu S, Li W, Fang X, Zhou X. 2011. A drought-induced pervasive increase in tree mortality across Canada’s boreal forests. Nature Clim Change 1:167–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pretzsch H, del Río M, Ammer C, Avdagic A, Barbeito I, Bielak K, Brazaitis G, Coll L, Dirnberger G, Drössler L, Fabrika M, Forrester DI, Godvod K, Heym M, Hurt V, Kurylyak V, Löf M, Lombardi F, Matović B, Mohren F, Motta R, den Ouden J, Pach M, Ponette Q, Schütze G, Schweig J, Skrzyszewski J, Sramek V, Sterba H, Stojanović D, Svoboda M, Vanhellemont M, Verheyen K, Wellhausen K, Zlatanov T, Bravo-Oviedo A. 2015. Growth and yield of mixed versus pure stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) analysed along a productivity gradient through Europe. Eur J For Res 134:927–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team. 2015. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich PB. 2014. The world-wide ‘fast–slow’ plant economics spectrum: a traits manifesto. J Ecol 102:275–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reich PB, Knops J, Tilman D, Craine J, Ellsworth D, Tjoelker M, Lee T, Wedin D, Naeem S, Bahauddin D. 2001. Plant diversity enhances ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition. Nature 410:809–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reiss J, Bridle JR, Montoya JM, Woodward G. 2009. Emerging horizons in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning research. Trends Ecol Evol 24:505–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roscher C, Schumacher J, Gubsch M, Lipowsky A, Weigelt A, Buchmann N, Schmid B, Schulze E-D. 2012. Using plant functional traits to explain diversity-productivity relationships. PLoS ONE 7:e36760.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz-Benito P, Gómez-Aparicio L, Paquette A, Messier C, Kattge J, Zavala MA. 2014. Diversity increases carbon storage and tree productivity in Spanish forests. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 23:311–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sapijanskas J, Paquette A, Potvin C, Kunert N, Loreau M. 2014. Tropical tree diversity enhances light capture through crown plasticity and spatial and temporal niche differences. Ecology 95:2479–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shipley B, Vile D, Garnier É. 2006. From plant traits to plant communities: a statistical mechanistic approach to biodiversity. Science 314:812–15.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swenson NG, Enquist BJ. 2007. Ecological and evolutionary determinants of a key plant functional trait: wood density and its community-wide variation across latitude and elevation. Am J Bot 94:451–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Symstad AJ, Chapin FSIII, Wall DH, Gross KL, Huenneke LF, Mittelbach GG, Peters DPC, Tilman D. 2003. Long-term and large-scale perspectives on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Bioscience 53:89–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut LM, Connolly SR. 2012. Understanding diversity–stability relationships: towards a unified model of portfolio effects. Ecol Lett 16(2):140–50.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thom D, Seidl R. 2016. Natural disturbance impacts on ecosystem services and biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests. Biol Rev 91:760–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tobner CM, Paquette A, Gravel D, Reich PB, Williams LJ, Messier C. 2016. Functional identity is the main driver of diversity effects in young tree communities. Ecol Lett 19:638–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tobner CM, Paquette A, Reich PB, Gravel D, Messier C. 2014. Advancing biodiversity—ecosystem functioning science with the use of high-density tree-based experiments. Oecologia 174:609–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vayreda J, Martinez-Vilalta J, Gracia M, Retana J. 2012. Recent climate changes interact with stand structure and management to determine changes in tree carbon stocks in Spanish forests. Glob Change Biol 18:1028–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venables WN, Ripley BD. 2013. Modern applied statistics with S-PLUS. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vilà M, Carrillo-Gavilán A, Vayreda J, Bugmann H, Fridman J, Grodzki W, Haase J, Kunstler G, Schelhaas M, Trasobares A. 2013. Disentangling biodiversity and climatic determinants of wood production. PLoS ONE 8:e53530.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vilà M, Vayreda J, Comas L, Ibáñez JJ, Mata T, Obón B. 2007. Species richness and wood production: a positive association in Mediterranean forests. Ecol Lett 10:241–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Violle C, Navas ML, Vile D, Kazakou E, Fortunel C, Hummel I, Garnier E. 2007. Let the concept of trait be functional!!. Oikos 116:882.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willmott CJ, Matsuura K. 2001. Terrestrial air temperature and precipitation: monthly and annual time series (1950–1999). Center for Climatic Research, University of Delaware. http://climate.geog.udel.edu/~climate/html_pages/README.ghcn_ts2.html.

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the NEWFORESTS program, the project EST_RES (AGL2015-629 70425-R) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the NSERC/Hydro-Québec Chair in controlling tree growth. We wish to thank the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec (Canada) and the Spanish National Forest Inventory for providing the data from permanent forest plots.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alain Paquette.

Additional information

Author Contributions

All authors participated in the study design and initial ideas; data were gathered by JV and AP; analyses were led by JV, the writing by AP, and assisted by all others.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Paquette, A., Vayreda, J., Coll, L. et al. Climate Change Could Negate Positive Tree Diversity Effects on Forest Productivity: A Study Across Five Climate Types in Spain and Canada. Ecosystems 21, 960–970 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0196-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0196-y

Keywords

Navigation