Reassembly of a tropical rainforest: A new chronosequence in the Chocó tested with the recovery of tree attributes

Ecosphere, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Abstract From hunting and foraging to clearing land for agriculture, humans modify forest biodiversity, landscapes, climate. Forests constantly undergo disturbance–recovery dynamics, understanding them is a major objective of ecologists conservationists. Chronosequences are useful tool global restoration efforts. They represent space‐for‐time substitution approach suited the quantification resistance ecosystem properties withstand disturbance resilience these until reaching pre‐disturbance levels. Here, we introduce newly established chronosequence with 62 plots in active cacao plantations pastures, early late regeneration, old‐growth forests extremely wet Chocó rainforest. Plots were located across 200‐km 2 area, total area 95 km within 1‐km radius. Our covers largest compared others Neotropics 15.5 ha. ranged from 159 615 m above sea level forested landscape 74% ± 2.8% cover radius including substantial cover. Land‐use legacy regeneration time not confounded by elevation. We tested how six structure variables (maximum tree height dbh, basal number stems, vertical vegetation heterogeneity, light availability), aboveground biomass (AGB), rarefied species richness change along our chronosequence. Forest variables, AGB, increased predicted reach similar levels those forests. Compared previous work Neotropics, Canandé accumulate high AGB that takes one spans reported recovery. comprises pools, regenerating forests, has higher than other Neotropical chronosequences. Hence, can be used determine recovery stability (resistance resilience) different taxa functions, interaction networks. This integrative effort will ultimately help understand most diverse on planet recovers large‐scale disturbances.

Language: Английский

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Energy flux across multitrophic levels drives ecosystem multifunctionality: Evidence from nematode food webs

Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 169, P. 108656 - 108656

Published: April 6, 2022

Language: Английский

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Spatial asynchrony matters more than alpha stability in stabilizing ecosystem productivity in a large temperate forest region

Global Ecology and Biogeography, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 31(6), P. 1133 - 1146

Published: March 13, 2022

Abstract Aim Understanding the biodiversity–stability relationship has become a central issue in ecology and conservation biology. Although stabilizing effects of tree species diversity on ecosystem productivity are well recorded small local communities, they remain poorly understood across scales (from to larger spatial scales). This study evaluates from large temperate forest region, considering range environmental conditions heterogeneity. Location North‐eastern China ( c . 700,000 km 2 ). Time period 2005–2017. Major taxa studied Woody plants. Methods We define stability as temporal invariability biomass productivity. Regional metacommunities representing were developed by aggregating multiple sets field plots. Simple regression analysis was used test relationships metacommunities. Piecewise structural equation modelling then disentangle abiotic variables at scales. Multiple mixed‐effects models determine relative contribution individual predictive Results found that (alpha diversity) positively related communities stability), whereas turnover space (beta asynchronous dynamics among (spatial asynchrony), regardless whether factors considered or not. also heterogeneity affected The effect asynchrony gamma greater than alpha stability. Main conclusions Our results imply is key maintaining within region. suggest diverse forests heterogeneous landscapes should be sustained buffer negative climate change degradation.

Language: Английский

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Environmental heterogeneity modulates the effect of plant diversity on the spatial variability of grassland biomass

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: March 31, 2023

Abstract Plant productivity varies due to environmental heterogeneity, and theory suggests that plant diversity can reduce this variation. While there is strong evidence of effects on temporal variability productivity, whether mechanism extends across space remains elusive. Here we determine the relationship between spatial in 83 grasslands, quantify effect experimentally increased heterogeneity conditions relationship. We found communities with higher species richness (alpha gamma diversity) have lower as reduced abundance some be compensated for by other species. In contrast, high dissimilarity among local (beta positively associated suggesting changes composition scale up affect productivity. Experimentally weakens alpha diversity, reveals beta simultaneously decrease increase Our findings unveil generality diversity-stability space, suggest biotic homogenization reliability key ecosystem functions.

Language: Английский

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Universal scaling of robustness of ecosystem services to species loss

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Aug. 27, 2021

Abstract Ensuring reliable supply of services from nature is key to the sustainable development and well-being human societies. Varied frequently complex relationships between biodiversity ecosystem have, however, frustrated our capacity quantify predict vulnerability those species extinctions. Here, we use a qualitative Boolean modelling framework identify universal drivers robustness service loss. These comprise simple features networks that link functions they perform that, in turn, underpin service. Together, define what call network fragility. Using data >250 real ecological representing such as pollination seed-dispersal, demonstrate fragility predicts remarkably well empirical services. We then show how contributions individual robustness, enabling quantification scales Our findings provide general insights into way species, functional traits, links them together determine

Language: Английский

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Nutrients and herbivores impact grassland stability across spatial scales through different pathways

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 28(8), P. 2678 - 2688

Published: Jan. 18, 2022

Nutrients and herbivores are well-known drivers of grassland diversity stability in local communities. However, whether they interact to impact the aboveground biomass these effects depend on spatial scales remain unknown. It is also unclear nutrients via different facets plant including species richness, evenness, changes community composition through time space. We used a replicated experiment adding excluding for 5 years 34 global grasslands explore questions. found that both nutrient addition herbivore exclusion alone reduced at larger scale (aggregated communities; gamma stability), but pathways. Nutrient primarily by increasing over time, which was mainly driven replacement. Herbivore decreasing asynchronous dynamics among communities (spatial asynchrony). Their interaction weakly increased asynchrony. Our findings indicate disentangling processes operating may improve conservation management aiming maintaining ability ecosystems reliably provide functions services humanity.

Language: Английский

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How to measure response diversity

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(5), P. 1150 - 1167

Published: March 21, 2023

Abstract The insurance effect of biodiversity—that diversity stabilises aggregate ecosystem properties—is mechanistically underlain by inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation in organismal responses to the environment. This variation, termed response , is therefore a potentially critical determinant ecological stability. However, has yet be widely quantified, possibly due difficulties its measurement. Even when it been measured, approaches have varied. Here, we review methods for measuring from them distil methodological framework quantifying experimental and/or observational data, which can practically applied laboratory field settings across range taxa. Previous empirical studies on most commonly invoke traits as proxies aimed at capturing species' Our approach, based environment‐dependent any biotic or abiotic environmental variable, conceptually simple robust form response, including nonlinear responses. Given derivation data responses, this approach should more directly reflect than trait‐based dominant literature. By even subtle environment dependencies diversity, hope will motivate tests diversity–stability relationship new perspective, provide an mapping, monitoring conserving dimension biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Effects of multiple stressors on the dimensionality of ecological stability

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 24(8), P. 1594 - 1606

Published: May 12, 2021

Ecological stability is a multidimensional construct. Investigating multiple dimensions key to understand how ecosystems respond disturbance. Here, we evaluated the single and combined effects of common agricultural stressors (insecticide, herbicide nutrients) on four (resistance, resilience, recovery invariability) overall dimensionality (DS) using results freshwater mesocosm experiment. Functional resilience pesticides were enhanced in nutrient-enriched systems, whereas compositional was generally not achieved. Pesticides did affect DS, functional DS significantly increased by insecticide only non-enriched systems. Stressor interactions acted non-additively as well DS. Moreover demonstrate that can modify correlation between aspects stability. Our study shows different disturbance types, their interactions, require specific management actions promote ecosystem

Language: Английский

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Global patterns of resilience decline in vertebrate populations

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 25(1), P. 240 - 251

Published: Nov. 16, 2021

Abstract Maintaining the resilience of natural populations, their ability to resist and recover from disturbance, is crucial prevent biodiversity loss. However, lack appropriate data quantitative tools has hampered our understanding factors determining on a global scale. Here, we quantified temporal trends two key components resilience—resistance recovery—in >2000 population time‐series >1000 vertebrate species globally. We show that number threats which exposed main driver decline in populations. Such declines are driven by non‐uniform loss different (i.e. resistance recovery). Increased anthropogenic accelerating through recovery ability—but not resistance—of These findings suggest may be underestimating impacts change, highlighting need account for multiple assessments.

Language: Английский

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Organic fertilization enhances the resistance and resilience of soil microbial communities under extreme drought

Journal of Advanced Research, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 47, P. 1 - 12

Published: July 27, 2022

The soil bacterial microbiome plays a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. composition and functioning of the are tightly controlled by physicochemical surrounding. Therefore, is responsive to management, such as fertilization, climate change, extreme drought. It remains challenge retain under drought.This work aims reveal if fertilization with organic fertilizer, can enhance resistance resilience communities their function drought subsequent rewetting compared conventional fertilizers.In mesocosms, we induced long-term for 80 days 170 follow community dynamics (NOF) chemical (NCF) regimes.Our results showed that diversity was higher NOF than NCF during In particular, ecological recovery were NCF. We found these features pathogen-inhibiting functions late recovery. other ecology functional analyses revealed biomass recovered early stage after rewetting, while respiration increased continuously following prolonged time rewetting.Together, our study indicates stability ensures specific bacterial-driven recover rewetting. This may provide basis more sustainable agricultural practices counterbalance negative change-induced effects on

Language: Английский

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