TY - JOUR

T1 - Tree diversity is key for promoting the diversity and abundance of forest-associated taxa in Europe

AU - Ampoorter, Evy

AU - Barbaro, Luc

AU - Jactel, Hervé

AU - Baeten, Lander

AU - Boberg, Johanna

AU - Carnol, Monique

AU - Castagneyrol, Bastien

AU - Charbonnier, Yohan

AU - Dawud, Seid Muhie

AU - Deconchat, Marc

AU - Smedt, Pallieter De

AU - Wandeler, Hans De

AU - Guyot, Virginie

AU - Hättenschwiler, Stephan

AU - Joly, François-Xavier

AU - Koricheva, Julia

AU - Milligan, Harriet

AU - Muys, Bart

AU - Nguyen, Diem

AU - Ratcliffe, Sophia

AU - Raulund-Rasmussen, Karsten

AU - Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael

AU - van der Plas, Fons

AU - Keer, J. Van

AU - Verheyen, Kris

AU - Vesterdal, Lars

AU - Allan, Eric

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Plant diversity is an important driver of diversity at other trophic levels, suggesting that cascading extinctions could reduce overall biodiversity. Most evidence for positive effects of plant diversity comes from grasslands. Despite the fact that forests are hotspots of biodiversity, the importance of tree diversity, in particular its relative importance compared to other management related factors, in affecting forest-associated taxa is not well known. To address this, we used data from 183 plots, located in different forest types, from Mediterranean to Boreal, and established along a climatic gradient across six European countries (FunDivEUROPE project). We tested the influence of tree diversity, tree functional composition (i.e. functional trait values), forest structure, climate and soil on the diversity and abundance/activity of nine taxa (bats, birds, spiders, microorganisms, earthworms, ungulates, foliar fungal pathogens, defoliating insects and understorey plants) and on their overall diversity and abundance/activity (multidiversity,multiabundance/activity). Tree diversity was a key driver of taxon-level and overall forest-associated biodiversity, along with tree functional composition, forest structure, climate and soil. Both tree species richness and functional diversity (variation in functional trait values) were important. The effects of tree diversity on the abundance/activity of forest-associated taxa were less consistent. Nonetheless, spiders, ungulates and foliar fungal pathogens were all more abundant/active in diverse forests. Tree functional composition and structure were also important drivers of abundance/activity: conifer stands had lower overall multidiversity (although the effect was driven by defoliating insects), while stands with potentially tall trees had lower overall multiabundance/activity. We found more synergies than trade-offs between diversity and abundance/activity of different taxa, suggesting that forest management can promote high diversity across taxa. Our results clearly show the high value of mixed forest stands for multiple forest-associated taxa and indicate that multiple dimensions of tree diversity (taxonomic and functional) are important. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

AB - Plant diversity is an important driver of diversity at other trophic levels, suggesting that cascading extinctions could reduce overall biodiversity. Most evidence for positive effects of plant diversity comes from grasslands. Despite the fact that forests are hotspots of biodiversity, the importance of tree diversity, in particular its relative importance compared to other management related factors, in affecting forest-associated taxa is not well known. To address this, we used data from 183 plots, located in different forest types, from Mediterranean to Boreal, and established along a climatic gradient across six European countries (FunDivEUROPE project). We tested the influence of tree diversity, tree functional composition (i.e. functional trait values), forest structure, climate and soil on the diversity and abundance/activity of nine taxa (bats, birds, spiders, microorganisms, earthworms, ungulates, foliar fungal pathogens, defoliating insects and understorey plants) and on their overall diversity and abundance/activity (multidiversity,multiabundance/activity). Tree diversity was a key driver of taxon-level and overall forest-associated biodiversity, along with tree functional composition, forest structure, climate and soil. Both tree species richness and functional diversity (variation in functional trait values) were important. The effects of tree diversity on the abundance/activity of forest-associated taxa were less consistent. Nonetheless, spiders, ungulates and foliar fungal pathogens were all more abundant/active in diverse forests. Tree functional composition and structure were also important drivers of abundance/activity: conifer stands had lower overall multidiversity (although the effect was driven by defoliating insects), while stands with potentially tall trees had lower overall multiabundance/activity. We found more synergies than trade-offs between diversity and abundance/activity of different taxa, suggesting that forest management can promote high diversity across taxa. Our results clearly show the high value of mixed forest stands for multiple forest-associated taxa and indicate that multiple dimensions of tree diversity (taxonomic and functional) are important. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

KW - climate

KW - forest-associated taxa

KW - forest structure

KW - soil conditions

KW - tree functional composition

KW - tree diversity

U2 - 10.1111/oik.06290

DO - 10.1111/oik.06290

M3 - Journal article

VL - 129

SP - 133

EP - 146

JO - Oikos

JF - Oikos

SN - 0030-1299

IS - 2

ER -