@article{PlueDeFrenneAcharyaetal.2017, author = {Plue, Jan and De Frenne, Pieter and Acharya, Kamal and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Chabrerie, Olivier and Decocq, Guillaume and Diekmann, Martin and Graae, Bente J. and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, Martin and Kolb, Annette and Lemke, Isgard and Liira, Jaan and Naaf, Tobias and Verheyen, Kris and Wulf, Monika and Cousins, Sara A. O.}, title = {Where does the community start, and where does it end?}, series = {Journal of vegetation science}, volume = {28}, journal = {Journal of vegetation science}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1100-9233}, doi = {10.1111/jvs.12493}, pages = {424 -- 435}, year = {2017}, abstract = {QuestionBelow-ground processes are key determinants of above-ground plant population and community dynamics. Still, our understanding of how environmental drivers shape plant communities is mostly based on above-ground diversity patterns, bypassing below-ground plant diversity stored in seed banks. As seed banks may shape above-ground plant communities, we question whether concurrently analysing the above- and below-ground species assemblages may potentially enhance our understanding of community responses to environmental variation. LocationTemperate deciduous forests along a 2000km latitudinal gradient in NW Europe. MethodsHerb layer, seed bank and local environmental data including soil pH, canopy cover, forest cover continuity and time since last canopy disturbance were collected in 129 temperate deciduous forest plots. We quantified herb layer and seed bank diversity per plot and evaluated how environmental variation structured community diversity in the herb layer, seed bank and the combined herb layer-seed bank community. ResultsSeed banks consistently held more plant species than the herb layer. How local plot diversity was partitioned across the herb layer and seed bank was mediated by environmental variation in drivers serving as proxies of light availability. The herb layer and seed bank contained an ever smaller and ever larger share of local diversity, respectively, as both canopy cover and time since last canopy disturbance decreased. Species richness and -diversity of the combined herb layer-seed bank community responded distinctly differently compared to the separate assemblages in response to environmental variation in, e.g. forest cover continuity and canopy cover. ConclusionsThe seed bank is a below-ground diversity reservoir of the herbaceous forest community, which interacts with the herb layer, although constrained by environmental variation in e.g. light availability. The herb layer and seed bank co-exist as a single community by means of the so-called storage effect, resulting in distinct responses to environmental variation not necessarily recorded in the individual herb layer or seed bank assemblages. Thus, concurrently analysing above- and below-ground diversity will improve our ecological understanding of how understorey plant communities respond to environmental variation.}, language = {en} } @article{PerringBernhardtRoemermannBaetenetal.2018, author = {Perring, Michael P. and Bernhardt-Roemermann, Markus and Baeten, Lander and Midolo, Gabriele and Blondeel, Haben and Depauw, Leen and Landuyt, Dries and Maes, Sybryn L. and De Lombaerde, Emiel and Caron, Maria Mercedes and Vellend, Mark and Brunet, Joerg and Chudomelova, Marketa and Decocq, Guillaume and Diekmann, Martin and Dirnboeck, Thomas and Doerfler, Inken and Durak, Tomasz and De Frenne, Pieter and Gilliam, Frank S. and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Hommel, Patrick and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Kirby, Keith J. and Kopecky, Martin and Lenoir, Jonathan and Li, Daijiang and Malis, Frantisek and Mitchell, Fraser J. G. and Naaf, Tobias and Newman, Miles and Petrik, Petr and Reczynska, Kamila and Schmidt, Wolfgang and Standovar, Tibor and Swierkosz, Krzysztof and Van Calster, Hans and Vild, Ondrej and Wagner, Eva Rosa and Wulf, Monika and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Global environmental change effects on plant community composition trajectories depend upon management legacies}, series = {Global change biology}, volume = {24}, journal = {Global change biology}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1354-1013}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.14030}, pages = {1722 -- 1740}, year = {2018}, abstract = {The contemporary state of functional traits and species richness in plant communities depends on legacy effects of past disturbances. Whether temporal responses of community properties to current environmental changes are altered by such legacies is, however, unknown. We expect global environmental changes to interact with land-use legacies given different community trajectories initiated by prior management, and subsequent responses to altered resources and conditions. We tested this expectation for species richness and functional traits using 1814 survey-resurvey plot pairs of understorey communities from 40 European temperate forest datasets, syntheses of management transitions since the year 1800, and a trait database. We also examined how plant community indicators of resources and conditions changed in response to management legacies and environmental change. Community trajectories were clearly influenced by interactions between management legacies from over 200 years ago and environmental change. Importantly, higher rates of nitrogen deposition led to increased species richness and plant height in forests managed less intensively in 1800 (i.e., high forests), and to decreases in forests with a more intensive historical management in 1800 (i.e., coppiced forests). There was evidence that these declines in community variables in formerly coppiced forests were ameliorated by increased rates of temperature change between surveys. Responses were generally apparent regardless of sites' contemporary management classifications, although sometimes the management transition itself, rather than historic or contemporary management types, better explained understorey responses. Main effects of environmental change were rare, although higher rates of precipitation change increased plant height, accompanied by increases in fertility indicator values. Analysis of indicator values suggested the importance of directly characterising resources and conditions to better understand legacy and environmental change effects. Accounting for legacies of past disturbance can reconcile contradictory literature results and appears crucial to anticipating future responses to global environmental change.}, language = {en} } @article{DeLombaerdeVerheyenPerringetal.2018, author = {De Lombaerde, Emiel and Verheyen, Kris and Perring, Michael P. and Bernhardt-Roemermann, Markus and Van Calster, Hans and Brunet, Jorg and Chudomelova, Marketa and Decocq, Guillaume and Diekmann, Martin and Durak, Tomasz and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Hommel, Patrick and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Kopecky, Martin and Lenoir, Jonathan and Macek, Martin and M{\´a}liš, František and Mitchell, Fraser J. G. and Naaf, Tobias and Newman, Miles and Petř{\´i}k, Petr and Reczyńska, Kamila and Schmidt, Wolfgang and Swierkosz, Krzysztof and Vild, Ondrej and Wulf, Monika and Baetena, Lander}, title = {Responses of competitive understorey species to spatial environmental gradients inaccurately explain temporal changes}, series = {Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r {\"O}kologie}, volume = {30}, journal = {Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r {\"O}kologie}, publisher = {Elsevier GMBH}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {1439-1791}, doi = {10.1016/j.baae.2018.05.013}, pages = {52 -- 64}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Understorey plant communities play a key role in the functioning of forest ecosystems. Under favourable environmental conditions, competitive understorey species may develop high abundances and influence important ecosystem processes such as tree regeneration. Thus, understanding and predicting the response of competitive understorey species as a function of changing environmental conditions is important for forest managers. In the absence of sufficient temporal data to quantify actual vegetation changes, space-for-time (SFT) substitution is often used, i.e. studies that use environmental gradients across space to infer vegetation responses to environmental change over time. Here we assess the validity of such SFT approaches and analysed 36 resurvey studies from ancient forests with low levels of recent disturbances across temperate Europe to assess how six competitive understorey plant species respond to gradients of overstorey cover, soil conditions, atmospheric N deposition and climatic conditions over space and time. The combination of historical and contemporary surveys allows (i) to test if observed contemporary patterns across space are consistent at the time of the historical survey, and, crucially, (ii) to assess whether changes in abundance over time given recorded environmental change match expectations from patterns recorded along environmental gradients in space. We found consistent spatial relationships at the two periods: local variation in soil variables and overstorey cover were the best predictors of individual species' cover while interregional variation in coarse-scale variables, i.e. N deposition and climate, was less important. However, we found that our SFT approach could not accurately explain the large variation in abundance changes over time. We thus recommend to be cautious when using SFT substitution to infer species responses to temporal changes.}, language = {en} } @article{MaesPerringVanhellemontetal.2018, author = {Maes, Sybryn L. and Perring, Michael P. and Vanhellemont, Margot and Depauw, Leen and Van den Bulcke, Jan and Brumelis, Guntis and Brunet, Jorg and Decocq, Guillaume and den Ouden, Jan and H{\"a}rdtle, Werner and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Heinrichs, Steffi and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Kopeck{\´y}, Martin and Malis, Frantisek and Wulf, Monika and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Environmental drivers interactively affect individual tree growth across temperate European forests}, series = {Global change biology}, volume = {25}, journal = {Global change biology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1354-1013}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.14493}, pages = {201 -- 217}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Forecasting the growth of tree species to future environmental changes requires abetter understanding of its determinants. Tree growth is known to respond to global-change drivers such as climate change or atmospheric deposition, as well as to localland-use drivers such as forest management. Yet, large geographical scale studiesexamining interactive growth responses to multiple global-change drivers are relativelyscarce and rarely consider management effects. Here, we assessed the interactiveeffects of three global-change drivers (temperature, precipitation and nitrogen deposi-tion) on individual tree growth of three study species (Quercus robur/petraea, Fagus syl-vatica and Fraxinus excelsior). We sampled trees along spatial environmental gradientsacross Europe and accounted for the effects of management for Quercus. We collectedincrement cores from 267 trees distributed over 151 plots in 19 forest regions andcharacterized their neighbouring environment to take into account potentially confounding factors such as tree size, competition, soil conditions and elevation. Wedemonstrate that growth responds interactively to global-change drivers, with species -specific sensitivities to the combined factors. Simultaneously high levels of precipita-tion and deposition benefited Fraxinus, but negatively affected Quercus' growth, high-lighting species-specific interactive tree growth responses to combined drivers. ForFagus, a stronger growth response to higher temperatures was found when precipita-tion was also higher, illustrating the potential negative effects of drought stress underwarming for this species. Furthermore, we show that past forest management canmodulate the effects of changing temperatures on Quercus' growth; individuals in plotswith a coppicing history showed stronger growth responses to higher temperatures.Overall, our findings highlight how tree growth can be interactively determined by glo-bal-change drivers, and how these growth responses might be modulated by past for-est management. By showing future growth changes for scenarios of environmentalchange, we stress the importance of considering multiple drivers, including past man-agement and their interactions, when predicting tree growth.}, language = {en} } @article{VannesteValdesVerheyenetal.2018, author = {Vanneste, Thomas and Valdes, Alicia and Verheyen, Kris and Perring, Michael P. and Bernhardt-Roemermann, Markus and Andrieu, Emilie and Brunet, Jorg and Cousins, Sara A. O. and Deconchat, Marc and De Smedt, Pallieter and Diekmann, Martin and Ehrmann, Steffen and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, Martin and Kolb, Annette and Lenoir, Jonathan and Liira, Jaan and Naaf, Tobias and Paal, Taavi and Wulf, Monika and Decocq, Guillaume and De Frenne, Pieter}, title = {Functional trait variation of forest understorey plant communities across Europe}, series = {Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r {\"O}kologie}, volume = {34}, journal = {Basic and applied ecology : Journal of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r {\"O}kologie}, publisher = {Elsevier GmbH}, address = {M{\"u}nchen}, issn = {1439-1791}, doi = {10.1016/j.baae.2018.09.004}, pages = {1 -- 14}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Global environmental changes are expected to alter the functional characteristics of understorey herb-layer communities, potentially affecting forest ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about what drives the variability of functional traits in forest understories. Here, we assessed the role of different environmental drivers in shaping the functional trait distribution of understorey herbs in fragmented forests across three spatial scales. We focused on 708 small, deciduous forest patches located in 16 agricultural landscape windows, spanning a 2500-km macroclimatic gradient across the temperate forest biome in Europe. We estimated the relative effect of patch-scale, landscape-scale and macroclimatic variables on the community mean and variation of plant height, specific leaf area and seed mass. Macroclimatic variables (monthly temperature and precipitation extremes) explained the largest proportion of variation in community trait means (on average 77\% of the explained variation). In contrast, patch-scale factors dominated in explaining community trait variation (on average 68\% of the explained variation). Notably, patch age, size and internal heterogeneity had a positive effect on the community-level variability. Landscape-scale variables explained only a minor part of the variation in both trait distribution properties. The variation explained by shared combinations of the variable groups was generally negligible. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales in predictions of environmental-change effects on the functionality of forest understories. We propose that forest management sustainability could benefit from conserving larger, historically continuous and internally heterogeneous forest patches to maximise ecosystem service diversity in rural landscapes. (C) 2018 Gesellschaft fur Okologie. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{MaesBlondeelPerringetal.2019, author = {Maes, Sybryn L. and Blondeel, Haben and Perring, Michael P. and Depauw, Leen and Brumelis, Guntis and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Decocq, Guillaume and den Ouden, Jan and Haerdtle, Werner and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Heinrichs, Steffi and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Kirby, Keith J. and Kopecky, Martin and Malis, Frantisek and Wulf, Monika and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Litter quality, land-use history, and nitrogen deposition effects on topsoil conditions across European temperate deciduous forests}, series = {Forest ecology and management}, volume = {433}, journal = {Forest ecology and management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2018.10.056}, pages = {405 -- 418}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Topsoil conditions in temperate forests are influenced by several soil-forming factors, such as canopy composition (e.g. through litter quality), land-use history, atmospheric deposition, and the parent material. Many studies have evaluated the effects of single factors on physicochemical topsoil conditions, but few have assessed the simultaneous effects of multiple drivers. Here, we evaluate the combined effects of litter quality, land-use history (past land cover as well as past forest management), and atmospheric deposition on several physicochemical topsoil conditions of European temperate deciduous forest soils: bulk density, proportion of exchangeable base cations, carbon/nitrogen-ratio (C/N), litter mass, bio-available and total phosphorus, pH(KCI)and soil organic matter. We collected mineral soil and litter layer samples, and measured site characteristics for 190 20 x 20 m European mixed forest plots across gradients of litter quality (derived from the canopy species composition) and atmospheric deposition, and for different categories of past land cover and past forest management. We accounted for the effects of parent material on topsoil conditions by clustering our plots into three soil type groups based on texture and carbonate concentration. We found that litter quality was a stronger driver of topsoil conditions compared to land-use history or atmospheric deposition, while the soil type also affected several topsoil conditions here. Plots with higher litter quality had soils with a higher proportion of exchangeable base cations, and total phosphorus, and lower C/N-ratios and litter mass. Furthermore, the observed litter quality effects on the topsoil were independent from the regional nitrogen deposition or the soil type, although the soil type likely (co)-determined canopy composition and thus litter quality to some extent in the investigated plots. Litter quality effects on topsoil phosphorus concentrations did interact with past land cover, highlighting the need to consider land-use history when evaluating canopy effects on soil conditions. We conclude that forest managers can use the canopy composition as an important tool for influencing topsoil conditions, although soil type remains an important factor to consider.}, language = {en} } @article{ReineckeWulfBaetenetal.2016, author = {Reinecke, J. and Wulf, M. and Baeten, Lander and Brunet, J. and Decocq, G. and De Frenne, G. and Diekmann, M. and Graae, B. J. and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, M. and Jamoneau, A. and Lenoir, J. and Plue, J. and Orczewska, A. and Van Calster, H. and Verheyen, Kris and Naaf, T.}, title = {Acido- and neutrophilic temperate forest plants display distinct shifts in ecological pH niche across north-western Europe}, series = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum}, volume = {39}, journal = {Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0906-7590}, doi = {10.1111/ecog.02051}, pages = {1164 -- 1175}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Ecological niches of organisms vary across geographical space, but niche shift patterns between regions and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. We studied shifts in the pH niche of 42 temperate forest plant species across a latitudinal gradient from northern France to boreo-nemoral Sweden. We asked 1) whether species restrict their niches with increasing latitude as they reach their northern range margin (environmental constraints); 2) whether species expand their niches with increasing latitude as regional plant species richness decreases (competitive release); and 3) whether species shift their niche position toward more acidic sites with increasing latitude as the relative proportion of acidic soils increases (local adaptation). Based on 1458 vegetation plots and corresponding soil pH values, we modelled species response curves using Huisman-Olff-Fresco models. Four niche measures (width, position, left and right border) were compared among regions by randomization tests. We found that with increasing latitude, neutrophilic species tended to retreat from acidic sites, indicating that these species retreat to more favorable sites when approaching their range margin. Alternatively, these species might benefit from enhanced nitrogen deposition on formerly nutrient-poor, acidic sites in southern regions or lag behind in post-glacial recolonization of potential habitats in northern regions. Most acidophilic species extended their niche toward more base-rich sites with increasing latitude, indicating competitive release from neutrophilic species. Alternatively, acidophilic species might benefit from optimal climatic conditions in the north where some have their core distribution area. Shifts in the niche position suggested that local adaptation is of minor importance. We conclude that shifts in the pH niche of temperate forest plants are the rule, but the directions of the niche shifts and possible explanations vary. Our study demonstrates that differentiating between acidophilic and neutrophilic species is crucial to identify general patterns and underlying mechanisms.}, language = {en} } @article{CaronDeFrenneBrunetetal.2015, author = {Caron, Maria Mercedes and De Frenne, Pieter and Brunet, J. and Chabrerie, Olivier and Cousins, S. A. O. and De Backer, L. and Decocq, G. and Diekmann, M. and Heinken, Thilo and Kolb, A. and Naaf, T. and Plue, J. and Selvi, Federico and Strimbeck, G. R. and Wulf, Monika and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Interacting effects of warming and drought on regeneration and early growth of Acer pseudoplatanus and A. platanoides}, series = {Plant biology}, volume = {17}, journal = {Plant biology}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1435-8603}, doi = {10.1111/plb.12177}, pages = {52 -- 62}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Climate change is acting on several aspects of plant life cycles, including the sexual reproductive stage, which is considered amongst the most sensitive life-cycle phases. In temperate forests, it is expected that climate change will lead to a compositional change in community structure due to changes in the dominance of currently more abundant forest tree species. Increasing our understanding of the effects of climate change on currently secondary tree species recruitment is therefore important to better understand and forecast population and community dynamics in forests. Here, we analyse the interactive effects of rising temperatures and soil moisture reduction on germination, seedling survival and early growth of two important secondary European tree species, Acer pseudoplatanus and A.platanoides. Additionally, we analyse the effect of the temperature experienced by the mother tree during seed production by collecting seeds of both species along a 2200-km long latitudinal gradient. For most of the responses, A.platanoides showed higher sensitivity to the treatments applied, and especially to its joint manipulation, which for some variables resulted in additive effects while for others only partial compensation. In both species, germination and survival decreased with rising temperatures and/or soil moisture reduction while early growth decreased with declining soil moisture content. We conclude that although A.platanoides germination and survival were more affected after the applied treatments, its initial higher germination and larger seedlings might allow this species to be relatively more successful than A.pseudoplatanus in the face of climate change.}, language = {en} } @article{CaronDeFrenneChabrerieetal.2015, author = {Caron, Maria Mercedes and De Frenne, P. and Chabrerie, Olivier and Cousins, S. A. O. and De Backer, L. and Decocq, G. and Diekmann, M. and Heinken, Thilo and Kolb, A. and Naaf, T. and Plue, J. and Selvi, F. and Strimbeck, G. R. and Wulf, M. and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Impacts of warming and changes in precipitation frequency on the regeneration of two Acer species}, series = {Flora : morphology, distribution, functional ecology of plants}, volume = {214}, journal = {Flora : morphology, distribution, functional ecology of plants}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Jena}, issn = {0367-2530}, doi = {10.1016/j.flora.2015.05.005}, pages = {24 -- 33}, year = {2015}, language = {en} } @article{CaronDeFrenneBrunetetal.2015, author = {Caron, Maria Mercedes and De Frenne, Pieter and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Chabrerie, Olivier and Cousins, Sara A. O. and Decocq, Guillaume and Diekmann, Martin and Graae, Bente Jessen and Heinken, Thilo and Kolb, Annette and Lenoir, Jonathan and Naaf, Tobias and Plue, Jan and Selvi, Federico and Wulf, Monika and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Divergent regeneration responses of two closely related tree species to direct abiotic and indirect biotic effects of climate change}, series = {Forest ecology and management}, volume = {342}, journal = {Forest ecology and management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2015.01.003}, pages = {21 -- 29}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Changing temperature and precipitation can strongly influence plant reproduction. However, also biotic interactions might indirectly affect the reproduction and recruitment success of plants in the context of climate change. Information about the interactive effects of changes in abiotic and biotic factors is essential, but still largely lacking, to better understand the potential effects of a changing climate on plant populations. Here we analyze the regeneration from seeds of Acer platanoides and Acer pseudoplatanus, two currently secondary forest tree species from seven regions along a 2200 km-wide latitudinal gradient in Europe. We assessed the germination, seedling survival and growth during two years in a common garden experiment where temperature, precipitation and competition with the understory vegetation were manipulated. A. platanoides was more sensitive to changes in biotic conditions while A. pseudoplatanus was affected by both abiotic and biotic changes. In general, competition reduced (in A. platanoides) and warming enhanced (in A. pseudoplatanus) germination and survival, respectively. Reduced competition strongly increased the growth of A. platanoides seedlings. Seedling responses were independent of the conditions experienced by the mother tree during seed production and maturation. Our results indicate that, due to the negative effects of competition on the regeneration of A. platanoides, it is likely that under stronger competition (projected under future climatic conditions) this species will be negatively affected in terms of germination, survival and seedling biomass. Climate-change experiments including both abiotic and biotic factors constitute a key step forward to better understand the response of tree species' regeneration to climate change. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} }