@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{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{PlueDeFrenneAcharyaetal.2013, author = {Plue, Jan and De Frenne, Pieter and Acharya, Kamal P. and Brunet, Jorg 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 Shevtsova, Anna and Verheyen, Kris and Wulf, Monika and Cousins, Sara A. O.}, title = {Climatic control of forest herb seed banks along a latitudinal gradient}, series = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology}, volume = {22}, journal = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology}, number = {10}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1466-822X}, doi = {10.1111/geb.12068}, pages = {1106 -- 1117}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Aim Seed banks are central to the regeneration strategy of many plant species. Any factor altering seed bank density thus affects plant regeneration and population dynamics. Although seed banks are dynamic entities controlled by multiple environmental drivers, climatic factors are the most comprehensive, but still poorly understood. This study investigates how climatic variation structures seed production and resulting seed bank patterns. Location Temperate forests along a 1900km latitudinal gradient in north-western (NW) Europe. Methods Seed production and seed bank density were quantified in 153 plots along the gradient for four forest herbs with different seed longevity: Geum urbanum, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis and Stachys sylvatica. We tested the importance of climatic and local environmental factors in shaping seed production and seed bank density. Results Seed production was determined by population size, and not by climatic factors. G.urbanum and M.effusum seed bank density declined with decreasing temperature (growing degree days) and/or increasing temperature range (maximum-minimum temperature). P.nemoralis and S.sylvatica seed bank density were limited by population size and not by climatic variables. Seed bank density was also influenced by other, local environmental factors such as soil pH or light availability. Different seed bank patterns emerged due to differential seed longevities. Species with long-lived seeds maintained constant seed bank densities by counteracting the reduced chance of regular years with high seed production at colder northern latitudes. Main conclusions Seed bank patterns show clear interspecific variation in response to climate across the distribution range. Not all seed banking species may be as well equipped to buffer climate change via their seed bank, notably in short-term persistent species. Since the buffering capacity of seed banks is key to species persistence, these results provide crucial information to advance climatic change predictions on range shifts, community and biodiversity responses.}, language = {en} } @article{WasofLenoirGalletMoronetal.2013, author = {Wasof, Safaa and Lenoir, Jonathan and Gallet-Moron, Emilie and Jamoneau, Aurelien and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Cousins, Sara A. O. and De Frenne, Pieter and Diekmann, Martin and Hermy, Martin and Kolb, Annette and Liira, Jaan and Verheyen, Kris and Wulf, Monika and Decocq, Guillaume}, title = {Ecological niche shifts of understorey plants along a latitudinal gradient of temperate forests in north-western Europe}, series = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology}, volume = {22}, journal = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology}, number = {10}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1466-822X}, doi = {10.1111/geb.12073}, pages = {1130 -- 1140}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Aim In response to environmental changes and to avoid extinction, species may either track suitable environmental conditions or adapt to the modified environment. However, whether and how species adapt to environmental changes remains unclear. By focusing on the realized niche (i.e. the actual space that a species inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting biotic factors present in its habitat), we here examine shifts in the realized-niche width (i.e. ecological amplitude) and position (i.e. ecological optimum) of 26 common and widespread forest understorey plants across their distributional ranges. Location Temperate forests along a ca. 1800-km-long latitudinal gradient from northern France to central Sweden and Estonia. Methods We derived species' realized-niche width from a -diversity metric, which increases if the focal species co-occurs with more species. Based on the concept that species' scores in a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) represent the locations of their realized-niche positions, we developed a novel approach to run species-specific DCAs allowing the focal species to shift its realized-niche position along the studied latitudinal gradient while the realized-niche positions of other species were held constant. Results None of the 26 species maintained both their realized-niche width and position along the latitudinal gradient. Few species (9 of 26: 35\%) shifted their realized-niche width, but all shifted their realized-niche position. With increasing latitude, most species (22 of 26: 85\%) shifted their realized-niche position for soil nutrients and pH towards nutrient-poorer and more acidic soils. Main conclusions Forest understorey plants shifted their realized niche along the latitudinal gradient, suggesting local adaptation and/or plasticity. This macroecological pattern casts doubt on the idea that the realized niche is stable in space and time, which is a key assumption of species distribution models used to predict the future of biodiversity, hence raising concern about predicted extinction rates.}, language = {en} } @article{DeFrenneRodriguezSanchezCoomesetal.2013, author = {De Frenne, Pieter and Rodriguez-Sanchez, Francisco and Coomes, David Anthony and B{\"a}ten, Lander and Verstr{\"a}ten, Gorik and Vellend, Mark and Bernhardt-R{\"o}mermann, Markus and Brown, Carissa D. and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Cornelis, Johnny and Decocq, Guillaume M. and Dierschke, Hartmut and Eriksson, Ove and Gilliam, Frank S. and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, Martin and Hommel, Patrick and Jenkins, Michael A. and Kelly, Daniel L. and Kirby, Keith J. and Mitchell, Fraser J. G. and Naaf, Tobias and Newman, Miles and Peterken, George and Petrik, Petr and Schultz, Jan and Sonnier, Gregory and Van Calster, Hans and Waller, Donald M. and Walther, Gian-Reto and White, Peter S. and Woods, Kerry D. and Wulf, Monika and Graae, Bente Jessen and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {Microclimate moderates plant responses to macroclimate warming}, series = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {110}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, number = {46}, publisher = {National Acad. of Sciences}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1311190110}, pages = {18561 -- 18565}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Recent global warming is acting across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems to favor species adapted to warmer conditions and/or reduce the abundance of cold-adapted organisms (i.e., "thermophilization" of communities). Lack of community responses to increased temperature, however, has also been reported for several taxa and regions, suggesting that "climatic lags" may be frequent. Here we show that microclimatic effects brought about by forest canopy closure can buffer biotic responses to macroclimate warming, thus explaining an apparent climatic lag. Using data from 1,409 vegetation plots in European and North American temperate forests, each surveyed at least twice over an interval of 12-67 y, we document significant thermophilization of ground-layer plant communities. These changes reflect concurrent declines in species adapted to cooler conditions and increases in species adapted to warmer conditions. However, thermophilization, particularly the increase of warm-adapted species, is attenuated in forests whose canopies have become denser, probably reflecting cooler growing-season ground temperatures via increased shading. As standing stocks of trees have increased in many temperate forests in recent decades, local microclimatic effects may commonly be moderating the impacts of macroclimate warming on forest understories. Conversely, increases in harvesting woody biomass-e.g., for bioenergy-may open forest canopies and accelerate thermophilization of temperate forest biodiversity.}, language = {en} } @article{VerheyenBaetenDeFrenneetal.2012, author = {Verheyen, Kris and Baeten, Lander and De Frenne, Pieter and Bernhardt-R{\"o}mermann, Markus and Brunet, Jorg and Cornelis, Johnny and Decocq, Guillaume and Dierschke, Hartmut and Eriksson, Ove and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, Martin and Hommel, Patrick and Kirby, Keith J. and Naaf, Tobias and Peterken, George and Petrik, Petr and Pfadenhauer, Joerg and Van Calster, Hans and Walther, Gian-Reto and Wulf, Monika and Verstraeten, Gorik}, title = {Driving factors behind the eutrophication signal in understorey plant communities of deciduous temperate forests}, series = {The journal of ecology}, volume = {100}, journal = {The journal of ecology}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0022-0477}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01928.x}, pages = {352 -- 365}, year = {2012}, abstract = {1. Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is expected to change forest understorey plant community composition and diversity, but results of experimental addition studies and observational studies are not yet conclusive. A shortcoming of observational studies, which are generally based on resurveys or sampling along large deposition gradients, is the occurrence of temporal or spatial confounding factors. 2. We were able to assess the contribution of N deposition versus other ecological drivers on forest understorey plant communities by combining a temporal and spatial approach. Data from 1205 (semi-)permanent vegetation plots taken from 23 rigorously selected understorey resurvey studies along a large deposition gradient across deciduous temperate forest in Europe were compiled and related to various local and regional driving factors, including the rate of atmospheric N deposition, the change in large herbivore densities and the change in canopy cover and composition. 3. Although no directional change in species richness occurred, there was considerable floristic turnover in the understorey plant community and a shift in species composition towards more shade-tolerant and nutrient-demanding species. However, atmospheric N deposition was not important in explaining the observed eutrophication signal. This signal seemed mainly related to a shift towards a denser canopy cover and a changed canopy species composition with a higher share of species with more easily decomposed litter. 4. Synthesis. Our multi-site approach clearly demonstrates that one should be cautious when drawing conclusions about the impact of atmospheric N deposition based on the interpretation of plant community shifts in single sites or regions due to other, concurrent, ecological changes. Even though the effects of chronically increased N deposition on the forest plant communities are apparently obscured by the effects of canopy changes, the accumulated N might still have a significant impact. However, more research is needed to assess whether this N time bomb will indeed explode when canopies will open up again.}, 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} } @article{DeFrenneGraaeBrunetetal.2012, author = {De Frenne, Pieter and Graae, Bente J. and Brunet, J{\"o}rg and Shevtsova, Anna and De Schrijver, An and Chabrerie, Olivier and Cousins, Sara A. O. and Decocq, Guillaume and Diekmann, Martin and Hermy, Martin and Heinken, Thilo and Kolb, Annette and Nilsson, Christer and Stanton, Sharon and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {The response of forest plant regeneration to temperature variation along a latitudinal gradient}, series = {Annals of botany}, volume = {109}, journal = {Annals of botany}, number = {5}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0305-7364}, doi = {10.1093/aob/mcs015}, pages = {1037 -- 1046}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The response of forest herb regeneration from seed to temperature variations across latitudes was experimentally assessed in order to forecast the likely response of understorey community dynamics to climate warming. Seeds of two characteristic forest plants (Anemone nemorosa and Milium effusum) were collected in natural populations along a latitudinal gradient from northern France to northern Sweden and exposed to three temperature regimes in growth chambers (first experiment). To test the importance of local adaptation, reciprocal transplants were also made of adult individuals that originated from the same populations in three common gardens located in southern, central and northern sites along the same gradient, and the resulting seeds were germinated (second experiment). Seedling establishment was quantified by measuring the timing and percentage of seedling emergence, and seedling biomass in both experiments. Spring warming increased emergence rates and seedling growth in the early-flowering forb A. nemorosa. Seedlings of the summer-flowering grass M. effusum originating from northern populations responded more strongly in terms of biomass growth to temperature than southern populations. The above-ground biomass of the seedlings of both species decreased with increasing latitude of origin, irrespective of whether seeds were collected from natural populations or from the common gardens. The emergence percentage decreased with increasing home-away distance in seeds from the transplant experiment, suggesting that the maternal plants were locally adapted. Decreasing seedling emergence and growth were found from the centre to the northern edge of the distribution range for both species. Stronger responses to temperature variation in seedling growth of the grass M. effusum in the north may offer a way to cope with environmental change. The results further suggest that climate warming might differentially affect seedling establishment of understorey plants across their distribution range and thus alter future understorey plant dynamics.}, language = {en} } @article{BaetenWartonVanCalsteretal.2014, author = {Baeten, Lander and Warton, David I. and Van Calster, Hans and De Frenne, Pieter and Verstraeten, Gorik and Bonte, Dries and Bernhardt-R{\"o}mermann, Markus and Cornelis, Johnny and Decocq, Guillaume and Eriksson, Ove and Hedl, Radim and Heinken, Thilo and Hermy, Martin and Hommel, Patrick and Kirby, Keith J. and Naaf, Tobias and Petrik, Petr and Walther, Gian-Reto and Wulf, Monica and Verheyen, Kris}, title = {A model-based approach to studying changes in compositional heterogeneity}, series = {Methods in ecology and evolution : an official journal of the British Ecological Society}, volume = {5}, journal = {Methods in ecology and evolution : an official journal of the British Ecological Society}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2041-210X}, pages = {156 -- 164}, year = {2014}, language = {en} }