TY  - JOUR
A1  - Albert, Aurelie
A1  - Auffret, Alistair G.
A1  - Cosyns, Eric
A1  - Cousins, Sara A. O.
A1  - Eichberg, Carsten
A1  - Eycott, Amy E.
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hoffmann, Maurice
A1  - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan
A1  - Malo, Juan E.
A1  - Marell, Anders
A1  - Mouissie, Maarten
A1  - Pakeman, Robin J.
A1  - Picard, Melanie
A1  - Plue, Jan
A1  - Poschlod, Peter
A1  - Provoost, Sam
A1  - Schulze, Kiowa Alraune
A1  - Baltzinger, Christophe
T1  - Seed dispersal by ungulates as an ecological filter: a trait-based meta-analysis
JF  - Oikos
N2  - Plant communities are often dispersal-limited and zoochory can be an efficient mechanism for plants to colonize new patches of potentially suitable habitat. We predicted that seed dispersal by ungulates acts as an ecological filter - which differentially affects individuals according to their characteristics and shapes species assemblages - and that the filter varies according to the dispersal mechanism (endozoochory, fur-epizoochory and hoof-epizoochory). We conducted two-step individual participant data meta-analyses of 52 studies on plant dispersal by ungulates in fragmented landscapes, comparing eight plant traits and two habitat indicators between dispersed and non-dispersed plants. We found that ungulates dispersed at least 44% of the available plant species. Moreover, some plant traits and habitat indicators increased the likelihood for plant of being dispersed. Persistent or nitrophilous plant species from open habitats or bearing dry or elongated diaspores were more likely to be dispersed by ungulates, whatever the dispersal mechanism. In addition, endozoochory was more likely for diaspores bearing elongated appendages whereas epizoochory was more likely for diaspores released relatively high in vegetation. Hoof-epizoochory was more likely for light diaspores without hooked appendages. Fur-epizoochory was more likely for diaspores with appendages, particularly elongated or hooked ones. We thus observed a gradient of filtering effect among the three dispersal mechanisms. Endozoochory had an effect of rather weak intensity (impacting six plant characteristics with variations between ungulate-dispersed and non-dispersed plant species mostly below 25%), whereas hoof-epizoochory had a stronger effect (eight characteristics included five ones with above 75% variation), and fur-epizoochory an even stronger one (nine characteristics included six ones with above 75% variation). Our results demonstrate that seed dispersal by ungulates is an ecological filter whose intensity varies according to the dispersal mechanism considered. Ungulates can thus play a key role in plant community dynamics and have implications for plant spatial distribution patterns at multiple scales.
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.02512
SN  - 0030-1299
SN  - 1600-0706
VL  - 124
IS  - 9
SP  - 1109
EP  - 1120
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Baeten, Lander
A1  - Brunet, Jörg
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, Sara A. O.
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - Dhondt, Rob
A1  - Diekmann, Martin
A1  - Gruwez, Robert
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Oster, Mathias
A1  - Saguez, Robert
A1  - Stanton, Sharon
A1  - Tack, Wesley
A1  - Vanhellemont, Margot
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - An intraspecific application of the leaf-height-seed ecology strategy scheme to forest herbs along a latitudinal gradient
JF  - Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology ; research papers forum
N2  - We measured LHS traits in 41 Anemone nemorosa and 44 Milium effusum populations along a 1900-2300 km latitudinal gradient from N France to N Sweden. We then applied multilevel models to identify the effects of regional (temperature, latitude) and local (soil fertility and acidity, overstorey canopy cover) environmental factors on LHS traits.
 Both species displayed a significant 4% increase in plant height with every degree northward shift (almost a two-fold plant height difference between the southernmost and northernmost populations). Neither seed mass nor SLA showed a significant latitudinal cline. Temperature had a large effect on the three LHS traits of Anemone. Latitude, canopy cover and soil nutrients were related to the SLA and plant height of Milium. None of the investigated variables appeared to be related to the seed mass of Milium.
 The variation in LHS traits indicates that the ecological strategy determined by the position of each population in this three-factor triangle is not constant along the latitudinal gradient. The significant increase in plant height suggests greater competitive abilities for both species in the northernmost populations. We also found that the studied environmental factors affected the LHS traits of the two species on various scales: spring-flowering Anemone was affected more by temperature, whereas early-summer flowering Milium was affected more by local and other latitude-related factors. Finally, previously reported cross-species correlations between LHS traits and latitude were generally unsupported by our within-species approach.
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06399.x
SN  - 0906-7590
VL  - 34
IS  - 1
SP  - 132
EP  - 140
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Malden
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bernhardt-Römermann, Markus
A1  - Baeten, Lander
A1  - Craven, Dylan
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Hedl, Radim
A1  - Lenoir, Jonathan
A1  - Bert, Didier
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Chudomelova, Marketa
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - Dierschke, Hartmut
A1  - Dirnboeck, Thomas
A1  - Dörfler, Inken
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Hommel, Patrick
A1  - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan
A1  - Keczynski, Andrzej
A1  - Kelly, Daniel L.
A1  - Kirby, Keith J.
A1  - Kopecky, Martin
A1  - Macek, Martin
A1  - Malis, Frantisek
A1  - Mirtl, Michael
A1  - Mitchell, Fraser J. G.
A1  - Naaf, Tobias
A1  - Newman, Miles
A1  - Peterken, George
A1  - Petrik, Petr
A1  - Schmidt, Wolfgang
A1  - Standovar, Tibor
A1  - Toth, Zoltan
A1  - Van Calster, Hans
A1  - Verstraeten, Gorik
A1  - Vladovic, Jozef
A1  - Vild, Ondrej
A1  - Wulf, Monika
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Drivers of temporal changes in temperate forest plant diversity vary across spatial scales
JF  - Global change biology
N2  - Global biodiversity is affected by numerous environmental drivers. Yet, the extent to which global environmental changes contribute to changes in local diversity is poorly understood. We investigated biodiversity changes in a meta-analysis of 39 resurvey studies in European temperate forests (3988 vegetation records in total, 17-75years between the two surveys) by assessing the importance of (i) coarse-resolution (i.e., among sites) vs. fine-resolution (i.e., within sites) environmental differences and (ii) changing environmental conditions between surveys. Our results clarify the mechanisms underlying the direction and magnitude of local-scale biodiversity changes. While not detecting any net local diversity loss, we observed considerable among-site variation, partly explained by temporal changes in light availability (a local driver) and density of large herbivores (a regional driver). Furthermore, strong evidence was found that presurvey levels of nitrogen deposition determined subsequent diversity changes. We conclude that models forecasting future biodiversity changes should consider coarse-resolution environmental changes, account for differences in baseline environmental conditions and for local changes in fine-resolution environmental conditions.
KW  - atmospheric nitrogen deposition
KW  - evenness
KW  - forestREplot
KW  - forest management
KW  - game browsing
KW  - Shannon diversity
KW  - spatiotemporal resurvey data
KW  - species richness
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12993
SN  - 1354-1013
SN  - 1365-2486
VL  - 21
IS  - 10
SP  - 3726
EP  - 3737
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Liang, Wei
A1  - Heinrich, Ingo
A1  - Helle, Gerhard
A1  - Linan, Isabel Dorado
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
T1  - Applying CLSM to increment core surfaces for histometric analyses a novel advance in quantitative wood anatomy
JF  - Dendrochronologia : an interdisciplinary journal of tree-ring science
N2  - A novel procedure has been developed to conduct cell structure measurements on increment core samples of conifers. The procedure combines readily available hardware and software equipment. The essential part of the procedure is the application of a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) which captures images directly from increment cores surfaced with the advanced WSL core-microtome. Cell wall and lumen are displayed with a strong contrast due to the monochrome black and green nature of the images. Consecutive images are merged into long images representing entire increment cores which are then analysed for cell structures in suitable software.
KW  - Wood anatomy
KW  - Cell structures
KW  - Confocal laser scanning microscopy
KW  - CLSM
KW  - Dendrochronology
KW  - Surface preparation
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2012.09.002
SN  - 1125-7865
VL  - 31
IS  - 2
SP  - 140
EP  - 145
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Jena
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, Sara Ao
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - De Schrijver, An
A1  - Diekmann, Martin
A1  - Gruwez, Robert
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Nilsson, Christer
A1  - Stanton, Sharon
A1  - Tack, Wesley
A1  - Willaert, Justin
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Temperature effects on forest herbs assessed by warming and transplant experiments along a latitudinal gradient
JF  - Global change biology
N2  - Slow-colonizing forest understorey plants are probably not able to rapidly adjust their distribution range following large-scale climate change. Therefore, the acclimation potential to climate change within their actual occupied habitats will likely be key for their short-and long-term persistence. We combined transplant experiments along a latitudinal gradient with open-top chambers to assess the effects of temperature on phenology, growth and reproductive performance of multiple populations of slow-colonizing understorey plants, using the spring flowering geophytic forb Anemone nemorosa and the early summer flowering grass Milium effusum as study species. In both species, emergence time and start of flowering clearly advanced with increasing temperatures. Vegetative growth (plant height, aboveground biomass) and reproductive success (seed mass, seed germination and germinable seed output) of A. nemorosa benefited from higher temperatures. Climate warming may thus increase future competitive ability and colonization rates of this species. Apart from the effects on phenology, growth and reproductive performance of M. effusum generally decreased when transplanted southwards (e. g., plant size and number of individuals decreased towards the south) and was probably more limited by light availability in the south. Specific leaf area of both species increased when transplanted southwards, but decreased with open-top chamber installation in A. nemorosa. In general, individuals of both species transplanted at the home site performed best, suggesting local adaptation. We conclude that contrasting understorey plants may display divergent plasticity in response to changing temperatures which may alter future understorey community dynamics.
KW  - climate change
KW  - common garden experiment
KW  - forest understorey
KW  - latitude
KW  - local adaptation
KW  - open-top chambers
KW  - phenotypic plasticity
KW  - pot experiment
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02449.x
SN  - 1354-1013
VL  - 17
IS  - 10
SP  - 3240
EP  - 3253
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lemke, Isgard H.
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Acharya, Kamal P.
A1  - Blandino, Cristina
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, Sara A. O.
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Liira, Jaan
A1  - Schmucki, Reto
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
A1  - Diekmann, Martin
T1  - Patterns of phenotypic trait variation in two temperate forest herbs along a broad climatic gradient
JF  - Plant ecology : an international journal
N2  - Phenotypic trait variation plays a major role in the response of plants to global environmental change, particularly in species with low migration capabilities and recruitment success. However, little is known about the variation of functional traits within populations and about differences in this variation on larger spatial scales. In a first approach, we therefore related trait expression to climate and local environmental conditions, studying two temperate forest herbs, Milium effusum and Stachys sylvatica, along a similar to 1800-2500 km latitudinal gradient. Within each of 9-10 regions in six European countries, we collected data from six populations of each species and recorded several variables in each region (temperature, precipitation) and population (light availability, soil parameters). For each plant, we measured height, leaf area, specific leaf area, seed mass and the number of seeds and examined environmental effects on within-population trait variation as well as on trait means. Most importantly, trait variation differed both between and within populations. Species, however, differed in their response. Intrapopulation variation in Milium was consistently positively affected by higher mean temperatures and precipitation as well as by more fertile local soil conditions, suggesting that more productive conditions may select for larger phenotypic variation. In Stachys, particularly light availability positively influenced trait variation, whereas local soil conditions had no consistent effects. Generally, our study emphasises that intra-population variation may differ considerably across larger scales-due to phenotypic plasticity and/or underlying genetic diversity-possibly affecting species response to global environmental change.
KW  - Climate change
KW  - Global environmental change
KW  - Milium effusum
KW  - Phenotypic plasticity
KW  - Intraspecific variation
KW  - Stachys sylvatica
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-015-0534-0
SN  - 1385-0237
SN  - 1573-5052
VL  - 216
IS  - 11
SP  - 1523
EP  - 1536
PB  - Springer
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
A1  - Pepin, Nick
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Zobel, Martin
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Nijs, Ivan
A1  - Milbau, Ann
T1  - On the use of weather data in ecological studies along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients
JF  - Oikos
N2  - Global warming has created a need for studies along climatic gradients to assess the effects of temperature on ecological processes. Altitudinal and latitudinal gradients are often used as such, usually in combination with air temperature data from the closest weather station recorded at 1.52 m above the ground. However, many ecological processes occur in, at, or right above the soil surface. To evaluate how representative the commonly used weather station data are for the microclimate relevant for soil surface biota, we compared weather station temperatures for an altitudinal (500900 m a.s.l.) and a latitudinal gradient (4968 degrees N) with data obtained by temperature sensors placed right below the soil surface at five sites along these gradients. The mean annual temperatures obtained from weather stations and adjusted using a lapse rate of -5.5 degrees C km-1 were between 3.8 degrees C lower and 1.6 degrees C higher than those recorded by the temperature sensors at the soil surface, depending on the position along the gradients. The monthly mean temperatures were up to 10 degrees C warmer or 5 degrees C colder at the soil surface. The within-site variation in accumulated temperature was as high as would be expected from a 300 m change in altitude or from a 4 degrees change in latitude or a climate change scenario corresponding to warming of 1.63.8 degrees C. Thus, these differences introduced by the decoupling are significant from a climate change perspective, and the results demonstrate the need for incorporating microclimatic variation when conducting studies along altitudinal or latitudinal gradients. We emphasize the need for using relevant temperature data in climate impact studies and further call for more studies describing the soil surface microclimate, which is crucial for much of the biota.
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19694.x
SN  - 0030-1299
VL  - 121
IS  - 1
SP  - 3
EP  - 19
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Pauliuk, Franziska
A1  - Müller, Jörg
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
T1  - Bryophyte dispersal by sheep on dry grassland
JF  - Nova Hedwigia : Zeitschrift für Kryptogamenkunde
N2  - Many bryophytes may depend on epizoochorous dispersal by large mammals for maintaining their populations and colonizing new habitats. On dry grassland we investigated the transport of bryophyte diaspores by sheep, which are known to be effective epizoochorous dispersal vectors of seed plants. Twelve sheep of two breeds were examined by collecting gametophyte fragments from their fleece and hooves. Furthermore, microscopic diaspores from the soil adhering to the hooves were grown in a greenhouse. Species frequency and composition were compared to bryophyte vegetation on the pasture. Considerable amounts of unspecialized gametophyte fragments from 16 moss species, 40% of the species growing on the pasture, were transported by sheep, especially on the belly and the tail. Additionally, we provide first evidence of epizoochorous dispersal of thallus fragments from fruticose lichens. Sheep breeds differed in species spectrum and frequency, i.e. sheep with dense, curly fleece carried more fragments and larger species than those with smooth and fine hair. Among the dispersed bryophytes pleurocarps, certain taxa, sizes (small species) and life forms (mats) were overrepresented compared to the vegetation of the pasture, while large species, acrocarps, wefts and turfs were underrepresented, reflecting fragmentation and adhesion features of the species. In the hooves mostly acrocarpous colonist species were transported. We conclude that sheep are important dispersal vectors with the potential of long-range dispersal for bryophytes, especially for species without sexual reproduction, and that epizoochorous dispersal of microscopic diaspores might be underestimated in its importance so far.
KW  - Calcareous grassland
KW  - dispersal of cryptogams
KW  - epizoochory
KW  - shoot fragments
KW  - life history attributes
KW  - vegetative reproduction
Y1  - 2011
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1127/0029-5035/2011/0092-0327
SN  - 0029-5035
VL  - 92
IS  - 3-4
SP  - 327
EP  - 341
PB  - Cramer
CY  - Stuttgart
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Caron, Maria Mercedes
A1  - De Frenne, P.
A1  - Brunet, J.
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, S. A. O.
A1  - De Backer, L.
A1  - Diekmann, M.
A1  - Graae, B. J.
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Kolb, A.
A1  - Naaf, T.
A1  - Plue, J.
A1  - Selvi, F.
A1  - Strimbeck, G. R.
A1  - Wulf, Monika
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Latitudinal variation in seeds characteristics of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus
JF  - Plant ecology : an international journal
N2  - Climate change will likely affect population dynamics of numerous plant species by modifying several aspects of the life cycle. Because plant regeneration from seeds may be particularly vulnerable, here we assess the possible effects of climate change on seed characteristics and present an integrated analysis of seven seed traits (nutrient concentrations, samara mass, seed mass, wing length, seed viability, germination percentage, and seedling biomass) of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus seeds collected along a wide latitudinal gradient from Italy to Norway. Seed traits were analyzed in relation to the environmental conditions experienced by the mother trees along the latitudinal gradient. We found that seed traits of A. platanoides were more influenced by the climatic conditions than those of A. pseudoplatanus. Additionally, seed viability, germination percentage, and seedling biomass of A. platanoides were strongly related to the seed mass and nutrient concentration. While A. platanoides seeds were more influenced by the environmental conditions (generally negatively affected by rising temperatures), compared to A. pseudoplatanus, A. platanoides still showed higher germination percentage and seedling biomass than A. pseudoplatanus. Thus, further research on subsequent life-history stages of both species is needed. The variation in seed quality observed along the climatic gradient highlights the importance of studying the possible impact of climate change on seed production and species demography.
KW  - Acer platanoides
KW  - Acer pseudoplatanus
KW  - Climate change
KW  - Seed traits
KW  - Latitudinal gradient
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-014-0343-x
SN  - 1385-0237
SN  - 1573-5052
VL  - 215
IS  - 8
SP  - 911
EP  - 925
PB  - Springer
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Reinecke, Jennifer
A1  - Klemm, Gunther
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
T1  - Vegetation change and homogenization of species composition in temperate nutrient deficient scots pine forests after 45 yr
JF  - Journal of vegetation science
N2  - QuestionDoes eutrophication drive vegetation change in pine forests on nutrient deficient sites and thus lead to the homogenization of understorey species composition?
 LocationForest area (1600ha) in the Lower Spreewald, Brandenburg, Germany.
 MethodsResurvey of 77 semi-permanent plots after 45yr, including vascular plants, bryophytes and ground lichens. We applied multidimensional ordination of species composition, dissimilarity indices, mean Ellenberg indicator values and the concept of winner/loser species to identify vegetation change between years. Differential responses along a gradient of nutrient availability were analysed on the basis of initial vegetation type, reflecting topsoil N availability of plots.
 ResultsSpecies composition changed strongly and overall shifted towards higher N and slightly lower light availability. Differences in vegetation change were related to initial vegetation type, with strongest compositional changes in the oligotrophic forest type, but strongest increase of nitrophilous species in the mesotrophic forest type. Despite an overall increase in species number, species composition was homogenized between study years due to the loss of species (mainly ground lichens) on the most oligotrophic sites.
 ConclusionsThe response to N enrichment is confounded by canopy closure on the N-richest sites and probably by water limitation on N-poorest sites. The relative importance of atmospheric N deposition in the eutrophication effect is difficult to disentangle from natural humus accumulation after historical litter raking. However, the profound differences in species composition between study years across all forest types suggest that atmospheric N deposition contributes to the eutrophication, which drives understorey vegetation change and biotic homogenization in Central European Scots pine forests on nutrient deficient sites.
KW  - Eutrophication
KW  - Litter raking
KW  - Canopy closure
KW  - Cryptogams
KW  - Species diversity
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12069
SN  - 1100-9233
SN  - 1654-1103
VL  - 25
IS  - 1
SP  - 113
EP  - 121
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -