Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development
Abstract Spatial interactions between trees influence forest community succession. The objective of this study was to investigate how shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species affect stand development over time in mixed forest systems. At six locations across the Fishlake Natio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3957 |
| _version_ | 1819159575417323520 |
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| author | Rebecca Lee Molinari Matthew F. Bekker Benjamin D. St. Clair Jason Bartholomew R. Justin DeRose Stanley G. Kitchen Samuel B. St. Clair |
| author_facet | Rebecca Lee Molinari Matthew F. Bekker Benjamin D. St. Clair Jason Bartholomew R. Justin DeRose Stanley G. Kitchen Samuel B. St. Clair |
| author_sort | Rebecca Lee Molinari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Spatial interactions between trees influence forest community succession. The objective of this study was to investigate how shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species affect stand development over time in mixed forest systems. At six locations across the Fishlake National Forest, Utah, USA, in stands where facilitation has been documented previously, tree‐ring samples were collected from aspen and subalpine fir trees. Basal area increment was calculated to characterize the effects of the proximity of overstory trees on multidecadal growth responses of aspen and subalpine fir in aspen‐dominant and mixed aspen–conifer stands. Subalpine fir seedlings were established next to aspen (within 10 cm) when aspen was between 15 and 120 years old with a mean age of 60 years. Aspen and subalpine fir growth rates were reduced with increasing conifer abundance. Aspen trees growing next to a proximate subalpine fir tree had slower growth rates over time than aspen trees growing independently. Growth rates of subalpine fir in aspen‐dominated stands were similar when growing independently or near aspen trees. However, subalpine fir in conifer‐dominated stands maintained higher growth rates when growing next to an aspen tree than when growing independently. The data suggest that as stand competition increases with conifer abundance, the proximity of overstory trees increases competitive exclusion of aspen while having a beneficial growth effect on subalpine fir. These results underscore the importance of maintaining natural fire regimes in forest systems that keep competitive interactions in balance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:42:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4dcd64fe920049659fbe52c861f72256 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:42:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-4dcd64fe920049659fbe52c861f722562022-12-21T18:19:48ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252022-03-01133n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.3957Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand developmentRebecca Lee Molinari0Matthew F. Bekker1Benjamin D. St. Clair2Jason Bartholomew3R. Justin DeRose4Stanley G. Kitchen5Samuel B. St. Clair6Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Geography Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USADepartment of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USAUnited States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory Provo Utah USADepartment of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Brigham Young University Provo Utah USAAbstract Spatial interactions between trees influence forest community succession. The objective of this study was to investigate how shifts in forest composition and proximity between tree species affect stand development over time in mixed forest systems. At six locations across the Fishlake National Forest, Utah, USA, in stands where facilitation has been documented previously, tree‐ring samples were collected from aspen and subalpine fir trees. Basal area increment was calculated to characterize the effects of the proximity of overstory trees on multidecadal growth responses of aspen and subalpine fir in aspen‐dominant and mixed aspen–conifer stands. Subalpine fir seedlings were established next to aspen (within 10 cm) when aspen was between 15 and 120 years old with a mean age of 60 years. Aspen and subalpine fir growth rates were reduced with increasing conifer abundance. Aspen trees growing next to a proximate subalpine fir tree had slower growth rates over time than aspen trees growing independently. Growth rates of subalpine fir in aspen‐dominated stands were similar when growing independently or near aspen trees. However, subalpine fir in conifer‐dominated stands maintained higher growth rates when growing next to an aspen tree than when growing independently. The data suggest that as stand competition increases with conifer abundance, the proximity of overstory trees increases competitive exclusion of aspen while having a beneficial growth effect on subalpine fir. These results underscore the importance of maintaining natural fire regimes in forest systems that keep competitive interactions in balance.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3957Abies lasiocarpabasal area incrementconifer encroachmentdendrochronologyfire ecologyfire exclusion |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca Lee Molinari Matthew F. Bekker Benjamin D. St. Clair Jason Bartholomew R. Justin DeRose Stanley G. Kitchen Samuel B. St. Clair Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development Ecosphere Abies lasiocarpa basal area increment conifer encroachment dendrochronology fire ecology fire exclusion |
| title | Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| title_full | Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| title_fullStr | Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| title_short | Facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| title_sort | facilitation differentially affects competitive responses of aspen and subalpine fir through stages of stand development |
| topic | Abies lasiocarpa basal area increment conifer encroachment dendrochronology fire ecology fire exclusion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3957 |
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