Forest biodiversity enhances ecosystem functionality and underpins sustainable forest management by improving soil nutrient cycling. As a representative sustainable management practice, tree species mixing (TSM) increases this functionality by regulating plant-soil nutrient interactions. This study compared the effects of TSM management on stand features, plant diversity, and soil microbial properties across different developmental stages of Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations. The results demonstrated that TSM management significantly enhanced the overall functional efficiency of the ecosystem. Specifically, TSM management improved stand features and reduced competition intensity among trees, which increased α-diversity of each vegetation layer while decreasing its β-diversity. Furthermore, TSM management increased litter layer thickness and soil available phosphorus content, with the magnitude of these effects varying across different management stages. Concurrently, although there was a reduction in α-diversity of bacteria (Chao1: −7.3%; Shannon: −2.7%), soil core microbial community exhibited an enrichment of oligotrophic bacteria (Acidibacter: +29.1%) and an increase in core fungal taxa, a shift that enhanced the decomposition of organic matter (litter thickness: +27.8%) and the transformation of nutrients (available nitrogen (N): +32.6%). Structural equation modeling (SEM) further confirmed that TSM management primarily drives soil carbon accumulation through the “tree diversity–core bacterial community–microbial biomass” pathway. In summary, this study reveals that TSM management promotes forest plant diversity and improves litter and soil conditions at the cost of reducing α-diversity and increasing the soil core bacterial community, ultimately leading to enhanced overall ecosystem functional efficiency. This finding provides important guidance for optimizing the structure, function, and resilience of degraded Chinese fir plantations, and offers a scientific basis for future decisions on balancing microbial community changes in the context of species diversity conservation and soil fertility restoration.
{"title":"Tree species mixing enhances the diversity–function relationship in subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations","authors":"Yanfeng Bai, Mengyu Jiang, Yawen Zhao, Shoushuai Zhang, Yueqiao Li, Zhuowen Zhang, Chunqian Jiang, Yuhan Xu, Yongjian Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100426","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100426","url":null,"abstract":"Forest biodiversity enhances ecosystem functionality and underpins sustainable forest management by improving soil nutrient cycling. As a representative sustainable management practice, tree species mixing (TSM) increases this functionality by regulating plant-soil nutrient interactions. This study compared the effects of TSM management on stand features, plant diversity, and soil microbial properties across different developmental stages of <ce:italic>Cunninghamia lanceolata</ce:italic> plantations. The results demonstrated that TSM management significantly enhanced the overall functional efficiency of the ecosystem. Specifically, TSM management improved stand features and reduced competition intensity among trees, which increased α-diversity of each vegetation layer while decreasing its β-diversity. Furthermore, TSM management increased litter layer thickness and soil available phosphorus content, with the magnitude of these effects varying across different management stages. Concurrently, although there was a reduction in α-diversity of bacteria (Chao1: −7.3%; Shannon: −2.7%), soil core microbial community exhibited an enrichment of oligotrophic bacteria (<ce:italic>Acidibacter</ce:italic>: +29.1%) and an increase in core fungal taxa, a shift that enhanced the decomposition of organic matter (litter thickness: +27.8%) and the transformation of nutrients (available nitrogen (N): +32.6%). Structural equation modeling (SEM) further confirmed that TSM management primarily drives soil carbon accumulation through the “tree diversity–core bacterial community–microbial biomass” pathway. In summary, this study reveals that TSM management promotes forest plant diversity and improves litter and soil conditions at the cost of reducing α-diversity and increasing the soil core bacterial community, ultimately leading to enhanced overall ecosystem functional efficiency. This finding provides important guidance for optimizing the structure, function, and resilience of degraded Chinese fir plantations, and offers a scientific basis for future decisions on balancing microbial community changes in the context of species diversity conservation and soil fertility restoration.","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100423
Jiaxin Song , Decheng Zhou , Lu Hao , Jingfeng Xiao , Xing Li , Liangxia Zhang , Ge Sun
Mountain ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate change, as they regulate carbon–water dynamics that underpin critical ecosystem services. Satellite remote sensing serves as a powerful tool for large-scale monitoring in mountainous regions where ground-based measurements are scarce. However, it remains unclear how satellite-derived gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) vary with elevation and the magnitude of discrepancies across different datasets. This case study focuses on Nepal to systematically investigate the spatiotemporal consistency of six GPP products (EC-LUE, GOSIF, MODIS, MuSyQ, PML_v2, and VPM) and three ET products (ETMonitor, MODIS, and PML_v2) during 2001–2016, with validation against eddy covariance flux measurements. Our results indicate that no single dataset outperforms others across all elevational gradients. Based on the relatively superior datasets (VPM for GPP and PML_v2 for ET), we reveal a strong elevation dependence of GPP, ET, and water use efficiency (WUE = GPP/ET): The highest multi-year mean values are observed in lowland regions (<200 m), and the greatest interannual variability occurs in midland zones (1,000–3,000 m). Across most datasets, GPP and ET exhibit consistent upward trends, accompanied by a concurrent decline in WUE. Notably, at the pixel scale, only 11.2%, 33.3%, and 0.5% of terrestrial areas show consistent long-term trends in GPP, ET, and WUE, respectively. Such inconsistencies significantly hinder efforts to elucidate carbon–water coupling processes in mountainous ecosystems. Our findings indicate that sustained increases in vegetation productivity may exacerbate hydrological water loss in Nepal, while also underscoring the urgent need for targeted improvements to satellite-derived products.
{"title":"Comparison of multiple satellite-derived products for assessing vegetation productivity and evapotranspiration in Nepal: Toward understanding carbon and water coupling in a mountainous region","authors":"Jiaxin Song , Decheng Zhou , Lu Hao , Jingfeng Xiao , Xing Li , Liangxia Zhang , Ge Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mountain ecosystems are highly sensitive to climate change, as they regulate carbon–water dynamics that underpin critical ecosystem services. Satellite remote sensing serves as a powerful tool for large-scale monitoring in mountainous regions where ground-based measurements are scarce. However, it remains unclear how satellite-derived gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) vary with elevation and the magnitude of discrepancies across different datasets. This case study focuses on Nepal to systematically investigate the spatiotemporal consistency of six GPP products (EC-LUE, GOSIF, MODIS, MuSyQ, PML_v2, and VPM) and three ET products (ETMonitor, MODIS, and PML_v2) during 2001–2016, with validation against eddy covariance flux measurements. Our results indicate that no single dataset outperforms others across all elevational gradients. Based on the relatively superior datasets (VPM for GPP and PML_v2 for ET), we reveal a strong elevation dependence of GPP, ET, and water use efficiency (WUE = GPP/ET): The highest multi-year mean values are observed in lowland regions (<200 m), and the greatest interannual variability occurs in midland zones (1,000–3,000 m). Across most datasets, GPP and ET exhibit consistent upward trends, accompanied by a concurrent decline in WUE. Notably, at the pixel scale, only 11.2%, 33.3%, and 0.5% of terrestrial areas show consistent long-term trends in GPP, ET, and WUE, respectively. Such inconsistencies significantly hinder efforts to elucidate carbon–water coupling processes in mountainous ecosystems. Our findings indicate that sustained increases in vegetation productivity may exacerbate hydrological water loss in Nepal, while also underscoring the urgent need for targeted improvements to satellite-derived products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100423"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100425
Rudong Zhao , Yu Wu , Chang Liao , Yi li , Qiuxiang Tian , Qinghu Jiang , Xiaoxiang Zhao , Jing Fang , Canlan Jiang , Feng Liu
Nitrogen (N) deposition profoundly influences carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, integrated studies on dynamics of net ecosystem C stock (NEC) under N deposition in subtropical forests remain limited, creating uncertainty in assessing their C sequestration potential. We conducted a 6-year field experiment using a randomized block design to investigate the effects of N addition at three levels (0, 30, and 60 kg N·ha−1·year−1) on NEC and its components—aboveground C stock (AGC), belowground C stock (BGC), forest litter C stock (FLC), fine root C stock (FRC), and heterotrophic respiration C efflux (RhC). N addition significantly reduced AGC, BGC, FRC, and RhC, but increased FLC. As a result, NEC declined with N addition, with AGC contributing most to this reduction and FLC the least. The N-addition-induced reduction in soil water content appeared to be the primary driver of decreases in AGC and BGC and indirectly reduced FRC via suppressed fine root biomass. RhC dynamics were more strongly governed by fine root biomass than by microbial traits, thereby partially mitigating the NEC loss. While N addition rates had limited effects on NEC and most C stock components, RhC was significantly affected. These findings suggest that medium- to long-term N deposition may reduce the C sequestration capacity of subtropical forests. This study provides new insights for accurately assessing C sequestration potential under increasing N deposition.
氮沉降对陆地生态系统碳(C)循环有着深远的影响。然而,对亚热带森林净生态系统碳储量(NEC)在N沉降下动态的综合研究仍然有限,这给评估其碳固存潜力带来了不确定性。采用随机区组设计进行了为期6年的田间试验,研究了3个水平(0、30和60 kg N·ha−1·年−1)施氮对NEC及其组分(地上C库(AGC)、地下C库(BGC)、森林凋落物C库(FLC)、细根C库(FRC)和异养呼吸C外排(RhC))的影响。N的添加显著降低了AGC、BGC、FRC和RhC,但增加了FLC。结果表明,随着N的增加,NEC呈下降趋势,其中AGC对NEC的降低贡献最大,FLC的降低作用最小。n添加导致的土壤含水量降低是AGC和BGC降低的主要驱动因素,并通过抑制细根生物量间接降低FRC。与微生物性状相比,细根生物量对RhC动态的影响更大,从而在一定程度上减轻了NEC的损失。施氮量对NEC和大部分碳源组分的影响有限,但对RhC的影响显著。这些结果表明,中长期氮沉降可能会降低亚热带森林的碳固存能力。该研究为准确评估氮沉降增加下碳固存潜力提供了新的思路。
{"title":"Six years of nitrogen addition reduced ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity in a subtropical forest","authors":"Rudong Zhao , Yu Wu , Chang Liao , Yi li , Qiuxiang Tian , Qinghu Jiang , Xiaoxiang Zhao , Jing Fang , Canlan Jiang , Feng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2026.100425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) deposition profoundly influences carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, integrated studies on dynamics of net ecosystem C stock (NEC) under N deposition in subtropical forests remain limited, creating uncertainty in assessing their C sequestration potential. We conducted a 6-year field experiment using a randomized block design to investigate the effects of N addition at three levels (0, 30, and 60 kg N·ha<sup>−1</sup>·year<sup>−1</sup>) on NEC and its components—aboveground C stock (AGC), belowground C stock (BGC), forest litter C stock (FLC), fine root C stock (FRC), and heterotrophic respiration C efflux (RhC). N addition significantly reduced AGC, BGC, FRC, and RhC, but increased FLC. As a result, NEC declined with N addition, with AGC contributing most to this reduction and FLC the least. The N-addition-induced reduction in soil water content appeared to be the primary driver of decreases in AGC and BGC and indirectly reduced FRC via suppressed fine root biomass. RhC dynamics were more strongly governed by fine root biomass than by microbial traits, thereby partially mitigating the NEC loss. While N addition rates had limited effects on NEC and most C stock components, RhC was significantly affected. These findings suggest that medium- to long-term N deposition may reduce the C sequestration capacity of subtropical forests. This study provides new insights for accurately assessing C sequestration potential under increasing N deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100425"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100422
Xiao Zhang , Xinxiao Yu , Guodong Jia
Accurately assessing vegetation-hydrology interactions is crucial for water resource management, especially amidst climate change and ecological restoration. Using remote sensing observations (MODIS LAI) and GLEAM model outputs (evapotranspiration components, soil moisture (SM)) from 2000 to 2023 for China's Three-North (TN) region, we quantified the sensitivity of the transpiration fraction (TF, the ratio of transpiration to total evapotranspiration) to changes in leaf area index (LAI), denoted as θ = ∂TF/∂LAI. We employed an analytical approach combining SM and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) trends to evaluate the mechanisms governing θ′s response to increasing vegetation cover. Results show that while the TN region experienced a significant LAI increase (0.33 m2·m−2·decade−1), driving a continuous TF rise (1.44% decade−1), the sensitivity θ markedly decreased (−3.4% year−1), accumulating a 32% decline over 24 years. This reveals a clear diminishing return of LAI increase on enhancing TF. Regional VPD remained stable, with opposing effects from rising temperature and atmospheric moisture largely cancelling out. Crucially, the decline in θ was primarily governed by SM dynamics; θ decreased most sharply under soil drying conditions (Δθ up to −8%), whereas sufficient soil wetting buffered the decline. Sensitivity also varied across different combinations of SM and VPD trends, being lowest where SM increased, and VPD decreased. This study demonstrates a weakening hydrological feedback to vegetation restoration in the TN region, highlighting soil moisture availability as the key constraint limiting the ecosystem's capacity to regulate water vapor fluxes. These findings provide a critical basis for assessing ecological sustainability and informing adaptive water management strategies under future aridification.
{"title":"Soil moisture governs the weakening response of transpiration fraction to leaf area index increase: A spatiotemporal analysis in China's Three-North region","authors":"Xiao Zhang , Xinxiao Yu , Guodong Jia","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100422","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100422","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurately assessing vegetation-hydrology interactions is crucial for water resource management, especially amidst climate change and ecological restoration. Using remote sensing observations (MODIS LAI) and GLEAM model outputs (evapotranspiration components, soil moisture (SM)) from 2000 to 2023 for China's Three-North (TN) region, we quantified the sensitivity of the transpiration fraction (TF, the ratio of transpiration to total evapotranspiration) to changes in leaf area index (LAI), denoted as <em>θ</em> = ∂TF/∂LAI. We employed an analytical approach combining SM and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) trends to evaluate the mechanisms governing <em>θ</em>′s response to increasing vegetation cover. Results show that while the TN region experienced a significant LAI increase (0.33 m<sup>2</sup>·m<sup>−2</sup>·decade<sup>−1</sup>), driving a continuous TF rise (1.44% decade<sup>−1</sup>), the sensitivity <em>θ</em> markedly decreased (−3.4% year<sup>−1</sup>), accumulating a 32% decline over 24 years. This reveals a clear diminishing return of LAI increase on enhancing TF. Regional VPD remained stable, with opposing effects from rising temperature and atmospheric moisture largely cancelling out. Crucially, the decline in <em>θ</em> was primarily governed by SM dynamics; <em>θ</em> decreased most sharply under soil drying conditions (Δ<em>θ</em> up to −8%), whereas sufficient soil wetting buffered the decline. Sensitivity also varied across different combinations of SM and VPD trends, being lowest where SM increased, and VPD decreased. This study demonstrates a weakening hydrological feedback to vegetation restoration in the TN region, highlighting soil moisture availability as the key constraint limiting the ecosystem's capacity to regulate water vapor fluxes. These findings provide a critical basis for assessing ecological sustainability and informing adaptive water management strategies under future aridification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100422"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forests in the Himalaya occur across a huge elevational range up to the tree-line ecotone. Precipitation also varies strongly; it is usually high at the windward side and low at the leeward side of the central mountain chain. Our objectives were (a) to compare forest structures in the tree-line ecotones at the wind and leeward side, and (b) to test the predictability of forest structural complexity by topographic and climatic variables from lower elevations to the tree-line. The study was conducted in the Annapurna range with 90 plots in the tree-line ecotones and an additional 69 plots at lower elevations. Forest structure was assessed by mobile laser scanning. On the windward side, the tree-line ecotone forest was mainly composed of broad-leaved species such as Rhododendron campanulatum. The stands had a high number of stems, small crowns, low vertical stratification, and dense canopy cover. On the leeward side, the tree-line ecotone forest was predominantly composed of needle-leaved species, including Pinus wallichiana. The stands had a low number of stems, large crowns, greater vertical stratification, and an open canopy. Forest structural complexity, measured by the box dimension (Db) was similar at the tree-line on both sides. For all available plots (n = 159), generalized additive models explained up to 83% of the variation in Db with the variable elevation, precipitation, slope, and aspect. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis underlined the dominant influence of elevation, followed by precipitation on both Db and forest height. Overall, Db remained relatively stable up to 3,600 m a.s.l. and then abruptly declined. This contrasts with forest height, which had already declined earlier. Overall, our study highlights the differences between precipitation regimes and underscores the importance of topography and precipitation in shaping forest height and structural complexity differently in the Himalaya.
{"title":"Forest structures are shaped by elevation and precipitation in the Central Himalaya","authors":"Kishor Prasad Bhatta , Prakash Basnet , Alejandra Valdés-Uribe , Dominik Seidel , Dirk Hölscher","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forests in the Himalaya occur across a huge elevational range up to the tree-line ecotone. Precipitation also varies strongly; it is usually high at the windward side and low at the leeward side of the central mountain chain. Our objectives were (a) to compare forest structures in the tree-line ecotones at the wind and leeward side, and (b) to test the predictability of forest structural complexity by topographic and climatic variables from lower elevations to the tree-line. The study was conducted in the Annapurna range with 90 plots in the tree-line ecotones and an additional 69 plots at lower elevations. Forest structure was assessed by mobile laser scanning. On the windward side, the tree-line ecotone forest was mainly composed of broad-leaved species such as <em>Rhododendron campanulatum</em>. The stands had a high number of stems, small crowns, low vertical stratification, and dense canopy cover. On the leeward side, the tree-line ecotone forest was predominantly composed of needle-leaved species, including <em>Pinus wallichiana</em>. The stands had a low number of stems, large crowns, greater vertical stratification, and an open canopy. Forest structural complexity, measured by the box dimension (<em>D</em><sub>b</sub>) was similar at the tree-line on both sides. For all available plots (<em>n</em> = 159), generalized additive models explained up to 83% of the variation in <em>D</em><sub>b</sub> with the variable elevation, precipitation, slope, and aspect. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis underlined the dominant influence of elevation, followed by precipitation on both <em>D</em><sub>b</sub> and forest height. Overall, <em>D</em><sub>b</sub> remained relatively stable up to 3,600 m a.s.l. and then abruptly declined. This contrasts with forest height, which had already declined earlier. Overall, our study highlights the differences between precipitation regimes and underscores the importance of topography and precipitation in shaping forest height and structural complexity differently in the Himalaya.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100421"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Topographical variation shapes soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation, influencing soil nitrogen (N) flows, including fine root uptake. In this study, we quantified fine root uptake of inorganic N (NH4+ and NO3−) and its contribution to gross consumption in surface soils (0–2.5 cm) using in situ incubation on upslope and downslope positions in an acidic coniferous forest in Japan. We also examined differences in specific N transformation rates under incubations with severed roots (conventional soil cores (CSCs)) and those maintaining intact structures (virtual soil cores (VSCs)). Our results showed that fine roots in upslope positions had lower net NH4+ uptake (0.13 mg N·m−2·day−1) and contributed marginally (approximately 0.1%) to gross NH4+ consumption, whereas downslope positions exhibited notably higher contributions from fine root uptake and nitrification (approximately 30%). Microbial immobilization appeared to be the dominant pathway of NH4+ consumption on upslope positions, likely associated with the accumulation of SOM. Contrarily, variation in NO3− consumption pathways between slope positions was limited. Slope position exerted a pronounced effect on gross NH4+ consumption rates (F = 37.0; P < 0.001), with enhanced immobilization upslope. Gross nitrification rates in VSC were higher downslope. Additionally, they were significantly influenced by core type (F = 15.3; P < 0.01) and were elevated in the absence of intact fine roots on upslope positions, which was unlikely due to reduced root NH4+ uptake. Overall, these findings provide new field-based insights into the role of fine roots in ecosystem N strategies.
地形变化影响土壤有机质(SOM)积累,影响土壤氮(N)流动,包括细根吸收。在本研究中,我们量化了日本酸性针叶林表层土壤(0-2.5 cm)细根对无机氮(NH4+和NO3−)的吸收及其对总消耗的贡献。我们还研究了断根(传统土芯(CSCs))和保持完整结构(虚拟土芯(VSCs))孵育下特定N转化速率的差异。结果表明,上坡位置的细根对NH4+的净吸收量较低(0.13 mg N·m−2·day−1),对NH4+总消耗的贡献很小(约0.1%),而下坡位置的细根对NH4+的吸收和硝化作用的贡献明显较高(约30%)。微生物固定化似乎是上坡部位NH4+消耗的主要途径,可能与SOM的积累有关。相反,不同坡位间NO3−消耗路径的变化有限。坡位对总NH4+消耗率有显著影响(F = 37.0; P < 0.001),上坡固定作用增强。下坡VSC的总硝化速率较高。此外,它们受核心类型的显著影响(F = 15.3; P < 0.01),并且在上坡位置没有完整细根的情况下升高,这是由于根对NH4+的吸收减少而不太可能的。总的来说,这些发现为细根在生态系统氮策略中的作用提供了新的基于实地的见解。
{"title":"Effects of topography and fine roots on soil nitrogen transformations in acidic coniferous forest soils","authors":"Zixiao Wang , Makoto Shibata , Guoxiang Niu , Kozue Sawada , Han Lyu , Jinsen Zheng , Keitaro Fukushima , Shinya Funakawa","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Topographical variation shapes soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation, influencing soil nitrogen (N) flows, including fine root uptake. In this study, we quantified fine root uptake of inorganic N (NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) and its contribution to gross consumption in surface soils (0–2.5 cm) using <em>in situ</em> incubation on upslope and downslope positions in an acidic coniferous forest in Japan. We also examined differences in specific N transformation rates under incubations with severed roots (conventional soil cores (CSCs)) and those maintaining intact structures (virtual soil cores (VSCs)). Our results showed that fine roots in upslope positions had lower net NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> uptake (0.13 mg N·m<sup>−2</sup>·day<sup>−1</sup>) and contributed marginally (approximately 0.1%) to gross NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> consumption, whereas downslope positions exhibited notably higher contributions from fine root uptake and nitrification (approximately 30%). Microbial immobilization appeared to be the dominant pathway of NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> consumption on upslope positions, likely associated with the accumulation of SOM. Contrarily, variation in NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> consumption pathways between slope positions was limited. Slope position exerted a pronounced effect on gross NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> consumption rates (<em>F</em> = 37.0; <em>P</em> < 0.001), with enhanced immobilization upslope. Gross nitrification rates in VSC were higher downslope. Additionally, they were significantly influenced by core type (<em>F</em> = 15.3; <em>P</em> < 0.01) and were elevated in the absence of intact fine roots on upslope positions, which was unlikely due to reduced root NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> uptake. Overall, these findings provide new field-based insights into the role of fine roots in ecosystem N strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100420"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100418
Zhongtong Peng , Enzai Du , Yang Tang , Tao He , Yuehan Tian
Climate warming has reshaped the structure and function of global boreal forest with expected negative impacts at its southern margins. A warming hiatus has occurred in many high-latitude regions in recent decades, but its impacts on tree growth in the southern boreal forest remain unclear. We sampled tree rings of Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) in the southern boreal forest of the Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) and examined the trends of tree growth and its temporal stability based on the age-detrended basal area increment (BAI) for the periods of rapid warming (1962–1992) and warming hiatus (1993–2022). The results indicate that age-detrended BAI declined significantly during the warming period, while it showed no further decrease during the period of warming hiatus. Tree growth decline was associated with higher daily maximum air temperature in the main growing season and daily minimum air temperature in the non-growing season, as well as lower precipitation in the early growing season and daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season. During the warming hiatus, tree growth was positively regulated by the precipitation in the non-growing season, daily maximum air temperature in the early growing season, and daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season, but negatively affected by the daily maximum air temperature in the late growing season. Intriguingly, tree growth stability declined significantly during the warming period and recovered rapidly during the period of warming hiatus. The decline in tree growth stability was mainly explained by increasing daily minimum air temperature in the non-growing season. The recovery of tree growth stability was associated with lower precipitation in the non-growing season, higher interannual stability of daily maximum air temperature in the early growing season, higher interannual mean value and stability of daily maximum air temperature in the late growing season, and lower interannual mean value and stability of daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season. Our findings highlight a rapid recovery of tree growth stability instead of growth rate during the warming hiatus following a period of rapid warming and provide new insights into the decadal-scale resilience of the southern boreal forest in response to climate change.
{"title":"Radial growth and its temporal stability of Dahurian larch in the southern boreal forest: Divergent trends during climate warming and warming hiatus","authors":"Zhongtong Peng , Enzai Du , Yang Tang , Tao He , Yuehan Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate warming has reshaped the structure and function of global boreal forest with expected negative impacts at its southern margins. A warming hiatus has occurred in many high-latitude regions in recent decades, but its impacts on tree growth in the southern boreal forest remain unclear. We sampled tree rings of Dahurian larch (<em>Larix gmelinii</em>) in the southern boreal forest of the Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) and examined the trends of tree growth and its temporal stability based on the age-detrended basal area increment (BAI) for the periods of rapid warming (1962–1992) and warming hiatus (1993–2022). The results indicate that age-detrended BAI declined significantly during the warming period, while it showed no further decrease during the period of warming hiatus. Tree growth decline was associated with higher daily maximum air temperature in the main growing season and daily minimum air temperature in the non-growing season, as well as lower precipitation in the early growing season and daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season. During the warming hiatus, tree growth was positively regulated by the precipitation in the non-growing season, daily maximum air temperature in the early growing season, and daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season, but negatively affected by the daily maximum air temperature in the late growing season. Intriguingly, tree growth stability declined significantly during the warming period and recovered rapidly during the period of warming hiatus. The decline in tree growth stability was mainly explained by increasing daily minimum air temperature in the non-growing season. The recovery of tree growth stability was associated with lower precipitation in the non-growing season, higher interannual stability of daily maximum air temperature in the early growing season, higher interannual mean value and stability of daily maximum air temperature in the late growing season, and lower interannual mean value and stability of daily minimum air temperature in the main growing season. Our findings highlight a rapid recovery of tree growth stability instead of growth rate during the warming hiatus following a period of rapid warming and provide new insights into the decadal-scale resilience of the southern boreal forest in response to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100418"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145813932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100419
Brice B. Hanberry
Suitable climate for tree species currently located in Mexico may shift to the United States and Canada under future warming, resulting in the potential for tree species shifts, with new species gained in the USA and Canada and species losses in Mexico. To isolate dynamics, I modeled distributions of 184 commonly recorded wide-ranging or transboundary tree species of North America, including presence in Mexico, and 258 tree species primarily abundant in Mexico, including 51 endemic species, under current climate and predicted to three future climates (projected warming of 4.3–8.8 °C during 2071–2100 in North America). Secondarily, I identified patterns between species distributions and outcomes. Model accuracies were 0.98 for withheld samples, with coldest temperature as the most important variable. Species with distributions that were larger in area and lower in elevation (likely related to the modeling algorithm being able to locate more analogous climates) and higher in latitude (due to greater area in the northern North American continent) were more probable to expand distributions under warming temperatures. Predicted losses in suitable future climate conditions occurred for 36 of 184 wide-ranging species and 103 of 258 Mexican species. For wide-ranging species, losses occurred in Mexico and extended along the USA Gulf Coast, with gains in the western USA and Canada. For Mexican species, losses occurred south of Mexico, with gains in northern Mexico, the southeastern USA, and along the Pacific Coast from the USA to Canada. In Mexico, tree species overall continued to have suitable future climate conditions. In the USA, 38 of 184 wide-ranging species and 246 of 258 Mexican species may be gained in the future, and generally, predictions were for suitable climate conditions both now and in the future. In Canada, suitable future climate conditions for 35 of 184 wide-ranging species were predicted, of which 10 species were predicted to have suitable current climate conditions, and suitable future climate conditions for 80 of 258 Mexican species were predicted, of which 21 species were predicted to have suitable current climate conditions. Many tree species present in Mexico were predicted to already have a suitable current climate in the USA and Canada, which suggests a lag in ecosystem transition that may be addressed by current management to support biodiversity.
{"title":"Considering tree species of the future: Tree species in Mexico predicted to have suitable current climate in the United States and Canada","authors":"Brice B. Hanberry","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100419","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100419","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Suitable climate for tree species currently located in Mexico may shift to the United States and Canada under future warming, resulting in the potential for tree species shifts, with new species gained in the USA and Canada and species losses in Mexico. To isolate dynamics, I modeled distributions of 184 commonly recorded wide-ranging or transboundary tree species of North America, including presence in Mexico, and 258 tree species primarily abundant in Mexico, including 51 endemic species, under current climate and predicted to three future climates (projected warming of 4.3–8.8 °C during 2071–2100 in North America). Secondarily, I identified patterns between species distributions and outcomes. Model accuracies were 0.98 for withheld samples, with coldest temperature as the most important variable. Species with distributions that were larger in area and lower in elevation (likely related to the modeling algorithm being able to locate more analogous climates) and higher in latitude (due to greater area in the northern North American continent) were more probable to expand distributions under warming temperatures. Predicted losses in suitable future climate conditions occurred for 36 of 184 wide-ranging species and 103 of 258 Mexican species. For wide-ranging species, losses occurred in Mexico and extended along the USA Gulf Coast, with gains in the western USA and Canada. For Mexican species, losses occurred south of Mexico, with gains in northern Mexico, the southeastern USA, and along the Pacific Coast from the USA to Canada. In Mexico, tree species overall continued to have suitable future climate conditions. In the USA, 38 of 184 wide-ranging species and 246 of 258 Mexican species may be gained in the future, and generally, predictions were for suitable climate conditions both now and in the future. In Canada, suitable future climate conditions for 35 of 184 wide-ranging species were predicted, of which 10 species were predicted to have suitable current climate conditions, and suitable future climate conditions for 80 of 258 Mexican species were predicted, of which 21 species were predicted to have suitable current climate conditions. Many tree species present in Mexico were predicted to already have a suitable current climate in the USA and Canada, which suggests a lag in ecosystem transition that may be addressed by current management to support biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100419"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145813931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100417
Cremildo Dias , Papin Mucaleque , Cassamo Ismail , Aristides Mamba , Belto João , Jacinto Mafalacusser , Alberto Mussana
This study investigates the floristic diversity, structural attributes, and spatial organisation of woody communities in miombo woodlands within Gilé National Park (GNP) and Niassa Special Reserve (NSR), two protected areas in Mozambique characterised by contrasting ecological conditions and disturbance regimes. Using seven 1-ha permanent sampling plots (PSPs—three in GNP and four in NSR), we quantified horizontal and vertical forest structure, species diversity, and spatial patterns of trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm. The objectives were to compare the structure of tree communities (adults and juveniles), assess alpha diversity using Shannon, Simpson, and Hill numbers, analyze spatial distribution through classical aggregation indices (Payandeh, Morisita and Hazen), and evaluate floristic similarity using Bray–Curtis clustering. A total of 1,753 adult individuals (DBH ≥ 10 cm), representing 92 species across 23 families, were recorded. Based on observed values, NSR exhibited slightly higher adult species richness (58 vs. 55) and greater tree density for both adults (982 vs. 771 individuals⋅ha−1) and juveniles (1,160 vs. 540 individuals⋅ha−1), reflecting active regeneration and structural maturity. In contrast, GNP showed greater species evenness (Pielou's J = 0.77 vs. 0.73) and higher localized floristic heterogeneity. Dominant species such as Brachystegia spiciformis, Julbernardia globiflora, and Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia strongly influenced these structural patterns, shaping spatial organization and contributing nearly half of the total basal area. Most species displayed moderate intraspecific aggregation, with conspecific individuals often clustered locally, whereas overall tree spacing tended to be regular—indicating limited interspecific mixing and the coexistence of species-level aggregation with stand-level regularity. These findings highlight the ecological distinctiveness of both forest systems and reinforce the need to expand and establish more PSPs for long-term monitoring and adaptive forest management within the framework of REDD+ and national biodiversity strategies.
本文研究了莫桑比克gil国家公园(GNP)和Niassa特别保护区(NSR)内的miombo林地木本群落的区系多样性、结构属性和空间组织,这两个保护区具有截然不同的生态条件和干扰机制。利用7个1公顷永久样地(psps - 3个在GNP中,4个在NSR中),我们量化了胸径≥5 cm树木的水平和垂直森林结构、物种多样性和空间格局。目的是比较树木群落结构(成树和幼树),利用Shannon、Simpson和Hill数评估α多样性,利用经典聚集指数(Payandeh、Morisita、Hazen)分析空间分布,并利用bry - curtis聚类评估区系相似性。共记录到23科92种1753只成虫(胸径≥10 cm)。从观测值来看,NSR的成虫物种丰富度(58 vs. 55)略高,成虫(982 vs. 771 ind./ha)和幼树(1160 vs. 540 ind./ha)的树密度都略高,反映了活跃的更新和结构成熟。相比之下,GNP表现出更高的物种均匀性(Pielou’s J = 0.77 vs. 0.73)和更高的局域区系异质性。优势种Brachystegia spiciformis、Julbernardia globbiflora和pseudoolachnostylis maprouneifolia对这些结构格局产生了强烈的影响,塑造了空间组织,贡献了近一半的总面积。大多数物种表现出适度的种内聚集,同种个体通常在局部聚集,而整体树间距趋于规则,表明种间混合有限,种级聚集与林分级聚集并存。这些发现突出了两种森林系统的生态独特性,并强调需要在REDD+和国家生物多样性战略的框架内扩大和建立更多的psp,以进行长期监测和适应性森林管理。
{"title":"Floristic diversity and forest structure in two protected miombo woodlands: Insights from permanent plots in Gilé and Niassa, Mozambique","authors":"Cremildo Dias , Papin Mucaleque , Cassamo Ismail , Aristides Mamba , Belto João , Jacinto Mafalacusser , Alberto Mussana","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the floristic diversity, structural attributes, and spatial organisation of woody communities in miombo woodlands within Gilé National Park (GNP) and Niassa Special Reserve (NSR), two protected areas in Mozambique characterised by contrasting ecological conditions and disturbance regimes. Using seven 1-ha permanent sampling plots (PSPs—three in GNP and four in NSR), we quantified horizontal and vertical forest structure, species diversity, and spatial patterns of trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm. The objectives were to compare the structure of tree communities (adults and juveniles), assess alpha diversity using Shannon, Simpson, and Hill numbers, analyze spatial distribution through classical aggregation indices (Payandeh, Morisita and Hazen), and evaluate floristic similarity using Bray–Curtis clustering. A total of 1,753 adult individuals (DBH ≥ 10 cm), representing 92 species across 23 families, were recorded. Based on observed values, NSR exhibited slightly higher adult species richness (58 vs. 55) and greater tree density for both adults (982 vs. 771 individuals⋅ha<sup>−1</sup>) and juveniles (1,160 vs. 540 individuals⋅ha<sup>−1</sup>), reflecting active regeneration and structural maturity. In contrast, GNP showed greater species evenness (Pielou's <em>J</em> = 0.77 vs. 0.73) and higher localized floristic heterogeneity. Dominant species such as <em>Brachystegia spiciformis</em>, <em>Julbernardia globiflora</em>, and <em>Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia</em> strongly influenced these structural patterns, shaping spatial organization and contributing nearly half of the total basal area. Most species displayed moderate intraspecific aggregation, with conspecific individuals often clustered locally, whereas overall tree spacing tended to be regular—indicating limited interspecific mixing and the coexistence of species-level aggregation with stand-level regularity. These findings highlight the ecological distinctiveness of both forest systems and reinforce the need to expand and establish more PSPs for long-term monitoring and adaptive forest management within the framework of REDD+ and national biodiversity strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100417"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100416
Diwen Zheng , Yuyu Lu , Jingjing Xiao , Chaoyang Wu , Zhi Ding , Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim , Thieres George Freire da Silva , Xuguang Tang
In recent years, extreme climate events have occurred globally with increasing frequency, posing severe challenges to forest water cycles. Particularly during the summer of 2022, an unprecedented compound heatwave-drought (CHD) event swept through southern China, while the potential effect on subtropical forest ecosystems remains unclear. On the basis of three-year continuous eddy covariance (EC)-based water flux and climate observations at the subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests between 2021 and 2023, this study addressed to quantify the process and the degree of influence of such CHD event on the ratio of transpiration (T) to evapotranspiration (ET), T, ET, and cumulative (precipitation (P) − ET), respectively. In contrast to the adjacent years, water contents at different soil depths in the two forest types declined sharply during the summer of 2022. Large differences in the variation ranges of T/ET were revealed between the two forest types, and the evergreen forest (EBF) exhibited relatively mild seasonal fluctuations, whereas the deciduous forest (DBF) showed relatively higher T/ET, T, and ET in summertime. Subsequent analysis revealed that MODIS EVI time-series effectively captured the variability in these eco-hydrological parameters. Furthermore, divergent differences were observed about the CHD-induced stress. For the DBF, both ET and T increased significantly, resulting in a severe water deficit (cumulative (P − ET)) of approximately −116.31 mm in 2022. In contrast, the EBF experienced a substantial reduction in both ET and T, with a water deficit of only −26.34 mm in 2022. All these analyses provide mechanistic evidence of the divergent drought response strategies between subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests, and offer scientific support for optimizing forest water resource management and enhancing climate resilience.
{"title":"Compound heatwave-drought alters eco-hydrological processes in subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests","authors":"Diwen Zheng , Yuyu Lu , Jingjing Xiao , Chaoyang Wu , Zhi Ding , Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim , Thieres George Freire da Silva , Xuguang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100416","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100416","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, extreme climate events have occurred globally with increasing frequency, posing severe challenges to forest water cycles. Particularly during the summer of 2022, an unprecedented compound heatwave-drought (CHD) event swept through southern China, while the potential effect on subtropical forest ecosystems remains unclear. On the basis of three-year continuous eddy covariance (EC)-based water flux and climate observations at the subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests between 2021 and 2023, this study addressed to quantify the process and the degree of influence of such CHD event on the ratio of transpiration (<em>T</em>) to evapotranspiration (ET), <em>T</em>, ET, and cumulative (precipitation (<em>P</em>) − ET), respectively. In contrast to the adjacent years, water contents at different soil depths in the two forest types declined sharply during the summer of 2022. Large differences in the variation ranges of <em>T</em>/ET were revealed between the two forest types, and the evergreen forest (EBF) exhibited relatively mild seasonal fluctuations, whereas the deciduous forest (DBF) showed relatively higher <em>T</em>/ET, <em>T</em>, and ET in summertime. Subsequent analysis revealed that MODIS EVI time-series effectively captured the variability in these eco-hydrological parameters. Furthermore, divergent differences were observed about the CHD-induced stress. For the DBF, both ET and <em>T</em> increased significantly, resulting in a severe water deficit (cumulative (<em>P</em> − ET)) of approximately −116.31 mm in 2022. In contrast, the EBF experienced a substantial reduction in both ET and <em>T</em>, with a water deficit of only −26.34 mm in 2022. All these analyses provide mechanistic evidence of the divergent drought response strategies between subtropical evergreen and deciduous forests, and offer scientific support for optimizing forest water resource management and enhancing climate resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54270,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecosystems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100416"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}