Predicting the effects of climate change on tree species and communities is critical for understanding the future state of our forested ecosystems. We used a fully factorial precipitation (three levels; ambient, -50 % ambient, +50 % ambient) by warming (four levels; up to +4 °C) experiment in an old-field ecosystem in the northeastern USA to study the climatic sensitivity of seedlings of six native tree species. We measured whole plant-level responses: survival, total leaf area (TLA), seedling insect herbivory damage, as well as leaf-level responses: specific leaf area (SLA), leaf-level water content (LWC), foliar nitrogen (N) concentration, foliar carbon (C) concentration and C:N ratio of each of these deciduous species in each treatment across a single growing season. We found that canopy warming dramatically increased the sensitivity of plant growth (measured as TLA) to rainfall across all species. Warm, dry conditions consistently reduced TLA and also reduced leaf C:N in four species (, , , ), primarily as a result of reduced foliar C, not increased foliar N. Interestingly, these conditions also harmed the other two species in different ways, increasing either mortality () or herbivory (). Specific leaf area and LWC varied across species, but did not show strong treatment responses. Our results indicate that, in the northeastern USA, dry years in a future warmer environment could have damaging effects on the growth capacity of these early secondary successional forests, through species-specific effects on leaf production (total leaves and leaf C), herbivory and mortality.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/ply003 | DOI Listing |
Curr Biol
January 2025
Department of Coevolution of Land Use and Urbanisation, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, 07745 Jena, Germany; School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines, Quezon City 1101, the Philippines. Electronic address:
The Amazon rainforest is characterized by a limited number of hyperdominant trees that play an oversized role in its ecosystems, nutrient cycle, and rainfall production. Some of these, such as the Brazil nut, appear to have been intensively exploited and dispersed by Indigenous populations since their earliest arrival in this part of South America around 13,000 years ago. However, the genetic diversity-and geographic structure-of these species remains poorly understood, as does their exact relationship with past human land use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Manage
January 2025
School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, 4111, Australia.
Street and park trees often endure harsher conditions, including increased temperatures and drier soil and air, than those found in urban or natural forests. These conditions can lead to shorter lifespans and a greater vulnerability to dieback. This literature review aimed to identify confirmed causes of street and park tree dieback in urban areas from around the world.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
Agroforestry systems are known to enhance soil health and climate resilience, but their impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rubber-based agroforestry systems across diverse configurations is not fully understood. Here, six representative rubber-based agroforestry systems (encompassing rubber trees intercropped with arboreal, shrub, and herbaceous species) were selected based on a preliminary investigation, including Hevea brasiliensis intercropping with Alpinia oxyphylla (AOM), Alpinia katsumadai (AKH), Coffea arabica (CAA), Theobroma cacao (TCA), Cinnamomum cassia (CCA), and Pandanus amaryllifolius (PAR), and a rubber monoculture as control (RM). Soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and GHG emission characteristics were determined at 0-20 cm soil depth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.
Soil seed bank (SSB) is valuable reserves of seeds hidden in the soil and are especially important for the preservation and establishment of vegetation under adverse environmental conditions. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the effects of restoration measures on SSB, especially in arid ecosystems. Here, we assess the impacts of oil mulching (1 and 3 years after mulching) and plantations (15-year-old) on the diversity and composition of SSB and aboveground vegetation (AGV) in comparison with those in non-restored areas (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenomics
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Laboratory of Forest Silviculture and Tree Cultivation, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China. Electronic address:
Gleditsia sinensis Lam. (G. sinensis) as an important species within the Leguminosae family, has been utilized in Chinese medicine for centuries, and its thorns serve as a chief medicinal ingredient.
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