Disturbance‐accelerated succession increases the production of a temperate forest

TitleDisturbance‐accelerated succession increases the production of a temperate forest
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsGough CM, Bohrer G, Hardiman BS, Nave LE, Vogel CS, Atkins JW, Bond‐Lamberty B, Fahey RT, Fotis AT, Grigri MS, Haber LT, Ju Y, Kleinke CL, Mathes KC, Nadelhoffer KJ, Stuart‐Haëntjens E, Curtis PS
JournalEcological Applications
Date PublishedJun-07-2022
ISSN1051-0761
Abstract

Many secondary deciduous forests of eastern North America are approaching a transition in which mature early successional trees are declining, resulting in an uncertain future for this century-long carbon (C) sink. We initiated the Forest Accelerated Succession Experiment (FASET) at the University of Michigan Biological Station to examine the patterns and mechanisms underlying forest C cycling following the stem girdling-induced mortality of >6,700 early successional Populus spp. (aspen) and Betula papyrifera (paper birch). Meteorological flux tower-based C cycling observations from the 33-ha treatment forest have been paired with those from a nearby unmanipulated forest since 2008. Following over a decade of observations, we revisit our core hypothesis: that net ecosystem production (NEP) would increase following the transition to mid-late successional species dominance due to increased canopy structural complexity. Supporting our hypothesis, NEP was stable, briefly declined, and then increased relative to the control in the decade following disturbance; however, increasing NEP was not associated with rising structural complexity but rather with a rapid 1-year recovery of total leaf area index as mid-late successional Acer, Quercus, and Pinus assumed canopy dominance. The transition to mid-late successional species dominance improved carbon-use efficiency (CUE = NEP/gross primary production) as ecosystem respiration declined. Similar soil respiration rates in control and treatment forests, along with species differences in leaf physiology and the rising relative growth rates of mid-late successional species in the treatment forest, suggest changes in aboveground plant respiration and growth were primarily responsible for increases in NEP. We conclude that deciduous forests transitioning from early to middle succession are capable of sustained or increased NEP, even when experiencing extensive tree mortality. This adds to mounting evidence that aging deciduous forests in the region will function as C sinks for decades to come.

URLhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2417
DOI10.1002/eap.2417
Short TitleEcol Appl
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