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Rank reversals in tree growth along tree size, competition and climatic gradients for four forest canopy dominant species in Central Spain

Interversion de rangs dans la croissance des arbres en relation avec la taille de l’arbre, la compétition et les gradients climatiques pour quatre espèces forestières dominantes dans la canopée

Annals of Forest Science volume 65, page 605 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

  • • Interspecific differences in tree growth patterns with respect to biotic and abiotic factors are key for understanding forest structure and dynamics, and predicting potential changes under climate change.

  • • Repeated observations from the Spanish Forest Inventory (SFI) were used to parameterize maximum likelihood estimators of tree growth as a function of tree size, competition indices and climate for Pinus pinaster, P. sylvestris, Quercus ilex and Q. pyrenaica.

  • • Significant responses to both biotic and abiotic factors were found, with interspecific differences in species performance along competition, temperature and precipitation gradients. Q. ilex was the species most tolerant to competition while P. pinaster was the species most sensitive to climatic variation. Species relative positions shifted along gradients of these factors with rank reversals in species performance along size, competition and climatic gradients.

  • • The results based on average growth matched previous forestry classifications and experimental studies on relative growth rate (RGR).

  • • When examining growth along studied abiotic and biotic gradients, a mismatch was found between species performance ranks as predicted by our models and information derived from previous knowledge. Those discrepancies highlight the relevance of ontogeny and environmental heterogeneity in defining species performance along competition gradients.

Résumé

  • • Les différences interspécifiques dans les modèles de croissance des arbres, pour ce qui concerne les facteurs biotiques et abiotiques, sont des clés pour la compréhension des structures et des dynamiques forestières, et pour prédire les changement potentiels avec le changement climatique.

  • • Des observations répétées de l’Inventaire Forestier Espagnol (SFI) ont été utilisées pour paramétrer les estimateurs de probabilité maximum de croissance des arbres comme une fonction de la taille de l’arbre, des indices de compétition et du climat pour Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus ilex et Quercus pyrenaica.

  • • Des réponses significatives aux facteurs biotiques et abiotiques ont été trouvées, avec des différences interspécifiques pour les performances des espèces en relation avec la compétition, les gradients de température et de précipitations. Quercus ilex a été l’espèce la plus tolérante à la compétition tandis que Pinus pinaster a été l’espèce la plus sensible aux variations climatiques. Les positions relatives des espèces ont changé en relation avec les gradients de ces facteurs avec des interversions de rang pour les performances des espèces en relation avec la taille, la compétition et les gradients climatiques.

  • • Les résultats basés sur la moyenne de croissance sont en adéquation avec la classification forestière antérieure et les études expérimentales sur le taux relatif de croissance (RGR).

  • • En examinant la croissance en relations avec les gradients biotiques et abiotiques étudiés, il a été trouvé une disparité entre les rangs de performance des espèces prédits par nos modèles et les informations provenant des connaissances antérieures. Ces divergences soulignent l’importance de l’ontogénie et de l’hétérogénéité environnementale pour la détermination des performances des espèces en relation avec les gradients de compétition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecologîa, Universidad de Alcalâ, Edificio de Ciencias, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona km 33.6, E-28871, Alcalá de Henares, Spain

    David Sánchez-Gomez, Miguel A. Zavala & Itziar R. Urbieta

  2. Centro de Investigación Forestal (CIFOR), INIA, Crta. Coruña Km 7,5, E-28040, Madrid, Spain

    David Sánchez-Gomez & Miguel A. Zavala

  3. Business Unit Biosciences / Leiden Amsterdam Centre for Drug Research, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) Quality of Life, PO Box 360 (PP 8), 3700, AJ, Zeist, The Netherlands

    Daniël B. Van Schalkwijk

  4. Institute de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, PO Box 1052, E-41080, Sevilla, Spain

    Itziar R. Urbieta

  5. Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales C.S.I.C. Serrano 115 dpdo, Institute de Recursos Naturales, E-28006, Madrid, Spain

    Fernando Valladares

  6. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnológicas, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/ Tulipán s/n, E28933, Móstoles, Spain

    Fernando Valladares

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  1. David Sánchez-Gomez
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  2. Miguel A. Zavala
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Correspondence to Miguel A. Zavala.

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Sánchez-Gomez, D., Zavala, M.A., Van Schalkwijk, D.B. et al. Rank reversals in tree growth along tree size, competition and climatic gradients for four forest canopy dominant species in Central Spain. Ann. For. Sci. 65, 605 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2008040

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Annals of Forest Science

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