Adam Weiler, Indiana University, discusses his article: Seeing the forest for all the trees: Mycorrhizal-associated nutrient economies are modulated by stem density and the synchrony between overstorey and understorey tree communities When we think about how forests influence the soil beneath them, it’s easy to picture the towering overstorey trees that define a woodland. These…
Rongxu Shan and Zilong Ma from Sun Yat-sen University, and Han Y.H. Chen from Lakehead University discuss their article: Functional traits and individual tree growth relationship weakens with stand development but strengthens with increasing temperature. Forests are far more than just collections of trees: they are vibrant, dynamic ecosystems where each tree’s growth strategy plays…
Kauane Bordin, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, discusses her article: Growth–survival trade-off in temperate trees is weak and restricted to late-successional stages Temperate forests, such as those in the U.S. and Europe, are a huge part of Earth’s lungs. They provide habitat for countless species, store massive amounts of carbon that help…
Julissa Roja-Sandoval, University of Connecticut, discusses her article: Plant-pollinator interactions in a tropical dry forest: Spatiotemporal shifts in floral trait importance When we think about flowers and pollinators, it’s easy to imagine a perfect match: hummingbirds visiting red tubular flowers, bees buzzing around open yellow blooms, or butterflies sipping nectar from flowers with long tubes.…
Mégane Déziel, Université du Québec à Montréal, discusses her article: Resolving the Effects of Functional Traits on Tree Growth Rates: The Influence of Temporal Dynamics and Divergent Strategies by Leaf Habit Functional ecology has long assumed that variation in tree growth reflects differences in functional traits, which serve as proxies for resource acquisition and investment…
Jie Li, Beijing Forestry University in China, discusses their article: Cross-scale effects of multi-strata plant diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality in temperate forests What makes a forest thrive? While we often admire towering trees in a forest, what happens under their shade—the herbs, ferns, and small plants carpeting the forest floor—can be just as important. In…
Damla Cinoğlu and Caroline Farrior, University of Texas at Austin, discuss their article: Small disturbances and subsequent competition for light can maintain a diversity of demographic strategies in a neotropical forest: Results from model-data integration Tropical forests are one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They are fundamental for managing the global carbon budget and…
Mark Vellend, from Université de Sherbrooke, and Hasanki Gamhewa, from the Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario, Canada, discuss their article: The duration of high spring light for understory plants: Contrasting responses to spatial and temporal temperature variation Early spring is the best time for field work in the deciduous forests of southern Québec. The…
Songbo Tang, Jianyang Xia, and Liming Yan, East China Normal University, discusses their article: Long-term drought triggers contrasting responses of foliar stable nitrogen isotopes and soil available nitrogen in a subtropical forest Introduction: The Hidden Link Between Drought and Nitrogen Dynamics As climate change intensifies, drought events increasingly threaten the functionality of global forest ecosystems.…
Wenjin Wang, Zhejiang University in China, discusses their article: Seasonal climate variations drive decoupling between the duration and amount of xylem growth along a hydrothermal gradient in the southern Altai Mountains Climate change is transforming forests across the world. A key question many ecologists and forest managers are asking is: will warmer temperatures lead to…
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