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…
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…
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…
María Natalia Umaña and Inés Ibañez, University of Michigan, discuss their article: How do drought and elevated temperatures influence CO2 fertilization effects on tree seedling performance? A global meta-analysis Climate change is not happening one thing at a time. In forests across the globe, seedlings are already experiencing a mix of higher atmospheric CO₂, rising…
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…
Yumei Pan, Xiaojuan Liu, Michael Staab, and Naili Zhang, Beijing Forestry University in China, discuss their article: Soil carbon sequestration: Facilitated effect of extrafloral nectary trees in a diverse subtropical forest Carbon: Crucial role in climate change mitigation Soil organic matter dynamics and carbon sequestration are critical for mitigating climate change. Forest soils, which account…
Anaïs Gorel, University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech in Belgium, discusses their article: Leaf habit, maximum height, and wood density of tropical woody flora in Africa: phylogenetic constraints, covariation, and responses to seasonal drought How do African trees cope with drought? Tropical Africa is home to a remarkable diversity of trees, ranging from towering giants in…
Raissa Jardim, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, describes her article: Unveiling above- and below-ground ecological strategies that underlie woody plant encroachment in grasslands, in both English and Portuguese. Woody plant encroachment in forest-grassland mosaics Forests and grasslands aren’t always neatly separated ecosystems. In many places they coexist side by side, creating beautiful but complex mosaics…
Guangqi Zhang, UMR SILVA – INRAE, Grand-Est Nancy Research Center, discusses his article: Analyzing resilience of European beech tree to recurrent extreme drought events through ring growth, wood anatomy and stable isotopes As the climate warms, extreme weather events like droughts are expected to become more frequent and intense. A recent extreme and recurrent drought…
Douglas Sheil, Forest Ecology and Forest Management Chair Group, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands, discusses his article: A simple competition model can predict rainforest tree diversity, species abundance and ecosystem functions Many tropical forests are remarkably diverse, often supporting hundreds of tree species in just a few hectares. But how can so many species…
jecologyblog.com 