Valentin Graf, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, discusses his article: Relative importance of range position, seed size, and genetic diversity for tree recruitment at alpine range edges Climate change is rapidly altering ecosystems, pushing many species to adapt or move to cooler environments. In mountains, this often means shifting to higher elevations,…
Jiarong Yang and Yu Liu, East China Normal University, discuss their article: Rare tree species host a high diversity of rhizosphere fungi Forest ecosystems are intricate webs of life where trees and their root-associated fungi form a delicate balance. One question that remains, is whether and how tree species abundance influences the fungal communities that…
Nohemi Huanca-Nunez, Yale University, discusses her article: Integrated demographic strategies are more strongly associated with variation in conspecific density dependence than single traits in tropical tree seedlings, in both English and Spanish. A long-standing question in plant ecology is how so many tree species can coexist in tropical forests. A key part of the answer…
Laura Matas-Granados, Autonomous University of Madrid, discusses her article: Species functional traits affect regional and local dominance across western Amazonian forests Lowland forests in western Amazonia are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, harbouring hundreds of tree species living side by side. Despite this exceptional diversity, only a few tree species dominate these forests,…
Lukas Meysick, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, discusses his article: Facilitation and constraint: Wave exposure and intraspecific interactions influence mangrove seedling morphology and resistance to dislodgement When mangrove forests come to mind, many people picture tropical coasts lined with diverse tree communities, sometimes consisting of more than 20 species in a single region. With this…
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…
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