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SUMMARY:Stabilizing effects of diversity on aboveground wood production in
  forest ecosystems: from patterns to processes  - Tommaso Jucker (Coomes l
 ab)
DTSTART:20140508T153000Z
DTEND:20140508T160000Z
UID:TALK51404@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Megan Cooper
DESCRIPTION:Both theory and empirical evidence support the hypothesis that
  diversity stabilizes productivity in primary producer communities. In mod
 el systems such as grasslands\, stabilizing effects have been linked to th
 ree key processes: species asynchrony\, overyielding and species interacti
 ons. However\, it is unclear whether these same mechanisms also promote st
 ability in other plant communities. Using tree ring data from permanent fo
 rests plots\, we explore the relationship between diversity and abovegroun
 d wood production (AWP) in forests across Europe. We show that although di
 versity has a strong stabilizing effect on AWP\, the processes behind this
  positive association differ from those acting in other\, more dynamic\, s
 ystems. Of the three mechanisms we tested\, only overyielding was found to
  operate in much the same way as previously reported by other studies\, an
 d emerged as a general\, albeit weak\, stabilizing force. Asynchrony in sp
 ecies responses to fluctuating environmental conditions was strongly stabi
 lizing. However\, its effects were largely limited by the slow turnover ra
 tes which characterize forest ecosystems. For this very reason we also fou
 nd that species interactions tended to promote – rather than deter – s
 tability in individual species growth rates\, the opposite of what is gene
 rally found in grasslands. Together\, our results shed light on the centra
 l role of diversity as a driver of AWP stability in forests\, and bring us
  closer to linking patterns and processes in natural ecosystems. 
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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