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Forest structural diversity modulates tree growth synchrony in response to climate change

Astigarraga, Julen LU orcid ; Calatayud, Joaquín ; Ruiz-Benito, Paloma ; Madrigal-González, Jaime ; Tijerín-Triviño, Julián ; Zavala, Miguel A. ; Andivia, Enrique and Herrero, Asier (2025) In Forest Ecology and Management 579.
Abstract

Following centuries of deforestation, many industrialized countries have experienced an increase in forest area and biomass due to changes in land- and forest-use since the mid-20th century. At the same time, the impacts of climate change on forests are aggravating, but the interplay between past land- and forest-use (i.e. land- and forest-use legacies) and climate change in tree growth remains elusive. Tree growth synchrony, defined as the coincident increase in annual tree growth between different tree individuals over time, represents a comprehensive ecological measure of the level of environmental stress faced by forests, and consequently, can assess forest vulnerability to global change. Here using network theory and generalized... (More)

Following centuries of deforestation, many industrialized countries have experienced an increase in forest area and biomass due to changes in land- and forest-use since the mid-20th century. At the same time, the impacts of climate change on forests are aggravating, but the interplay between past land- and forest-use (i.e. land- and forest-use legacies) and climate change in tree growth remains elusive. Tree growth synchrony, defined as the coincident increase in annual tree growth between different tree individuals over time, represents a comprehensive ecological measure of the level of environmental stress faced by forests, and consequently, can assess forest vulnerability to global change. Here using network theory and generalized linear mixed models, we tested whether tree size heterogeneity, resulting from different land- and forest-use legacies (i.e. recently-established, long-established, recently-pruned pollards and old-pruned pollards), modulated tree growth synchrony in response to heatwaves frequency synchrony between 1970 and 2020. We analyzed tree growth data from European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands with different histories of forest management at the species’ low-latitude margin. We found increased tree growth synchrony under more frequent heatwaves and late spring frosts, and reduced precipitation. Interestingly, tree growth synchrony in response to heatwave frequency was modulated by tree size heterogeneity, with the highest synchrony observed in stands with low tree size heterogeneity, mainly found in recently-established forests. Conversely, stands with high tree size heterogeneity did not show important changes in synchrony with increasing heatwaves frequency. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining structurally diverse forests to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on forest productivity, and thereby, increase forest resilience to future forest climate risks.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Climatic stress, Dendroecology, Forest management, Forest structure, Land- and forest-use legacies, Network theory
in
Forest Ecology and Management
volume
579
article number
122505
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85215430799
ISSN
0378-1127
DOI
10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122505
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
id
13444674-c73e-4ba0-a932-07aa5a0a8d0a
date added to LUP
2025-03-25 13:14:04
date last changed
2025-05-20 15:31:40
@article{13444674-c73e-4ba0-a932-07aa5a0a8d0a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Following centuries of deforestation, many industrialized countries have experienced an increase in forest area and biomass due to changes in land- and forest-use since the mid-20th century. At the same time, the impacts of climate change on forests are aggravating, but the interplay between past land- and forest-use (i.e. land- and forest-use legacies) and climate change in tree growth remains elusive. Tree growth synchrony, defined as the coincident increase in annual tree growth between different tree individuals over time, represents a comprehensive ecological measure of the level of environmental stress faced by forests, and consequently, can assess forest vulnerability to global change. Here using network theory and generalized linear mixed models, we tested whether tree size heterogeneity, resulting from different land- and forest-use legacies (i.e. recently-established, long-established, recently-pruned pollards and old-pruned pollards), modulated tree growth synchrony in response to heatwaves frequency synchrony between 1970 and 2020. We analyzed tree growth data from European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands with different histories of forest management at the species’ low-latitude margin. We found increased tree growth synchrony under more frequent heatwaves and late spring frosts, and reduced precipitation. Interestingly, tree growth synchrony in response to heatwave frequency was modulated by tree size heterogeneity, with the highest synchrony observed in stands with low tree size heterogeneity, mainly found in recently-established forests. Conversely, stands with high tree size heterogeneity did not show important changes in synchrony with increasing heatwaves frequency. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining structurally diverse forests to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on forest productivity, and thereby, increase forest resilience to future forest climate risks.</p>}},
  author       = {{Astigarraga, Julen and Calatayud, Joaquín and Ruiz-Benito, Paloma and Madrigal-González, Jaime and Tijerín-Triviño, Julián and Zavala, Miguel A. and Andivia, Enrique and Herrero, Asier}},
  issn         = {{0378-1127}},
  keywords     = {{Climatic stress; Dendroecology; Forest management; Forest structure; Land- and forest-use legacies; Network theory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Forest Ecology and Management}},
  title        = {{Forest structural diversity modulates tree growth synchrony in response to climate change}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122505}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122505}},
  volume       = {{579}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}