• Zur Hauptnavigation springen
  • Skip to main content
  • Zur Fußzeile springen

Naturwald Akademie

Forschung aus Liebe zum Wald

  • DE
  • Contact
  • About
  • Studies
  • Forestry
  • Summer school
Lesedauer ca. 2 Minuten
Start Studies Biodiversity promotes forest growth

Species richness in the neighbourhood promotes forest growth

In the “BEF-China” biodiversity experiment, researchers from Germany and China have been investigating for ten years how the diversity of tree species in forest ecosystems influences the coexistence and growth performance of trees. More than 400,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in China on an area of about 50 hectares. In the meantime, many trees are 10 to 15 metres high and the treetops have developed a canopy, some of which is tightly closed.

  • Auf Facebook teilen
  • Auf Twitter teilen
  • Per E-Mail teilen

The study now shows that tree individuals in a species-rich neighborhood grow much better and produce more wood than those who are surrounded by their peers, i.e. individuals of the same species. It becomes so clear that the interaction of a tree with its immediate neighbours also leads to a much higher productivity of forest stands. In addition, the “coexistence” of neighbouring trees explains more than 50% of the productivity of a forest stand. The importance of neighborhood relationships for productivity increased as the number of tree species at stand level increased.

The research team was also able to decipher which mechanisms in species-rich stands lead to an increase in the amount of wood produced by individual trees: Their findings show that the neighborly competition between the trees can not only be weakened with increasing species richness, but that the trees even support each other in their growth, for example by improving the microclimatic conditions or by a positive interaction of the fungal partners living in the soil.

Comment

These findings show that the coexistence of the neighbouring trees and their small-scale interactions explains how a species-rich mixed forest grows over the entire area. For afforestation on degraded areas, results are faster and better if species-rich mixtures of native tree species are used on a small-scale scale instead of the usual monocultures. In addition, the findings show how important it is today to protect biodiversity effectively in the long term. This supports not only the functioning of ecosystems in a variety of ways, but also the ecosystem services used by humans, such as the production of wood.

Complement: In the previous study (same experiment), the authors go into the mechanisms of neighbourhood interactions in more detail: Andreas Fichtner, Werner Härdtle, Ying Li, Helge Bruelheide, Matthias Kunz and Goddert von Oheimb (2017): From competition to facilitation: How tree species respond to neighbourhood diversity. Ecology Letters 20, 892-900.

Note: The authors Fichtner, Härdtle and Oheimb are also members of the scientific advisory board of the Naturwald Akademie.

Source

A. Fichtner, W. Härdtle, H. Bruelheide, M. Kunz, Ying Li und G. v. Oheimb (2018): Neighbourhood interactions drive overyielding in mixed-species tree communities. Nature Communications 9:1144. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018- 03529-w

 

 

 

 

This might also be of interest to you

Students and young professionals: Meet the experts in Natural Forestry and Ecology. At the European Natural Forest School, experts in forestry and forest conservation from institutions across Europe will gather to share their knowledge, skills and experience.
Studies
24. 01. 2022

Join our annual summer school in Natural Forestry and Ecology

Lesedauer ca. < 1 Minute Students and young professionals: Meet the experts in Natural Forestry and Ecology. At the European Natural Forest School, experts in forestry and forest conservation from institutions across Europe will gather to share their knowledge, skills and experience.

Read more
Wald in China
Studies
21. 12. 2021

Quality over quantity – primeval forests store carbon in the soil sustainably

Lesedauer ca. 3 Minuten Study: How does leaf litter affect soil organic carbon? Currently, there is an assumption that higher litter fall also implies higher soil carbon. Incorrectly, litter quality is rarely taken into account.

Read more
A study shows that the forest ecosystem shapes its environment, such as the microclimate or soil properties, to a greater extent than previously assumed. By influencing the environmental factors, the forest community as a whole is strengthened at the same time.
Studies
7. 07. 2021

How the forest ecosystem shapes its abiotic conditions and thereby itself

Lesedauer ca. 3 Minuten A study shows that the forest ecosystem shapes its environment, such as the microclimate or soil properties, to a greater extent than previously assumed. By influencing the environmental factors, the forest community as a whole is strengthened at the same time.

Read more

Footer

Contact us

Science and Research

Naturwald Akademie gGmbH
Alt Lauerhof 1
D-23568 Lübeck
Tel. + 49 (0)451 69 39 80 56
luebeck@naturwald-akademie.org

Management and Public Relations

Naturwald Akademie gGmbH
Bleibtreustraße 17
D-10623 Berlin
Tel. +49 (0)30 88 91 70 88
berlin@naturwald-akademie.org

Naturwald Akademie is a non-profit limited company, registered in Berlin, Germany. The tax office for corporations I Berlin certified the Naturwald Akademie’s non-profit status on 25.05.2016. We can issue a donation receipts for donations. Donations are usually tax deductible in Germany.

Imprint | Privacy policy

MENU
  • Forschung
    • Unsere Projekte
    • Waldmonitor
    • Internationale Studien
    • Summer School
    • Naturwald Preis für Studierende
    • Projekte mit Schulen
    • Naturschutz
    • Klimawandel
    • Biodiversität
    • Gesundheit
    • Waldwirtschaft
  • Waldbau
    • Ökologischer Waldbau
    • Orientierungskarte für den Waldumbau
    • Liste der Waldtypen
    • Waldschadensmonitor
    • Förderungen
  • Waldwissen
    • WaldLeben
    • WaldVerstehen
    • WaldDiskurs
    • WaldWasser
    • WaldPortraits
    • WaldPersönlichkeiten
    • WaldGesundheit
    • WaldInitiative
    • Lesetipps
    • Videos
    • News
    • Unsere Publikationen
    • Waldschäden melden
    • Waldlexikon
  • Spenden
  • Wir
    • Ziele der Akademie
    • Methoden
    • Satzung
    • Aktuelle Positionen
    • Das Team
    • Unser Beirat
    • Kontakt
  • Presse
    • Pressemitteilungen
    • Publikationen
    • Bildmaterial
      • Grafiken
      • Menschen
      • Wald und Bäume
      • Tiere
      • Forschung
  • Newsletter
  • Fragen
  • Leichte Sprache
  • Impressum
  • zu waldreport.de
  • EN
  • About
  • Studies
  • Forestry
  • Summer school
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • DE