Journal Article

Recruitment drives successional changes in the community-level leaf mass per area in a winter-deciduous broad-leaf forest

Hirao, Toshihide, Suzuki, Satoshi N.

2018

Overview

Aims: Leaf mass per area (LMA) is an important functional trait that can be measured in order to position a species along the resource acquisition–conservation continuum. However, the function of LMA in terms of shade tolerance in deciduous species remains controversial; therefore, how the community-level LMA composition changes during forest succession is not clear in forests dominated by deciduous trees. Herein, we examined how the community-level LMA changes during succession in winter-deciduous broad-leaf forests using long-term data of stem dynamics along a secondary successional chronosequence. Location: Cool temperate forests, central Japan. Methods: We used tree census data from 15 permanent plots with a stand age range of 17–81 years at the initial census, in which measurements were taken for 25 or 30 years at 5- or 10-year intervals. Species-specific LMAs were measured in the same geographic region. Results: Species-specific LMAs were negatively correlated with the estimated year in which the species was most abundant during the secondary succession, suggesting that species with low LMAs have high shade tolerance. Consistent with this, the CWM of LMA gradually decreased during secondary succession. We found that the recruitment of late successional species with low LMA, especially at mid-successional stages, drove changes in the CWM of LMA, while mortality occurred irrespective of LMA. Conclusion: Our results illustrate the detailed dynamic processes of the community-level composition of LMA across succession and demonstrate that tree recruitment contributes to increase in the CWM of LMA during the secondary succession of winter-deciduous broad-leaf forests.

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd,Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subject: Census / census data / Chronosequence / chronosequences / Communities / Composition / Deciduous forests / Deciduous trees / demographic process / Ecological succession / forest succession / Forests / Japan / leaf mass / leaf mass per area / Leaves / long‐term data / mortality / Position measurement / Recruitment / secondary succession / Shade / shade tolerance / Species / species recruitment / specific leaf area / stand age / Temperate forests / trees / Wildlife conservation / Winter / winter‐deciduous broadleaf forest