Showing papers by "Andy Hector published in 2021"
Université du Québec à Montréal1, Université du Québec en Outaouais2, University of Freiburg3, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ4, Ghent University5, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg6, Food and Agriculture Organization7, University of Minnesota8, Leipzig University9, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte10, Université de Sherbrooke11, University of São Paulo12, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute13, University of Oxford14, University of the French West Indies and Guiana15, University of Bordeaux16, Royal Holloway, University of London17, University of Göttingen18, Central Maine Community College19, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven20, University of Alberta21, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center22, University of Western Australia23, Université catholique de Louvain24, McGill University25, University of Sydney26, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences27
TL;DR: In this article, the authors point out the increasing scientific evidence for increased resilience and ecosystem service provision of functionally and species diverse planted forests compared to monospecific ones and propose five concrete steps to foster the adoption of diverse planted forest.
Abstract: As of 2020, the world has an estimated 290 million ha of planted forests and this number is continuously increasing. Of these, 131 million ha are monospecific planted forests under intensive management. Although monospecific planted forests are important in providing timber, they harbor less biodiversity and are potentially more susceptible to disturbances than natural or diverse planted forests. Here, we point out the increasing scientific evidence for increased resilience and ecosystem service provision of functionally and species diverse planted forests (hereafter referred to as diverse planted forests) compared to monospecific ones. Furthermore, we propose five concrete steps to foster the adoption of diverse planted forests: (1) improve awareness of benefits and practical options of diverse planted forests among land-owners, managers, and investors; (2) incentivize tree species diversity in public funding of afforestation and programs to diversify current maladapted planted forests of low diversity; (3) develop new wood-based products that can be derived from many different tree species not yet in use; (4) invest in research to assess landscape benefits of diverse planted forests for functional connectivity and resilience to global-change threats; and (5) improve the evidence base on diverse planted forests, in particular in currently under-represented regions, where new options could be tested.
82 citations
University of Minnesota1, Utah State University2, Spanish National Research Council3, Iowa State University4, Trinity College, Dublin5, University of Toronto6, University of New Mexico7, University of Colorado Boulder8, Agricultural Research Service9, Queensland University of Technology10, Mammal Research Institute11, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg12, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ13, Utrecht University14, University of Oxford15, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University16, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center17, Doane College18, University of Guelph19, University of Kentucky20, Monash University, Clayton campus21, La Trobe University22, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation23, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research24, Lancaster University25
TL;DR: It is suggested that short-term experiments may underestimate the long-term nutrient enrichment effects on global, grassland ecosystems, as nutrient effects on live biomass increased more slowly at sites where litter was also increasing, regardless of plant diversity.
Abstract: Human activities are enriching many of Earth’s ecosystems with biologically limiting mineral nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). In grasslands, this enrichment generally reduces plant diversity and increases productivity. The widely demonstrated positive effect of diversity on productivity suggests a potential negative feedback, whereby nutrient-induced declines in diversity reduce the initial gains in productivity arising from nutrient enrichment. In addition, plant productivity and diversity can be inhibited by accumulations of dead biomass, which may be altered by nutrient enrichment. Over longer time frames, nutrient addition may increase soil fertility by increasing soil organic matter and nutrient pools. We examined the effects of 5–11 yr of nutrient addition at 47 grasslands in 12 countries. Nutrient enrichment increased aboveground live biomass and reduced plant diversity at nearly all sites, and these effects became stronger over time. We did not find evidence that nutrient-induced losses of diversity reduced the positive effects of nutrients on biomass; however, nutrient effects on live biomass increased more slowly at sites where litter was also increasing, regardless of plant diversity. This work suggests that short-term experiments may underestimate the long-term nutrient enrichment effects on global grassland ecosystems.
49 citations
Peking University1, Paul Sabatier University2, University of Minnesota3, University of Bayreuth4, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg5, University College Dublin6, Wilfrid Laurier University7, Sewanee: The University of the South8, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic9, Leipzig University10, University of Oxford11, University of Greifswald12, United States Department of Agriculture13, University of Sydney14, Wageningen University and Research Centre15, University of Zurich16, Iowa State University17
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of local biodiversity loss on ecosystem stability are well documented, but the consequences of biodiversity changes at larger spatial scales, in particular biotic homogenization, that is, reduced species turnover across space (β diversity), remain poorly known.
Abstract: Our planet is facing significant changes of biodiversity across spatial scales. Although the negative effects of local biodiversity (α diversity) loss on ecosystem stability are well documented, the consequences of biodiversity changes at larger spatial scales, in particular biotic homogenization, that is, reduced species turnover across space (β diversity), remain poorly known. Using data from 39 grassland biodiversity experiments, we examine the effects of β diversity on the stability of simulated landscapes while controlling for potentially confounding biotic and abiotic factors. Our results show that higher β diversity generates more asynchronous dynamics among local communities and thereby contributes to the stability of ecosystem productivity at larger spatial scales. We further quantify the relative contributions of α and β diversity to ecosystem stability and find a relatively stronger effect of α diversity, possibly due to the limited spatial scale of our experiments. The stabilizing effects of both α and β diversity lead to a positive diversity-stability relationship at the landscape scale. Our findings demonstrate the destabilizing effect of biotic homogenization and suggest that biodiversity should be conserved at multiple spatial scales to maintain the stability of ecosystem functions and services.
46 citations
Book•
15 Jun 2021
TL;DR: This work presents a very short introduction to the R programming language for statistics and graphics and describes generalized Linear Models for Data with Non-Normal Distributions and Mixed Effects Models.
Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Comparing Groups: Analysis of Variance 3. Comparing Groups: Student's t test 4. Linear Regression 5. Comparisons using Estimates and Intervals 6. Interactions 7. Analysis of Covariance: ANCOVA 8. Maximum Likelihood and Generalized Linear Models 9. Generalized Linear Models for Data with Non-Normal Distributions 10. Mixed Effects Models 11. Generalized Linear Mixed-effects Models 12. Final Thoughts Appendix 1: A very short introduction to the R programming language for statistics and graphics
34 citations
Sun Yat-sen University1, Washington University in St. Louis2, University of California, Santa Cruz3, Utah State University4, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research5, Wilfrid Laurier University6, East China Normal University7, University of Alberta8, Marquette University9, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute10, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute11, University of Aberdeen12, National Chung Hsing University13, Chinese Academy of Sciences14, Harvard University15, South China Agricultural University16, University of Canterbury17, University of Jos18, Centre national de la recherche scientifique19, University of Queensland20, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden21, National Sun Yat-sen University22, National Chiayi University23, National Dong Hwa University24, University of Cambridge25, United States Forest Service26, University of São Paulo27, Northwestern Polytechnical University28, University of Oxford29, University of California, Los Angeles30, Wageningen University and Research Centre31, Northeast Forestry University32, National Museum of Natural History33, University of Montana34, Environmental Change Institute35, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center36, Natural England37, Sewanee: The University of the South38, King Juan Carlos University39, Minzu University of China40, Columbia University41, University of Minnesota42, Zhejiang University43, University of Puerto Rico44
TL;DR: In this paper, a global dataset of 45 forest plots representing 2,804,270 trees across 3840 species was used to test how arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizaal (EcM) associations correlate with the latitudinal tree beta-diversity.
Abstract: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) associations are critical for host-tree performance However, how mycorrhizal associations correlate with the latitudinal tree beta-diversity remains untested Using a global dataset of 45 forest plots representing 2,804,270 trees across 3840 species, we test how AM and EcM trees contribute to total beta-diversity and its components (turnover and nestedness) of all trees We find AM rather than EcM trees predominantly contribute to decreasing total beta-diversity and turnover and increasing nestedness with increasing latitude, probably because wide distributions of EcM trees do not generate strong compositional differences among localities Environmental variables, especially temperature and precipitation, are strongly correlated with beta-diversity patterns for both AM trees and all trees rather than EcM trees Results support our hypotheses that latitudinal beta-diversity patterns and environmental effects on these patterns are highly dependent on mycorrhizal types Our findings highlight the importance of AM-dominated forests for conserving global forest biodiversity
14 citations
University of British Columbia1, Yokohama National University2, McGill University3, University of Colorado Boulder4, Centre national de la recherche scientifique5, Johns Hopkins University6, University of Massachusetts Boston7, University of Minnesota8, University of Graz9, Utrecht University10, University of Oxford11, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center12, University College London13, California State University, Los Angeles14
TL;DR: In this paper, the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy e.g., in the context of resilient socio-economic systems.
Abstract: Feedbacks are an essential feature of resilient socio-economic systems, yet the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy e...
6 citations
TL;DR: The response of plants, carabid beetles and birds to native reforestation and grazing exclusion, using sites reforested over the last 30 years in the Scottish Highlands, was studied in this article.
Abstract: 1. Globally, there is increasing interest in tree planting, leading to many country-level commitments to reforestation. In the UK, current commitments would achieve 17% forest cover by 2050, with the highest rates of forest expansion expected in Scotland. Forest expansion with native trees is expected to increase biodiversity, particularly for woodland specialist species, and associated ecosystem services. Despite this, data on biodiversity changes over the early stages of reforestation are sparse, particularly for upland areas in Scotland where opportunities for forest expansion are greatest.
2. We collected data on the response of plants, carabid beetles and birds to native reforestation and grazing exclusion, using sites reforested over the last 30 years in the Scottish Highlands. Biodiversity in ungrazed, reforested sites was compared to unforested controls and mature native forest, both grazed and ungrazed.
3. Mean bird species richness was higher in reforested (4.4 [95% CI: 3.2, 5.9]) than unforested plots (0.8 [0.5, 1.3]), but lower than in mature forest plots (7.0 [5.4, 8.3]). In contrast, there was no systematic difference in plant or carabid beetle species richness in reforested, unforested or mature forest plots, or between grazed and ungrazed plots for the species richness of any groups. Woodland specialist bird and plant species were found in the reforested plots, and richness of woodland specialist bird species was predicted to reach levels in mature forest 36 years after reforestation.
4. Species assemblages differed across habitat categories. For birds and plants, species assemblages in reforested sites were intermediate to unforested and mature sites. For carabid beetles the assemblages in mature and reforested sites were comparable and differed from unforested sites. Grazing did not strongly influence species assemblages.
Policy implications: We show that woodland specialists colonise reforested sites and species assemblages transition towards those found in the target habitat within the first 30 years of reforestation with native species. Native forest should be prioritised in Scotland’s future forest expansion targets, given that mature native forest is scarce and fragmented in the Scottish Highlands and that the ultimate gain from native forest expansion may accrue over long timescales.
4 citations