Effects of drought, disturbance, and biotic neighborhood on experimental tree seedling performance.

ABSTRACT: Forest biodiversity is likely maintained by a complex suite of interacting drivers that vary in importance across both space and time. Contributing factors include disturbance, interannual variation in abiotic variables, and biotic neighborhood effects. To probe ongoing uncertainties and potential interactions, we investigated tree seedling performance in a temperate mid-Atlantic forest ecosystem. We planted seedlings of five native tree species in mapped study plots, half of which were subjected to disturbance, and then monitored seedling survival, height growth, and foliar condition. The final year of data collection encompassed a drought, enabling comparison between intervals varying in water availability. Seedling performance was analyzed as a function of canopy cover and biotic neighb

SUBMITTER: Ramage BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10427772 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature