Multiyear Drought Strengthens Positive and Negative Functional Diversity Effects on Tree Growth Response.

ABSTRACT: Mixed-species forests are proposed to enhance tree resistance and resilience to drought. However, growing evidence shows that tree species richness does not consistently improve tree growth responses to drought. The underlying mechanisms remain uncertain, especially under unprecedented multiyear droughts. We used a network of planted tree diversity experiments to investigate how neighborhood tree diversity and species' functional traits influence individual tree responses to drought. We analyzed tree cores (948 trees across 16 species) from nine young experiments across Europe featuring tree species richness gradients (1-6 species), which experienced recent severe droughts. Radial growth response to drought was quantified as tree-ring biomass increment using X-ray computed tomography. We a

SUBMITTER: Serrano-Leon H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12421375 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature