An individual-based forest model links canopy dynamics and shade tolerances along a soil moisture gradient.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how forested ecosystems respond to climatic changes is a challenging problem as forest self-organization occurs simultaneously across multiple scales. Here, we explore the hypothesis that soil water availability shapes above-ground competition and gap dynamics, and ultimately alters the dominance of shade tolerant and intolerant species along the moisture gradient. We adapt a spatially explicit individual-based model with simultaneous crown and root competitions. Simulations show that the transition from xeric to mesic soils is accompanied by an increase in shade-tolerant species similar to the patterns documented in the North American forests. This transition is accompanied by a change from water to sunlight competitions, and happens at three successive stages: (i) mostly wa

SUBMITTER: Lienard J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4785980 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature