How tree species identity and diversity affect light transmittance to the understory in mature temperate forests.

ABSTRACT: Light is a key resource for plant growth and is of particular importance in forest ecosystems, because of the strong vertical structure leading to successive light interception from canopy to forest floor. Tree species differ in the quantity and heterogeneity of light they transmit. We expect decreases in both the quantity and spatial heterogeneity of light transmittance in mixed stands relative to monocultures, due to complementarity effects and niche filling. We tested the degree to which tree species identity and diversity affected, via differences in tree and shrub cover, the spatiotemporal variation in light availability before, during, and after leaf expansion. Plots with different combinations of three tree species with contrasting light transmittance were selected to obtain a diver

SUBMITTER: Sercu BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5743659 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature