Steeply Increasing Growth Differential Between Mixture and Monocultures of Tropical Trees

Studies of biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystem functioning have concentrated almost exclusively on temperate grasslands. To broaden the reach of biodiversity‐functioning research, five fast growing species, comprising three eudicot trees and two congeneric palms (none symbiotic with nitrogen‐fixi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotropica 2015-03, Vol.47 (2), p.162-171
Main Authors: Ewel, John J, Celis, Gerardo, Schreeg, Laura
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biodiversity
Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning
biomass
Cedrela
Cordia
Costa Rica
Euterpe
Hieronyma
microorganisms
nitrogen
overyielding
phosphorus
relative land output
soil
terrestrial ecosystems
trees
Tropical Biology
tropical forests
tropical grasslands
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Studies of biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystem functioning have concentrated almost exclusively on temperate grasslands. To broaden the reach of biodiversity‐functioning research, five fast growing species, comprising three eudicot trees and two congeneric palms (none symbiotic with nitrogen‐fixing microorganisms), were grown for 13 yr in a replacement‐series mixture and monocultures on a fertile soil in a high‐rainfall area of lowland Costa Rica. The mixture accrued more biomass and had greater net productivity than the average, but not the most productive, monoculture. Relative Land Output (a measure of comparative yield) increased steeply. The combined evidence points to an increase in resource partitioning or facilitation among species over time. Spatial partitioning of aboveground space (for light capture) and soil (possibly for retrieval of deep nitrogen), and facilitation of phosphorus availability by one species, are mechanisms that may account for the inferred complementarity. Extending the generalized findings on biodiversity–productivity relationships from well‐studied grasslands to tropical forests is warranted. Mixtures of fast growing trees can out‐perform the average of their component monocultures, whether the metric is biomass accrual or productivity. The modular growth of long‐lived structure enables arborescent species to retain crown space previously captured and may lead to increased spatial partitioning and facilitation of resources over time.
ISSN:0006-3606
1744-7429
DOI:10.1111/btp.12190