Did the 2018 megadrought change the partitioning of growth between tree sizes and species? A Swiss case‐study. (22nd December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bose, A. K.; Rohner, B.; Bottero, A.; Ferretti, M.; Forrester, D. I.
• Editors: Rühr, N.
• Is Part Of: Plant biology. Volume 24:Number 7(2022)
• Page Start: 1146
• Page End: 1156
• Publication Date: 2021-12-22
• Subjects: Climate change impacts -- drought sensitivity -- European beech -- extreme droughts -- growth dominance -- tree size‐growth relationship; Botany -- Periodicals; Plants -- genetics -- Periodicals; Plants -- growth & development -- Periodicals; Plant Proteins -- Periodicals; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant -- Periodicals; Botanique -- Périodiques; 580
• DOI: 10.1111/plb.13380
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1435-8603

Abstract

ABSTRACT: By killing or weakening trees, drought could change the partitioning of growth between tree sizes or species, thereby altering stand structure. Growth partitioning, often quantified using the growth dominance coefficient ( DC ) or the shape of tree size versus growth relationships ( SGR ), indicates the relative contribution of differently sized trees to the total stand growth. Changes in growth partitioning due to droughts are rarely examined but provide valuable information that links tree‐ and stand‐level responses to droughts. The objective of this study was to test whether the 2018 European megadrought altered the growth partitioning among tree sizes and species. For this purpose, we first evaluated whether DC or SGR can be calculated from small sample sizes of trees typical of individual forest inventory plots. DC, and particularly SGR, were sensitive to sample size, forest type (even‐aged and uneven‐aged), target variable (tree diameter, basal area or stem mass) and range of tree sizes within the sample. SGR could therefore not be used for our analyses. We found no differences in DC prior to and during the 2018 drought. However, when considering only beech ( Fagus sylvatica )‐dominated stands, DC was lower during post‐drought years than during the 2018 drought. The growth of larger trees, especially beech, was more negatively affected during post‐drought years. Therefore, an extreme drought event can indeed alter the growth partitioning within forest stands. The DC indicates such changes in partitioning and, hence, which trees can be selected for commercial thinning, or released from competition, to minimize potential impacts of droughts. Abstract : The 2018 European megadrought significantly reduced the tree growth and altered the growth partitioning of European beech trees, with smaller trees showing greater growth recovery than large trees.