Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.foreco.2010.04.039
Title (Primary) Spatial associations among tree species in a temperate forest community in North-western Spain
Author Martínez, I.; Wiegand, T.; González-Taboada, F.; Obeso, J.R.
Source Titel Forest Ecology and Management
Year 2010
Department OESA
Volume 260
Issue 4
Page From 456
Page To 465
Language englisch
Keywords Fagus sylvatica; Fleshy-fruited trees; Nearest neighbour function; Pair-correlation function; Spatial point patterns; Temperate deciduous forest
Abstract Analyzing spatial patterns in plant communities may provide insights in the importance of different processes for community assembly and dynamics. We applied techniques of spatial point pattern analysis to data from a fully mapped plot of a temperate forest community (Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Fagus sylvatica, Ilex aquifolium and Taxus baccata) in North-western Spain to conduct a community wide assessment of the type and frequency of intra and interspecific spatial association patterns. We first explored the overall intra and interspecific patterning, and then classified the types of association patterns at various neighbourhoods. By conditioning on the larger scale pattern we then explored small-scale (0-15 m) intraspecific and interspecific patterns. Association patterns varied from strong positive association at small scales to, as a by-product, repulsion at intermediate scales. Surprisingly, there were no negative associations at small scales, but trees were arranged in multi-species clumps, up to 2.5 m in diameter and comprising a few individuals. Ilex and Corylus, the understorey species, were frequently involved in the clumps, showing positive small-scale association with the other tree species. Our analyses highlighted that animal mediated seed dispersal, interspecific facilitation and perturbation processes may operate successively to shape tree distributional patterns, although their relative importance vary among species. Given the complexity of the patterns described and the current threats to some of the species studied, directed experiments in the field are needed to further elucidate some of the hypotheses derived.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=10281
Martínez, I., Wiegand, T., González-Taboada, F., Obeso, J.R. (2010):
Spatial associations among tree species in a temperate forest community in North-western Spain
For. Ecol. Manage. 260 (4), 456 - 465 10.1016/j.foreco.2010.04.039