Limited tree richness effects on herb layer composition, richness and productivity in experimental forest stands

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtw109

Abstract

Abstract: Aims In forests, the herbaceous understory vegetation plays an important role for ecosystem functioning as it represents a significant component of total aboveground productivity. In addition, the herb layer contributes to overall forest species richness and controls tree species regeneration. Vice versa, trees in the overstory control understory herb and shrub growth through competition for resources. Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree richness, we asked to which degree tree species richness and identity affect herb layer composition, richness and productivity and how these relationships across strata change with abiotic environmental conditions and competition intensity.
Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China (BEF-China), we made use of the integrated BEFmod experiment arranged along a tree species richness gradient at two sites, with additional subplot treatments of phosphorus addition, herb layer weeding and no weeding. We recorded the understory vegetation and determined herb layer biomass production on a total of 201 subplots.
Important findings We found only minor effects of tree layer richness on herb layer species composition and no significant effect on herb layer richness or productivity yet. However, there were strong tree layer identity effects on all response variables, which were partly explained by differences in leaf area index and by a high share of woody species both in total herb layer species richness and biomass. There were strong treatment effects, which were largest in the 'no weeding' treatment but we did not find any treatment × tree layer richness interaction in herb layer responses. Thus, these effects are mainly explained by increased competition intensity within the herb layer in the absence of weeding. Despite the young age of the experiment, the interactions between tree species identity, tree richness and the herb layer did already emerge and can be expected to become stronger with ongoing runtime of the experiment.

Key words: experimental research platform of BEF-China, functional biodiversity research, forest understory, biomass, Jiangxi Province

摘要：
Aims In forests, the herbaceous understory vegetation plays an important role for ecosystem functioning as it represents a significant component of total aboveground productivity. In addition, the herb layer contributes to overall forest species richness and controls tree species regeneration. Vice versa, trees in the overstory control understory herb and shrub growth through competition for resources. Using an experimental forest plantation with manipulated tree richness, we asked to which degree tree species richness and identity affect herb layer composition, richness and productivity and how these relationships across strata change with abiotic environmental conditions and competition intensity.
Methods In the context of the Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning project in subtropical China (BEF-China), we made use of the integrated BEFmod experiment arranged along a tree species richness gradient at two sites, with additional subplot treatments of phosphorus addition, herb layer weeding and no weeding. We recorded the understory vegetation and determined herb layer biomass production on a total of 201 subplots.
Important findings We found only minor effects of tree layer richness on herb layer species composition and no significant effect on herb layer richness or productivity yet. However, there were strong tree layer identity effects on all response variables, which were partly explained by differences in leaf area index and by a high share of woody species both in total herb layer species richness and biomass. There were strong treatment effects, which were largest in the 'no weeding' treatment but we did not find any treatment × tree layer richness interaction in herb layer responses. Thus, these effects are mainly explained by increased competition intensity within the herb layer in the absence of weeding. Despite the young age of the experiment, the interactions between tree species identity, tree richness and the herb layer did already emerge and can be expected to become stronger with ongoing runtime of the experiment.

Markus S. Germany, Helge Bruelheide, Alexandra Erfmeier. Limited tree richness effects on herb layer composition, richness and productivity in experimental forest stands[J]. J Plant Ecol, 2017, 10(1): 190-200.

[1]	Zhijie Li, Ling Xiong, Lars Vesterdal, Qiqian Wu, Josep Peñuelas, Kai Yue, Shengmin Zhang, Zimin Li, Kun Guo, Petr Heděnec, Fuzhong Wu, Yan Peng. Effects of tree planting on soil fauna communities depend on former ecosystem types [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[2]	Naeem Ullah Khalil, Wan-Yue Zhu, Xin-Ying Dou, Sehrish Mahroof, Ya-Nan Li, Hai-Yan Li, Jian-Yong Wang. Clipping-induced compensatory growth response of Leymus chinensis clones mediated by nitrogen availability under heterogeneous environments [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[3]	Qian Liu, Xiaolin Zhu, Nan Jiang, Lihao Zhang, Shiyuan Wu, Ge Meng, Yunze Zang, Miaogen Shen. Improving estimation of aboveground carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stock in forest ecosystems by integrating radar and optical remote sensing [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[4]	Xiao-Chong Zhang, Si-Tong Zhang, Yolima Carrillo, Hui-Liang Zhai, Yi-Zhu Zeng, Min Liu, Xiao-Feng Dong, Wei Sun, Jian-Ying Ma. Root exudates increase microbial biomass but decrease diversity and richness: a meta-analysis [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[5]	Jingci Meng, Guodong Wang, Ming Wang, Meiling Zhao, Yusong Yuan, Nanlin Hu, Qi Chen, Tao Zhang, Bo Liu, Zhenshan Xue, and Ming Jiang. Abiotic and biotic factors jointly affect aboveground biomass in sedge wetlands of China [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[6]	Chang’an Guo, Ziwei Wang, Xiulong Zhang, Yu Yang, Yuangyuan Tang, Weikai Bao. Confronting allometric and optimal partitioning theories in biomass allocation: evidence from Artemisia species along an elevational gradient in Southwest of China [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[7]	Dehuang Zhu, Dafeng Hui. Effect of litter quality on soil microbial mechanisms in home-field advantage of litter decomposition in two subtropical forests [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[8]	Huiqi Zhang, Guangxuan Han, Wenli Jia, Wanxin Huang, Xiaoshuai Zhang, Xiaojie Wang, Mingliang Zhao, Baohua Xie, Feng Lu, Jianbin Song, Wei Zhang, Xiaojing Chu. Soil CO₂ not CH₄ flux determines soil carbon emission response to seasonal precipitation variation in a brackish wetland [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[9]	Ming Li, Pingping Lian, Xinyu Zhang, Junjiao Ma, Yuhui Jiang, Yangyang Sun, Shundan Chen, Xia Hu, Pengfei Wu, Shuisheng Fan, Xiangqing Ma. Intraspecific underplanting enhances rhizospheric phosphorus availability in subtropical Chinese fir plantations: Implications for sustainable forest management [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[10]	Lulu Xie, Bo Tang, Xueyong Pang, Chunying Yin. Soil fungal community composition drives forest-specific and seasonal dynamics of microbial carbon use efficiency in subalpine ecosystems [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-54.
[11]	Ting-Ting Liu, Dan-Dan Zhang, Meng-Ying He, Jin-Sheng Li, Hong-Miao Wu, Wen-Yu Jiang, Yi-Yi Long, Xu-Rui Zhu, Zhen Zhang. Effects of different intensities of artificial light at night on functional traits of invasive and native plants [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(5): 1-14.
[12]	Guotai Zhang, Ga Zangjia, Ying Yang, Ci-ren Qu-zong, Yuan Zhang, Wei Mazhang, Cuo Se, Danzeng Quzhen, Jingting Mao, Chengwei Mu, Lan Wang, Shiping Wang, Zhiyong Yang, Tsechoe Dorji. Effects of warming and grazing on resource allocation strategies in alpine grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau: A Meta-analysis [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(4): 1-45.
[13]	Hui-Ying Ye, Zheng-Bing Yan, Su-Hui Ma, Xue-Mei Yang, Chen Yang, Dan-Hua Zhang, Jiang-Ling Zhu, Cheng-Jun Ji, Jing-Yun Fang. Stem photosynthesis is an important factor in the regulation of biomass accumulation and allocation in Rosa chinensis [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(4): 1-39.
[14]	Alinuer Alimu, Siyu Wang, Yao Wang, Zhonglin Xu. The response of biomass allocation in alfalfa and ryegrass to simulated spring frost [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(4): 1-26.
[15]	Yixiao Tao, Xiaofeng Fu, Xia Xu, Qinghong Geng, Chonghua Xu, Chenghui Ju, Qian Li, Wenfang Liu, Xiaochou Chen. Responses of fine root dynamics to nitrogen application in global temperate forests and grasslands: inconsistencies between biomass and turnover [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(3): 1-14.