Long‐Term Biodiversity–Stability Relationship in Temperate Mountain Forests
Petr Kuneš, Amanda Mateo‐Beneito, Gabriela Florescu, Vachel Kraklow, Richard Chiverell, Jolana Tátosová, Helena Svitavská‐Svobodová, Vojtěch Abraham, Oliver Heiri, Niina KuosmanenABSTRACT
Aim
Theories on ecological stability lack the long‐term observational data necessary to comprehend the dynamics of durable and complex ecosystems like forests; consequently, the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem stability remains predominantly unexplained. This study examines the mechanisms of forest community and tree population change using long‐term palaeoecological data, evaluates responses to diverse effects, assesses stability and identifies the conditions that compelled these ecosystems to transition into alternative states. Furthermore, we aim to test whether higher diversity and larger populations promote stability.
Location
Central Europe.
Taxon
Tracheophytes (spore and pollen‐producing vascular plants).
Methods
We analyse a 12,000‐year lacustrine sedimentary record from a mountain lake Černé jezero, located in a spruce‐dominated temperate mountain ecosystem in the Bohemian Forest of Central Europe, utilizing various proxies such as pollen, charcoal and geochemical data. We examined accumulation rates, ecological indices, and climatic and regression models to evaluate biodiversity, disturbances, rates of change, population stability and climate dynamics to identify the drivers of these changes.
Results
Our findings indicate that species richness is negatively correlated with tree population stability. Furthermore, we discovered that tree population growth does not always facilitate stability as theorized.
Main Conclusions
As mountain forests encounter escalating pressures from climate change and anthropogenic influences, our findings suggest that competition and turnover among species can undermine tree population‐level resilience. Our results also emphasize the necessity of preserving species diversity while acknowledging the potential emerging threats to forest population stability.