Structural Diversity Amplifies the Effects of Functional Diversity on Forest Carbon Storage Across Stand Development

IF 6.5 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Global Ecology and Biogeography Pub Date : 2026-09-16 DOI:10.1111/geb.70309

Chen Wang, Tao Jiang, Yu Zhu, Decheng Zhou, John R. Healey, Shuguang Liu, Shuqing Zhao

{"title":"Structural Diversity Amplifies the Effects of Functional Diversity on Forest Carbon Storage Across Stand Development","authors":"Chen Wang, Tao Jiang, Yu Zhu, Decheng Zhou, John R. Healey, Shuguang Liu, Shuqing Zhao","doi":"10.1111/geb.70309","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aim</h3>\n \n <p>Forest structural diversity is recognized as a key driver of ecosystem functioning, yet its role in translating functional strategies into ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. This study examines whether structural diversity amplifies the effects of functional diversity (FD) and functional identity (FI) on aboveground carbon storage (AGC) and evaluates the relative contributions of niche complementarity and selection effects across forest types and stand-development stages.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Location</h3>\n \n <p>Southeastern US, Japan, and Hunan, China.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Time Period</h3>\n \n <p>1997–2023.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Major Taxa Studied</h3>\n \n <p>Forest trees.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>We used national forest inventory data (24,023 natural forest plots; 7530 conifer plantation plots) to quantify relationships among AGC, FD, FI, and structural diversity. Analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects models, piecewise structural equation modelling, and hierarchical Bayesian methods.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>FD effects on AGC increased with age in natural conifer forests across regions, but diverged in broadleaf forests (declining in the southeastern US and Hunan, increasing in Japan). In natural forests, FD was generally a stronger predictor of AGC than FI. Structural diversity mediated a substantial proportion of FD effects on AGC (33%–100% in broadleaf forests), with mediation peaking earlier in broadleaf than in conifer and mixed forests. Across climatic gradients, indirect effects of FD via structural diversity prevailed over direct effects, whereas FI showed negative indirect effects on AGC associated with conservative strategies. In conifer plantations, FD effects were primarily mediated by structural diversity, whereas FI exerted stronger direct effects on AGC.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Main Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>The biodiversity–carbon relationship is age-dependent and forest-type specific. Structural diversity is a key mediator linking FD to AGC, supporting niche complementarity. Management practices that enhance structural diversity may amplify the carbon benefits of FD. Promoting forests that are both functionally and structurally diverse may therefore enhance long-term carbon sequestration.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":176,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","volume":"35 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.5000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Global Ecology and Biogeography","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/geb.70309","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

Forest structural diversity is recognized as a key driver of ecosystem functioning, yet its role in translating functional strategies into ecosystem processes remains poorly understood. This study examines whether structural diversity amplifies the effects of functional diversity (FD) and functional identity (FI) on aboveground carbon storage (AGC) and evaluates the relative contributions of niche complementarity and selection effects across forest types and stand-development stages.

Location

Southeastern US, Japan, and Hunan, China.

Time Period

1997–2023.

Major Taxa Studied

Forest trees.

Methods

We used national forest inventory data (24,023 natural forest plots; 7530 conifer plantation plots) to quantify relationships among AGC, FD, FI, and structural diversity. Analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects models, piecewise structural equation modelling, and hierarchical Bayesian methods.

Results

FD effects on AGC increased with age in natural conifer forests across regions, but diverged in broadleaf forests (declining in the southeastern US and Hunan, increasing in Japan). In natural forests, FD was generally a stronger predictor of AGC than FI. Structural diversity mediated a substantial proportion of FD effects on AGC (33%–100% in broadleaf forests), with mediation peaking earlier in broadleaf than in conifer and mixed forests. Across climatic gradients, indirect effects of FD via structural diversity prevailed over direct effects, whereas FI showed negative indirect effects on AGC associated with conservative strategies. In conifer plantations, FD effects were primarily mediated by structural diversity, whereas FI exerted stronger direct effects on AGC.

Main Conclusions

The biodiversity–carbon relationship is age-dependent and forest-type specific. Structural diversity is a key mediator linking FD to AGC, supporting niche complementarity. Management practices that enhance structural diversity may amplify the carbon benefits of FD. Promoting forests that are both functionally and structurally diverse may therefore enhance long-term carbon sequestration.

查看原文本刊更多论文

结构多样性放大了功能多样性对林分发育碳储量的影响

森林结构多样性被认为是生态系统功能的关键驱动因素，但其在将功能策略转化为生态系统过程中的作用仍知之甚少。本研究探讨了结构多样性是否放大了功能多样性（FD）和功能同一性（FI）对地上碳储量（AGC）的影响，并评估了生态位互补性和选择效应在不同森林类型和林分发育阶段的相对贡献。位置：美国东南部，日本和中国湖南。时间段1997-2023。主要分类群研究森林树木。方法利用国家森林清查数据（24,023个天然林样地和7530个针叶林样地）量化AGC、FD、FI和结构多样性之间的关系。采用线性混合效应模型、分段结构方程模型和层次贝叶斯方法进行分析。结果FD对天然针叶林AGC的影响随年龄增加而增加，但在阔叶林中存在差异（美国东南部和湖南下降，日本增加）。在天然林中，FD通常比FI更能预测AGC。结构多样性介导了相当大比例的FD对AGC的影响（在阔叶林中为33%-100%），阔叶林的调节峰值早于针叶林和混交林。在不同的气候梯度中，FD通过结构多样性产生的间接效应优于直接效应，而FI则与保守策略相关，对AGC产生负的间接效应。在针叶林中，FD效应主要由结构多样性介导，而FI对AGC的直接影响更强。主要结论生物多样性与碳的关系具有年龄依赖性和森林类型特异性。结构多样性是FD与AGC之间的关键中介，支持生态位互补性。加强结构多样性的管理实践可能会放大FD的碳效益。因此，促进具有功能和结构多样性的森林可能会加强长期的碳固存。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Global Ecology and Biogeography 环境科学-生态学

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

170

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Global Ecology and Biogeography (GEB) welcomes papers that investigate broad-scale (in space, time and/or taxonomy), general patterns in the organization of ecological systems and assemblages, and the processes that underlie them. In particular, GEB welcomes studies that use macroecological methods, comparative analyses, meta-analyses, reviews, spatial analyses and modelling to arrive at general, conceptual conclusions. Studies in GEB need not be global in spatial extent, but the conclusions and implications of the study must be relevant to ecologists and biogeographers globally, rather than being limited to local areas, or specific taxa. Similarly, GEB is not limited to spatial studies; we are equally interested in the general patterns of nature through time, among taxa (e.g., body sizes, dispersal abilities), through the course of evolution, etc. Further, GEB welcomes papers that investigate general impacts of human activities on ecological systems in accordance with the above criteria.