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Global patterns and climatic controls of forest structural complexity

Ehbrecht M 1 , Seidel D 2 , Annighöfer P 3 , Kreft H 4 , Köhler M 5 , Zemp DC 4 Show all authors , Puettmann K 6 , Nilus R 7 , Babweteera F 8 , Willim K 2 , Stiers M 2 , Soto D 9 , Boehmer HJ 10 , Fisichelli N 11 , Burnett M 12 , Juday G 13 , Stephens SL 14 , Ammer C 2

Affiliations 

  • 1 Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. martin.ehbrecht@forst.uni-goettingen.de
  • 2 Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
  • 3 Forest and Agroforest Systems, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
  • 4 Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
  • 5 Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Grätzelstr. 2, 37079, Göttingen, Germany
  • 6 Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
  • 7 Forest Research Centre, Sabah Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Malaysia
  • 8 Budongo Conservation Field Station, P.O. Box 362, Masindi, Uganda
  • 9 Departmento de Recursos Naurales y Tecnología, Universidad de Aysén, Obispo Vielmo 62, Coyhaique, Chile
  • 10 School of Geography, Earth Science, and Environment, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay, Suva, Fiji
  • 11 Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 277, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, USA
  • 12 Earth Systems Program, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
  • 13 Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 7566180, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
  • 14 Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
Nat Commun, 2021 01 22;12(1):519.
PMID: 33483481 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20767-z

Abstract

The complexity of forest structures plays a crucial role in regulating forest ecosystem functions and strongly influences biodiversity. Yet, knowledge of the global patterns and determinants of forest structural complexity remains scarce. Using a stand structural complexity index based on terrestrial laser scanning, we quantify the structural complexity of boreal, temperate, subtropical and tropical primary forests. We find that the global variation of forest structural complexity is largely explained by annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality (R² = 0.89). Using the structural complexity of primary forests as benchmark, we model the potential structural complexity across biomes and present a global map of the potential structural complexity of the earth´s forest ecoregions. Our analyses reveal distinct latitudinal patterns of forest structure and show that hotspots of high structural complexity coincide with hotspots of plant diversity. Considering the mechanistic underpinnings of forest structural complexity, our results suggest spatially contrasting changes of forest structure with climate change within and across biomes.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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