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Forest Ecosystems 2015, 2(4): 22 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-015-0045-4
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 15 July 2015

Large-scale forest inventories of the United States and China reveal positive effects of biodiversity on productivity

Show Author's Information James V Watson1,  Jingjing Liang1( ),  Patrick C Tobin2,3,  Xiangdong Lei4,  James S Rentch1,  Catherine E Artis1
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University, 26506 Morgantown, WV, USA
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Research Station, 26505 Morgantown, WV, USA
School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, 98195 Seattle, WA, USA
Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, P. R. China
Keywords:
Forest management, Spatial autocorrelation, Tree species diversity, Biological conservation, Continental map of forest diversity, Bootstrap
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Watson JV, Liang J, Tobin PC, et al. Large-scale forest inventories of the United States and China reveal positive effects of biodiversity on productivity. Forest Ecosystems, 2015, 2(4): 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-015-0045-4
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Abstract Full text About this article
Background

With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFR). BEFR research in forested ecosystems is very limited and thus studies that incorporate greater geographic coverage and structural complexity are needed.

 Methods

We compiled ground-measured data from approx. one half million forest inventory sample plots across the contiguous United States, Alaska, and northeastern China to map tree species richness, forest stocking, and productivity at a continental scale. Based on these data, we investigated the relationship between forest productivity and tree species diversity, using a multiple regression analysis and a non-parametric approach to account for spatial autocorrelation.

 Results

In general, forests in the eastern United States consisted of more tree species than any other regions in the country. The highest forest stocking values over the entire study area were concentrated in the western United States and Central Appalachia. Overall, 96.4 % of sample plots (477, 281) showed a significant positive effect of species richness on site productivity, and only 3.6 % (17, 349) had an insignificant or negative effect.

 Conclusions

The large number of ground-measured plots, as well as the magnitude of geographic scale, rendered overwhelming evidence in support of a positive BEFR. This empirical evidence provides insights to forest management and biological conservation across different types of forested ecosystems. Forest timber productivity may be impaired by the loss of species in forests, and biological conservation, due to its potential benefits on maintaining species richness and productivity, can have profound impacts on the functioning and services of forested ecosystems.


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About this article

Large-scale forest inventories of the United States and China reveal positive effects of biodiversity on productivity

Show Author's information James V Watson1, Jingjing Liang1( ), Patrick C Tobin2,3, Xiangdong Lei4, James S Rentch1, Catherine E Artis1
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, West Virginia University, 26506 Morgantown, WV, USA
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Research Station, 26505 Morgantown, WV, USA
School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, 98195 Seattle, WA, USA
Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 100091 Beijing, P. R. China

Abstract

Background

With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFR). BEFR research in forested ecosystems is very limited and thus studies that incorporate greater geographic coverage and structural complexity are needed.

 Methods

We compiled ground-measured data from approx. one half million forest inventory sample plots across the contiguous United States, Alaska, and northeastern China to map tree species richness, forest stocking, and productivity at a continental scale. Based on these data, we investigated the relationship between forest productivity and tree species diversity, using a multiple regression analysis and a non-parametric approach to account for spatial autocorrelation.

 Results

In general, forests in the eastern United States consisted of more tree species than any other regions in the country. The highest forest stocking values over the entire study area were concentrated in the western United States and Central Appalachia. Overall, 96.4 % of sample plots (477, 281) showed a significant positive effect of species richness on site productivity, and only 3.6 % (17, 349) had an insignificant or negative effect.

 Conclusions

The large number of ground-measured plots, as well as the magnitude of geographic scale, rendered overwhelming evidence in support of a positive BEFR. This empirical evidence provides insights to forest management and biological conservation across different types of forested ecosystems. Forest timber productivity may be impaired by the loss of species in forests, and biological conservation, due to its potential benefits on maintaining species richness and productivity, can have profound impacts on the functioning and services of forested ecosystems.

Keywords: Forest management, Spatial autocorrelation, Tree species diversity, Biological conservation, Continental map of forest diversity, Bootstrap

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements
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Publication history

Received: 26 December 2014
Accepted: 23 June 2015
Published: 15 July 2015
Issue date: December 2015

Copyright

© 2015 Watson et al.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We are obliged to Karen Waddell and Charles J. Barnett for assistance with FIA data. We thank Mo Zhou, Jacquelyn Strager, George Merovich, and Eric King for statistical and mapping assistance. This research is supported in parts by the United States Department of Agriculture McIntire-Stennis Act Fund WVA00104, and by the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University.

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This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited.

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