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Mysterious Forest Succession: Why do some tree species dominate after major disasters?
In natural ecosystems, forest changes never stop. These changes are influenced by multiple physical and biological forces, forming a dynamic ecosystem. The process of forest succession can be summarized by two basic elements: disturbance and succession.
Disturbance
Forest disturbances are events that change the structure and composition of forest ecosystems beyond the growth and death of individual organisms. These disturbances can vary in frequency and intensity and include natural disasters such as fires, landslides, windstorms, volcanic eruptions, rare meteorite impacts, insect or fungal outbreaks, etc.
Many natural disturbances promote forest regeneration and growth, often releasing essential nutrients.
In some cases, small-scale disturbances are also key to maintaining diversity within forests. The fall of individual trees creates light gaps that allow light to penetrate the forest canopy and reach the understory and forest floor. This available light allows early successional shade-tolerant tree species to establish, thus maintaining populations in the dominant forest. This process is known as patch dynamics or gap dynamics and has been described in tropical, temperate, and Arctic forests.
Succession
Forest succession is the process of species recovery and regeneration after disturbance. The type of disturbance, climate and weather conditions, the presence of colonizing species, and interactions between species all influence the path of succession. Over time, species diversity and composition fluctuate during succession.
The traditional model of succession is called relay vegetation, which describes the process of a series of dominant species taking over.
After a major disturbance that displaces the forest, less shade-tolerant tree species move in and grow to dominate the canopy, but are unable to regenerate in their own canopy due to their poor tolerance of shade. Eventually, lower-level shade-tolerant species gradually take over and become the dominant species due to their ability to regenerate under the canopy.
Considering climate change
Forests are very sensitive to climate, so climate change can have a significant impact on the dynamics of ecosystems. Rising CO2 levels will increase tree productivity and growth, however, this growth may be reduced as other essential nutrients become scarce.
ImportanceVarious factors of climate change may also affect the disturbance patterns of ecosystems, increasing or decreasing the sensitivity of forests to different disturbances, or even changing or preventing the recovery process after disturbances.
Forests provide many ecosystem services, including timber, fresh water, carbon storage and recreational areas. To protect these services, as well as the natural habitats and biodiversity that forests provide, it is important to understand the dynamics that build and maintain forest ecosystems. Forestry and silvicultural activities require a deep understanding of forest dynamics in order to implement effective management and conservation techniques.
So, in the face of severe environmental change and frequent disturbances, how should we choose to support or prevent certain tree species from flourishing?
