Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain
Tree-related microhabitats (TReMs) have been proposed as important indicators of biodiversity to guide forest management. However, their application has been limited mostly to temperate ecosystems, and it is largely unknown how the diversity of TReMs varies along environmental gradients. In this stu...
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24013840 |
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| author | Giovanni Bianco Andreas Hemp Matthias Schleuning |
| author_facet | Giovanni Bianco Andreas Hemp Matthias Schleuning |
| author_sort | Giovanni Bianco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tree-related microhabitats (TReMs) have been proposed as important indicators of biodiversity to guide forest management. However, their application has been limited mostly to temperate ecosystems, and it is largely unknown how the diversity of TReMs varies along environmental gradients. In this study, we assessed the diversity of TReMs on 180 individual trees and 44 plots alongside a large environmental gradient on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We used a typology adjusted to tropical ecosystems and a tree-climbing protocol to obtain quantitative information on TreMs on large trees and dense canopies. We computed the diversity of TReMs for each individual tree and plot and tested how TReM diversity was associated with properties of individual trees and environmental conditions in terms of climate and human impact. We further used non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to investigate the composition of TReM assemblages alongside the environmental gradients. We found that diameter at breast height (DBH) and height of the first branch were the most important determinants of TReM diversity on individual trees, with higher DBH and lower first branch height promoting TReM diversity. At the plot level, we found that TReM diversity increased with mean annual temperature and decreased with human impact. The composition of TReMs showed high turnover across ecosystem types, with a stark difference between forest and non-forest ecosystems. Climate and the intensity of human impact were associated with TReM composition. Our study is a first test of how TReM diversity and composition vary along environmental gradients in tropical ecosystems. The importance of tree size and architecture in fostering microhabitat diversity underlines the importance of large veteran trees in tropical ecosystems. Because diversity and composition of TReMs are sensitive to climate and land-use effects, our study suggests that TReMs can be used to efficiently monitor consequences of global change for tropical biodiversity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-97d887a3a80f4f80802caa73373a4a19 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj-art-97d887a3a80f4f80802caa73373a4a192024-12-16T05:35:34ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2024-12-01169112927Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountainGiovanni Bianco0Andreas Hemp1Matthias Schleuning2Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Corresponding author at: Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.Dept. of Plant Systematics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanySenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, GermanyTree-related microhabitats (TReMs) have been proposed as important indicators of biodiversity to guide forest management. However, their application has been limited mostly to temperate ecosystems, and it is largely unknown how the diversity of TReMs varies along environmental gradients. In this study, we assessed the diversity of TReMs on 180 individual trees and 44 plots alongside a large environmental gradient on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We used a typology adjusted to tropical ecosystems and a tree-climbing protocol to obtain quantitative information on TreMs on large trees and dense canopies. We computed the diversity of TReMs for each individual tree and plot and tested how TReM diversity was associated with properties of individual trees and environmental conditions in terms of climate and human impact. We further used non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to investigate the composition of TReM assemblages alongside the environmental gradients. We found that diameter at breast height (DBH) and height of the first branch were the most important determinants of TReM diversity on individual trees, with higher DBH and lower first branch height promoting TReM diversity. At the plot level, we found that TReM diversity increased with mean annual temperature and decreased with human impact. The composition of TReMs showed high turnover across ecosystem types, with a stark difference between forest and non-forest ecosystems. Climate and the intensity of human impact were associated with TReM composition. Our study is a first test of how TReM diversity and composition vary along environmental gradients in tropical ecosystems. The importance of tree size and architecture in fostering microhabitat diversity underlines the importance of large veteran trees in tropical ecosystems. Because diversity and composition of TReMs are sensitive to climate and land-use effects, our study suggests that TReMs can be used to efficiently monitor consequences of global change for tropical biodiversity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24013840CanopyClimateBiodiversity indicatorsHuman impactTropical mountainTree-related microhabitats |
| spellingShingle | Giovanni Bianco Andreas Hemp Matthias Schleuning Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain Ecological Indicators Canopy Climate Biodiversity indicators Human impact Tropical mountain Tree-related microhabitats |
| title | Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| title_full | Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| title_fullStr | Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| title_short | Variation in the diversity and composition of tree-related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| title_sort | variation in the diversity and composition of tree related microhabitats across climate and human impact gradients on a tropical mountain |
| topic | Canopy Climate Biodiversity indicators Human impact Tropical mountain Tree-related microhabitats |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X24013840 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giovannibianco variationinthediversityandcompositionoftreerelatedmicrohabitatsacrossclimateandhumanimpactgradientsonatropicalmountain AT andreashemp variationinthediversityandcompositionoftreerelatedmicrohabitatsacrossclimateandhumanimpactgradientsonatropicalmountain AT matthiasschleuning variationinthediversityandcompositionoftreerelatedmicrohabitatsacrossclimateandhumanimpactgradientsonatropicalmountain |