Forests undergoing ecological succession following abandonment from agricultural use (i.e., old fields) are ubiquitous in temperate regions of the U.S. and Europe. Ecological succession in old fields involves changes in vegetation composition influenced by factors such as land-use history, soil conditions, and dispersal limitations. Species’ behavioral, morphological, physiological and life-history attributes influence the outcomes of environmental and biotic filters on distribution and abundance. However, many studies have focused on aboveground attributes, while less attention has been placed on belowground species characteristics that influence community assembly and function. In this study, we used a trait-based approach to examine how aboveground plant composition and distribution vary with plant root functional traits (e.g., mycorrhizal association) that mediate access for nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P). We inventoried every tree stem (n ​= ​11,551) in a 10-ha forested area containing old-field and historical forests and matched every species with root functional traits (n ​= ​33) from established databases. We found that land-use history influences community composition and distribution in old-field forests, which also varied with belowground root functional traits. Community composition in old-field forests, which were dominated by Acer saccharum and non-native species, were largely associated with arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and higher root nutrient concentrations. On the other hand, community composition in historical forests – largely dominated by Tsuga canadensis – were associated with ectomycorrhiza (EcM) and more variation of root length and depth. These results suggest that changes in aboveground communities have implications for belowground ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient cycling) which are important to forest ecosystem development. Trait-based approaches can elucidate mechanisms of community assembly, and understanding how traits influence species coexistence and interactions can inform management decisions related to biodiversity conservation and restoration efforts in disturbed or altered forests.

中文翻译：

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土地利用遗留问题影响着从老田林到成熟温带森林的树种的组成和分布及其地下功能


在美国和欧洲的温带地区，因农业用途（即旧田地）而被遗弃后发生生态演替的森林无处不在。老田的生态演替涉及受土地利用历史、土壤条件和扩散限制等因素影响的植被组成变化。物种的行为、形态、生理和生活史属性会影响环境和生物过滤器对分布和丰度的结果。然而，许多研究都集中在地上属性上，而对影响群落组装和功能的地下物种特征的关注较少。在这项研究中，我们使用了基于性状的方法来研究地上植物的组成和分布如何随植物根系功能性状（例如菌根关联）而变化，这些性状介导了氮 （N） 和磷 （P） 等营养物质的获取。我们盘点了包含老地和历史森林的 10 公顷森林区域中的每一根树干 （n = 11,551），并从已建立的数据库中将每个物种与根功能性状 （n = 33） 相匹配。我们发现，土地利用历史影响了老田林的群落组成和分布，这也随地下根功能性状而变化。以槭树和非本地物种为主的老田林群落组成主要与丛枝菌根 （AM） 和较高的根系养分浓度有关。另一方面，历史森林中的群落组成——主要以 Tsuga canadensis 为主——与外生菌根 （EcM） 以及根长和深度的更多变化有关。 这些结果表明，地上群落的变化对地下生态系统服务（例如养分循环）有影响，这对森林生态系统的发展很重要。基于性状的方法可以阐明群落组装的机制，了解性状如何影响物种共存和相互作用可以为与受干扰或改变的森林中的生物多样性保护和恢复工作相关的管理决策提供信息。