Publications 2010 – 2019 – Forest Ecology and Conservation Group

Overstorey and topographic effects on understories: Evidence for linkage from cork oak (Quercus suber) forests in southern Spain

We use airborne lidar to elucidate the interaction of environmental and canopy controls on understorey development in a forest of cork oak (Quercus suber) mixed with the deciduous oak(Quercus canariensis) on complex topographic relief in southern Spain. Simonson, W.D.; Allen, H.D.; Coomes, D.A. 2014 PDF
Competition for light and water play contrasting roles in driving diversity–productivity relationships in Iberian forests

Investigating the role of competition for light and water as possible sources of complementarity among Iberian pine and oak species. Jucker, T.; Bouriaud, O.; Avacaritei, D.; Danila, I.; Duduman, G.; Valladares, F.; Coomes, D.A. 2014 PDF
Stabilizing effects of diversity on aboveground wood production in forest ecosystems: linking patterns and processes

Using tree ring data from permanent forest plots across Europe, we show that aboveground wood production is inherently more stable through time in mixed-species forests. Jucker, T.; Bouriaud, O.; Avacaritei, D.; Coomes, D.A. 2014 PDF
Rate of tree carbon accumulation increases continuously with tree size

A global analysis of 403 tropical and temperate tree species, showing that for most species mass growth rate increases continuously with tree size. Thus, large, old trees do not act simply as senescent carbon reservoirs but actively fix large amounts of carbon. At the extreme the annual fixing of carbon by a single large tree…
Plant movements and climate warming: intraspecific variation in growth responses to nonlocal soils

We assess the intraspecific variation in growth responses to nonlocal soils by planting a widespread grass of deciduous forests into an experimental common garden using combinations of seeds and soil sampled in 22 sites across its distributional range, and reflecting movement scenarios of up to 1600 km. De Frenne, P. et al. 2014 PDF
Wood production response to climate change will depend critically on forest composition and structure

Investigating whether global forests continue to act as a global sink will depend on many factors, including the response of aboveground wood production to climate change. Here, we explore how AWP in New Zealand’s natural forests is likely to change. Coomes, D.A. et al. 2014 PDF
Biodiversity Mapping in a Tropical West African Forest with Airborne Hyperspectral Data

Here we explore whether airborne hyperspectral imagery can be used to predict the alpha diversity of upper canopy trees in a West African forest. Laurin, V.G. et al. 2014 PDF
Above ground biomass estimation in an African tropical forest with lidar and hyperspectral data

To assess lidar ability to retrieve biomass in an African forest and the usefulness of including hyperspectral information, we modelled biomass using small footprint lidar metrics as well as airborne hyperspectral bands and derived vegetation indexes. Laurin, V.G. et al. 2014 PDF
Quantifying variation in forest disturbance, and its effects on aboveground biomass dynamics, across the eastern United States

We analyzed forest inventory data from the eastern United States to estimate plot-level variation in mortality (relative to a long-term background rate for individual trees) for nine distinct forest regions. Disturbances that produced at least a fourfold increase in tree mortality over an approximately 5 year interval were observed in 1–5% of plots in each…