Publications 2010 – 2019 – Forest Ecology and Conservation Group

Species- and community-level patterns in fine root traits along a 120 000-year soil chronosequence in temperate rain forest

Measurement of species- and community-level root and leaf trait responses for 50 temperate rainforest species from 28 families of ferns, woody and herbaceous angiosperms and conifers, along a soil chronosequence in New Zealand that exhibits a strong gradient in soil nutrient availability. Holdaway, R.J.; Richardson, S.J.; Dickie, I.A.; Peltzer D.A.; Coomes, D.A. 2011 PDF
Estimating the wood density of species for carbon stock assessments

Assessing accuracy of methods for estimation of wood density when investigating species for which data is unavailable through use of closely related species data. Flores, O.; Coomes, D.A. 2011 PDF
Moving on from Metabolic Scaling Theory: hierarchical models of tree growth and asymmetric competition for light

Advocating the inclusion of asymmetric competition into general models of tree growth, mortality, recruitment and size structure to account for competition from taller neighbours, especially in productive forest locations. Coomes, D.A.; Lines, E.R.; Allen, R.B. 2011 PDF
Long-term tree fern dynamics linked to disturbance and shade tolerance

Investigating whether New Zealand tree ferns have recognizable shade tolerance niches. Bystriakova, N.; Bader, M.; Coomes, D.A. 2011 PDF
Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum potential: a mechanism promoting positive diversity–invasibility relationships in mountain beech forests in New Zealand?

Investigating the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza in determining the susceptibility of a habitat to plant invasion. Making use of an arbuscular mycorrhizal herb currently invading the understory of ectomycorrhizal Northofagus forest. Spence, L.A.; Dickie, I.A.; Coomes, D.A. 2011 PDF
Do leaves of plants on phosphorus-impoverished soils contain high concentrations of phenolic defence compounds?

Comparing the foliar concentrations of phenolic compounds in phenotypes of 21 species growing on P-rich alluvial terraces and P-depleted marine terraces in southern New Zealand, and 87 species growing under similar climates on comparatively P-rich soils in New Zealand vs. P-depleted soils in Tasmania. Wright, D.M.; Jordan, G.J.; Lee, W.G.; Duncan, R.P.; Forsyth, D.M.; Coomes,…
Seeing the forest for the deer: Do reductions in deer-disturbance lead to forest recovery?

Despite significant and sustained deer herd reductions between 1996 and 2009, there was limited recruitment of small trees and declines in basal area of tree species that were sensitive to deer browsing. Tanzentap, A. et al. 2010 PDF
Interspecific relationships among growth, mortality and xylem traits of woody species from New Zealand

Testing the hypotheses that there is a set of inter-related trade-offs linked to the different functions of wood, that these trade-offs have direct consequences for tree growth and survival and that these trade-offs underlie the observed correlations between wood density and demographic rates. Russo, S.E.; Jenkins, K.L.; Wiser, S.K.; Uriarte, M.; Duncan, R.P.; Coomes, D.A.…
Biodiversity Conservation: Challenges Beyond 2010

An argument that effective conservation of biodiversity is essential for human survival and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Despite some conservation successes (especially at local scales) and increasing public and government interest in living sustainably, biodiversity continues to decline. Rands, M.R.W et al 2010 PDF