Biodiversity Within and Beyond the Native Distribution of Tree Species: The Case of <i>Pinus nigra</i> Forests in Europe

ABSTRACT Aim Forests dominated by non‐native trees are becoming increasingly common. However, their impact on biodiversity remains uncertain, with a debate on whether they represent ‘green deserts’ or secondary habitats for biodiversity. We addressed this question by evaluating the patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic and functional understory diversity between black pine ( Pinus nigra ) forests within and outside its native distribution range. Location Europe. Methods We collected a continental database of vegetation plots with full species composition and related functional traits. We compared α‐ and β‐taxonomic (TD) and functional (FD) diversity between understories of P. nigra forests within and outside its native distribution range, and modelled the relative effects of climate, soil conditions, and canopy cover. Results We found similar values of α‐ and β‐TD and ‐FD in forests within and outside the native range. The response to local and large‐scale drivers was also similar, with high canopy cover reducing α‐TD and α‐FD but enhancing β‐TD and β‐FD in both forest systems. Soil nutrients enhanced α‐TD and α‐FD and decreased β‐FD only in forests within the native range, while drought reduced α‐ and β‐diversities only in forests outside the native range. Main Conclusions The same dominant tree species under similar ecological conditions resulted in low diversity differentiation between forests both within and outside P. nigra native range. Nevertheless, understory diversity was sensitive to different ecological drivers, with stronger effects of soil fertility and moisture on forests within and outside native ranges, respectively. These results suggest that P. nigra forests established beyond the species' native range exhibit similar diversity metrics and ecosystem functions as those within its native range. Our findings may be linked to the fact that P. nigra forests outside the native range were placed in the same biogeographical region as the corresponding forest stands within the native range.

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Publication Details

Journal
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Published
2025-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70036
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.00

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article

Biodiversity Within and Beyond the Native Distribution of Tree Species: The Case of Pinus nigra Forests in Europe

Borja Jiménez‐Alfaro, Ali Kavgacı, Federico Fernández‐González, Tetiana Dziuba et al.
4 citations
Global Ecology and Biogeography
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
7.00
article

Biodiversity Within and Beyond the Native Distribution of Tree Species: The Case of Pinus nigra Forests in Europe

Borja Jiménez‐Alfaro, Ali Kavgacı, Federico Fernández‐González, Tetiana Dziuba, Kiril Vassilev, Josep Padullés Cubino, Kryštof Chytrý, Anh Tuan Dang‐Le, Ute Jandt, Gianmaria Bonari, Alessandro Bricca, Ülo Niinemets, Milan Valachovič, Olivier Argagnon, Wolfgang Willner, Nicola Alessi, Milan Chytrý, Bruno Enrico Leone Cerabolini, Michele Dalle Fratte, Alessandro Chiarucci, Mária Šibíková, Dario Ciaramella
article en
4 citations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aim Forests dominated by non‐native trees are becoming increasingly common. However, their impact on biodiversity remains uncertain, with a debate on whether they represent ‘green deserts’ or secondary habitats for biodiversity. We addressed this question by evaluating the patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic and functional understory diversity between black pine ( Pinus nigra ) forests within and outside its native distribution range. Location Europe. Methods We collected a continental database of vegetation plots with full species composition and related functional traits. We compared α‐ and β‐taxonomic (TD) and functional (FD) diversity between understories of P. nigra forests within and outside its native distribution range, and modelled the relative effects of climate, soil conditions, and canopy cover. Results We found similar values of α‐ and β‐TD and ‐FD in forests within and outside the native range. The response to local and large‐scale drivers was also similar, with high canopy cover reducing α‐TD and α‐FD but enhancing β‐TD and β‐FD in both forest systems. Soil nutrients enhanced α‐TD and α‐FD and decreased β‐FD only in forests within the native range, while drought reduced α‐ and β‐diversities only in forests outside the native range. Main Conclusions The same dominant tree species under similar ecological conditions resulted in low diversity differentiation between forests both within and outside P. nigra native range. Nevertheless, understory diversity was sensitive to different ecological drivers, with stronger effects of soil fertility and moisture on forests within and outside native ranges, respectively. These results suggest that P. nigra forests established beyond the species' native range exhibit similar diversity metrics and ecosystem functions as those within its native range. Our findings may be linked to the fact that P. nigra forests outside the native range were placed in the same biogeographical region as the corresponding forest stands within the native range.

Global Ecology and BiogeographyVol. 34(4)
University of Siena (IT), University of Insubria (IT), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VN), University of Vienna (AT), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (UA), Universidad de Oviedo (ES), Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (IT), Karabük University (TR), Estonian University of Life Sciences (EE), Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Masaryk University (CZ), Ho Chi Minh City University of Science (VN), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE), Institute of Botany of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (IT), Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (BG), Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (ES), Vienna Institute for Nature Conservation & Analyses (AT), Cat Tien National Park (VN), M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany (UA), Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles (FR), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE), University of Castilla-La Mancha (ES), University of Palermo (IT), University of Bologna (IT)
Slovenská Akadémia Vied, European Commission, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
7.00
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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