Small net local temporal changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic biodiversity across European temperate forests
We face increasing concerns about how the local diversity of native plant communities responds to various drivers of global change, yet often lack comprehensive studies that integrate several components of diversity and the effects of both local and regional drivers of change. We analyzed changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity across 2681 (semi-)permanent temperate forest understory plots surveyed and resurveyed for all vascular plants over intervals of 15-78 yr, spanning 72 regions distributed across Europe. We quantified temporal changes in these diversity indices and assessed their responses to changes in both local drivers (plot-level overstory cover, indicator values for soil nutrients) and regional shifts in macroclimate and nitrogen deposition. Overall, local changes in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity were centered around zero, reflecting - on average - little net change in forest diversity. Observed diversity changes mostly reflected local conditions such as overstory cover change and baseline soil nutrients rather than regional drivers of large-scale change. Changes in phylogenetic diversity correlated positively with changes in taxonomic diversity but negatively with changes in functional diversity. Our findings underscore the importance of local habitat management and multifaceted diversity monitoring for effective biodiversity conservation in temperate forests.
Authors
- Pieter De Frenne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8613-0943)
- Donald M. Waller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5377-3929)
- Monika Wulf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6499-0750)
- Liping Wei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4296-9851)
- Tibor Standovár (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4686-3456)
- Wolfgang Schmidt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5356-4684)
- Martin Macek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5609-5921)
- Balázs Teleki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2417-0413)
- Antoine Becker‐Scarpitta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9241-091X)
- Hans Van Calster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8595-8426)
- Pieter Sanczuk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1107-4905)
- Kris Verheyen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2067-9108)
- Alina Stachurska‐Swakoń (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0381-4520)
- Bogdan Jaroszewicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2042-8245)
- Ondřej Vild (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0728-2392)
- Frantíšek Máliš (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2760-6988)
- Jan Šebesta
- Thomas Vanneste (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5296-917X)
- Jörg Brunet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2667-4575)
- Kamila Reczyńska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-8430)
- Guillaume Decocq (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9262-5873)
- Markus Bernhardt‐Römermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2740-2304)
- Markéta Chudomelová
- Thilo Heinken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1681-5971)
- Thomas A. Nagel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4207-9218)
- Karen De Pauw (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8369-2679)
- Fride Høistad Schei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8083-4045)
- Emiel De Lombaerde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0050-2735)
- Petr Petřík
- Anna Orczewska
- Martin Kopecký (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1018-9316)
- Jonathan Lenoir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0638-9582)
- Krzysztof Świerkosz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5145-178X)
- Radim Hédl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6040-8126)
- Tomasz Durak
- Tobias Naaf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4809-3694)
- Peter Horchler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3054-4351)
- Lander Baeten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4262-9221)
- Martin Diekmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8482-0679)
Institutions
- Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
- Jagiellonian University (PL)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR)
- University of Debrecen (HU)
- American Museum of Natural History (US)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Hochschule Bremen (DE)
- University of Potsdam (DE)
- University of Bremen (DE)
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (BE)
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
- Institute of Botany of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Technická univerzita vo Zvolene (SK)
- Slovenian Forestry Institute (SI)
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (DE)
- Institute of Environmental Protection (PL)
- Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés (FR)
- Federal Institute of Hydrology (DE)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany (CZ)
- Jena University Hospital (DE)
- Peuplements végétaux et bioagresseurs en milieu tropical (RE)
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NO)
- Oldham Council (GB)
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- Mendel University in Brno (CZ)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
- University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
- University of Rzeszów (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- New Phytologist
- Published
- 2025-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70502
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.63
Funders
- Akademie Věd České Republiky
- Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement
- European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
- Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig