Loss of foundation species: consequences for the structure and dynamics of forested ecosystems.
Authors:
Ellison, Aaron M. Bank, Michael S. Clinton, Barton D. Colburn, Elizabeth A. Elliott, Katherine Ford, Chelcy R. Foster, David R. Kloeppel, Brian D. Knoepp, Jennifer D. Lovett, Gary M. Mohan, Jacqueline Orwig, David A. Rodenhouse, Nicholas L. Sobczak, William V. Stinson, Kristina A. Stone, Jeffrey K. Swan, Christopher M. Thompson, Jill Von Holle, Betsy Webster, Jackson R. USDA, FS
Source:
Frontiers in ecology and the environment. 2005, v. 3, no. 9, p. 479-486.
NALT Subjects:
forest ecology forest ecosystems forest trees tree diseases Pinus albicaulis Castanea dentata Tsuga canadensis forest communities community structure vegetation structure population dynamics forest succession degradation soil riparian forests riverine habitat streams anthropogenic activities microclimate forest health forest pests case studies United States
Other Subjects:
dominant species ecosystem processes core species species loss
Issue Date:
2005
Abstract:
In many forested ecosystems, the architecture and functional ecology of certain tree species define forest structure and their species-specific traits control ecosystem dynamics. Such foundation tree species are declining throughout the world due to introductions and outbreaks of pests and pathogens, selective removal of individual taxa, and over-harvesting. Through a series of case studies, we show that the loss of foundation tree species changes the local environment on which a variety of other species depend; how this disrupts fundamental ecosystem processes, including rates of decomposition, nutrient fluxes, carbon sequestration, and energy flow; and dramatically alters the dynamics of associated aquatic ecosystems. Forests in which dynamics are controlled by one or a few foundation species appear to be dominated by a small number of strong interactions and may be highly susceptible to alternating between stable states following even small perturbations. The ongoing decline of many foundation species provides a set of important, albeit unfortunate, opportunities to develop the research tools, models, and metrics needed to identify foundation species, anticipate the cascade of immediate, short- and long-term changes in ecosystem structure and function that will follow from their loss, and provide options for remedial conservation and management.
