BangorDIVERSE (UK)
BangorDIVERSE, established in March 2004, is a forest diversity experimental infrastructure at the Henfaes Research Centre of Bangor University. The experiment aims to explore the relationship between tree diversity and forest ecological functioning and sustainability. The planted species represent a range of taxonomic, physiological and ecological types and were selected because of their contrasting shade tolerance and successional chronology.
Design
Plots were established across two fields in four replicated blocks of monocultures, two- and three-species mixtures. A replacement series design (with inter-tree spacing constant between treatments) was selected because of the experiment’s objective of being realistic in reflecting the practical establishment of forests consisting of monocultures or mixtures of canopy tree species. Saplings (60 cm) of each species were planted with an inter-tree spacing of 1 m (10 000 stems ha-1). A systematic hexagonal planting design, i.e., each tree having six equidistant neighbours, was used to maximise the mixing effect. In the three-species mixture blocks, the nearest neighbours of each tree were two conspecific individuals and two individuals of each of the other two species.
BangorDIVERSE plots
Site characteristics
| BangorDIVERSE (Henfaes) | |
|---|---|
Country |
UK |
Biome |
temperate |
Latitude |
53.23 |
Longitude |
-4.02 |
Soil type |
fine loamy brown earth over gravel (Rheidol series), classified as Fluventic Dystrochrept |
Former land use |
pasture, followed by small-scale forestry experiments for the last 20 years (field 1) and cultivation of oilseed rape in 2003 (field 2) |
Altitude |
13-18 m |
Design |
systematic: nearest neighbours were 2 conspecific and 2 * 2 heterospecific ones in 3-spp plots |
Plot size (m^2) |
45-196 m² |
Plant distance (m) |
1 |
Number of trees planted |
22 000 |
Planting date |
March 2004 |
Diversity variables |
species richness |
Diversity gradient |
1, 2, 3 sp. |
Size species pool |
7 |
Species pool |
Acer pseudoplatanus |
Contact person |
Andy Smith |
a.r.smith@bangor.ac.uk |
Research
We intend to explore tree-soil interactions, specifically: tree growth and form, plant-water relations and soil hydrology, nutrient cycling, C pools, fluxes and sequestration, and the structure and abundance of the microbial community (symbiotic and pathogenic).
Extra information
For more information on the BangorDIVERSE experiment, send an e-mail to the contact person, or explore the publications that utilized data from this experiment.
Research papers
- Depauw L, De Lombaerde E, Dhiedt E, Blondeel H, Abdala-Roberts L, Auge H, Barsoum N, Bauhus J, Chu C, Damtew A, Eisenhauer N, V. Fagundes M, Ganade G, Gendreau-Berthiaume B, Godbold D, Gravel D, Guillemot J, Hajek P, Hector A, Hérault B, Jactel H, Koricheva J, Kreft H, Liu X, Mereu S, Messier C, Muys B, Nock CA, Paquette A, Parker JD, Parker WC, Paterno, GB, Perring MP, Ponette Q, Potvin C, Reich PB, Rewald B, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schnabel F, Sousa-Silva R, Weih M, Clara Zemp D, Verheyen K, Baeten L 2024 Enhancing Tree Performance Through Species Mixing: Review of a Quarter-Century of TreeDivNet Experiments Reveals Research Gaps and Practical Insights. Current Forestry Reports - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-023-00208-y
- FAO 2023 Towards more resilient and diverse planted forests. Unasylva (254)74: 2031/1. Rome. https://doi. org/10.4060/cc8584en
- Messier C, Bauhus J, Sousa-Silva R, Auge H, Baeten L, Barsoum N, Bruelheide H, Caldwell B, Cavender-Bares J, Dhiedt E, Eisenhauer N, Ganade G, Gravel D, Guillemot J, Hall JS, Hector A, Hérault B, Jactel H, Koricheva J, Kreft H, Mereu S, Muys B, Nock CA, Paquette A, Parker JD, Perring MP, Ponette Q, Potvin C, Reich PB, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schnabel F, Verheyen K, Weih M, Wollni M, Zemp DC 2021 For the sake of resilience and multifunctionality, let’s diversify planted forests! Conservation Letters e12829 - https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12829
- Djukic I, Kepfer-Rojas S, Kappel Schmidt I, Steenberg Larsen K, Beier C, Berg B, Verheyen K, TeaComposition 2018 Early stage litter decomposition across biomes. Science of the Total Environment 628-629: 1369-1394 - doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.012
- Gunina A, Smith AR, Godbold DL, Jones DL, Kuzyakov Y 2017 Response of soil microbial community to afforestation with pure and mixed species. Plant and Soil 412: 357-368 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3073-0
- Verheyen K, Vanhellemont M, Auge H, Baeten L, Baraloto C, Barsoum N, Bilodeau-Gauthier S, Bruelheide H, Castagneyrol B, Godbold D, Haase J, Hector A, Jactel H, Koricheva J, Loreau M, Mereu S, Messier C, Muys B, Nolet P, Paquette A, Parker J, Perring M, Ponette Q, Potvin C, Reich P, Smith A, Weih M, Scherer-Lorenzen M 2016 Contributions of a global network of tree diversity experiments to sustainable forest plantations. Ambio 45: 29-41 - doi: 10.1007/s13280-015-0685-1
Oak-birch plot and beech-birch plot (May 2013)