Diversity in tree regeneration across temperate forest landscapes with varying disturbance regimes

Diversity in tree regeneration across temperate forest landscapes with varying disturbance regimes | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecography This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Diversity in tree regeneration across temperate forest landscapes with varying disturbance regimes Authors : Christian Schattenberg 0009-0005-1771-2332 [email protected] , Kristin Braziunas [email protected] , Christina Dollinger [email protected] , Aikio Erhardt [email protected] , Anne Huber [email protected] , Timon Keller [email protected] , Jonas Kerber [email protected] , … Show All … , Garrett Knowlton [email protected] , Yuta Kobayashi [email protected] , Kirsten Krüger [email protected] , Judit Lecina-Diaz [email protected] , David Liebler [email protected] , Michael Maroschek [email protected] , Johannes Mohr [email protected] , Akira Mori 0000-0002-8422-1198 [email protected] , Jorg Muller 0000-0002-1409-1586 [email protected] , Minagi Naka 0009-0004-4030-5252 [email protected] , Keita Nishizawa [email protected] , Werner Rammer 0000-0001-6871-6759 [email protected] , Dai Saito [email protected] , Sebastian Seibold [email protected] , Kureha Suzuki [email protected] , Kahoko Tochigi [email protected] , Monica Turner [email protected] , Stefanie Wagner [email protected] , Xinyu Xu [email protected] , and Rupert Seidl [email protected] Show Fewer Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003203/v1 39 views 24 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Today’s tree regeneration forms the nucleus of the forest canopies of the future. Patterns of tree regeneration are contingent on canopy disturbance, yet how disturbances, which are rapidly changing in many parts of the globe, influence regeneration diversity remains poorly understood. Here we developed hypotheses for how regeneration diversity varies with disturbance activity, postulating that α-diversity (i.e., within-plot variation) in tree regeneration is high under low to moderate disturbance activity, while β-diversity (i.e., between-plot variation) is high when disturbance activity is high. To test our hypotheses, we selected study areas based on a global remote sensing analysis across 50 protected temperate forest landscapes and collected field data in three contrasting landscapes representing low (Shiretoko, JP), moderate (Berchtesgaden, DE), and high (Grand Teton, US) disturbance activity. We studied tree regeneration (defined as trees > 0.2 m in height and < 7 cm in diameter) across 227 plots, using standardized metrics of regeneration structure and composition to enable analyses across systems. Regeneration density was high across all study systems (mean of 7.679 ± 584 stems ha-1), but diversity patterns varied distinctly with disturbance activity. In line with our hypothesis, β-diversity in regeneration structure and composition increased with disturbance activity and was highest in Grand Teton. Counter to our hypothesis, α-diversity was low for regeneration structure under low disturbance activity (Shiretoko), with the highest values of compositional and structural α-diversity observed under moderate disturbance activity (Berchtesgaden). In general, patterns between diversity in composition and structure were largely congruent. Our findings suggest that increasing disturbance activity under climate change could decrease α-diversity but increase β-diversity of tree regeneration, resulting in local homogenization but increased landscape-scale heterogeneity. Our results underscore the value of monitoring tree regeneration as a robust indicator of future stand development that is sensitive to ongoing changes in disturbance regimes. Supplementary Material File (supplemental-information.docx) supplemental-information Download 1.14 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 May 2026 Collection Ecography Keywords forest mountain ecosystems disturbance ecology landscape ecology forest ecology disturbance ecology Biodiversity Community assembly forest biodiversity deadwood ecosystem simulation forest modeling Biodiversity Arctic species distribution modelling global change individual-based modelling range dynamics movement ecology population dynamic modelling cross-continental comparison mountain forests protected area species diversity structural diversity tree saplings Biodiversity Community assembly Spatial ecology temporal ecology biogeography macroecology forest ecology disturbance ecology plants spatial distribution boreal forest subarctic Biodiversity Arctic species distribution modelling global change individual-based modelling range dynamics movement ecology population dynamic modelling forest mountain ecosystems disturbance ecology landscape ecology forest biodiversity deadwood ecosystem simulation forest modeling environmental science human-nature interactions spatial ecology individual based models point pattern analys habitat models inverse modelling Authors Affiliations Christian Schattenberg 0009-0005-1771-2332 [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Kristin Braziunas [email protected] View all articles by this author Christina Dollinger [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Aikio Erhardt [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Anne Huber [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Timon Keller [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Jonas Kerber [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Garrett Knowlton [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Yuta Kobayashi [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Kirsten Krüger [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Judit Lecina-Diaz [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author David Liebler [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Michael Maroschek [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Johannes Mohr [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Akira Mori 0000-0002-8422-1198 [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Jorg Muller 0000-0002-1409-1586 [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Minagi Naka 0009-0004-4030-5252 [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Keita Nishizawa [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Werner Rammer 0000-0001-6871-6759 [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Dai Saito [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Sebastian Seibold [email protected] View all articles by this author Kureha Suzuki [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Kahoko Tochigi [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Monica Turner [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Stefanie Wagner [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Xinyu Xu [email protected] Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany View all articles by this author Rupert Seidl [email protected] View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 39 views 24 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Christian Schattenberg, Kristin Braziunas, Christina Dollinger, et al. 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