Peeking at ecosystem stability: making use of a natural disturbance experiment to analyze resistance and resilience

摘要: To determine which factors contribute most to the stability of species composition in a beech forest after profound disturbance, we made use natural experiment caused by severe windthrow that occurred at permanent monitoring site an old Lower Saxony (Germany). The floristic was recorded for succeeding five years disturbance and used derive measures resistance resilience plots as well individual species. Due existence previously established randomly distributed plots, had precise information pre-disturbance state, including initial cover herb layer, richness, composition. Variables describing change, resistance, were derived from correspondence analysis allowing partitioning effects variation among those temporal change. We asked degree these variables could be predicted state intensity. found both intensity good predictors change while they failed predict resilience. Among descriptors layer turned out useful predictor, is explained high vegetation buffering against losses preventing establishment newcomers. In contrast, number neither showed relationship nor resistance. Putative positive on according insurance hypothesis might have been counterbalanced disruption niche complementarity species-rich communities. intensity, loss canopy photosynthetically active radiation storm equally responses single revealed wide range different mechanisms involved. Resistance did not depend presence particular or specific traits.