Individual tree structure and growth in mixed compared with monospecific stands

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the shape, growth, and productivity of individual trees growing in inter- versus intraspecific environments. The individual tree senses and responds to the prevailing environmental conditions. The properties of the individuals determine the forest stand dynamics as individuals of different species interact with each other. Therefore, the level of the individual tree is most suitable for understanding competition, competition reduction through complementarity, and facilitation, which can result in the differences between structure dynamics and productivity of mixed compared with monospecific stands. The chapter shows how species mixing can modify the size development, persistence, and productivity of individual trees in mixed stands compared with members of the same species in neighbouring monospecific stands. Many of the beneficial tree mixing reactions result from complementary crown and root shape, spatially or temporally complementary resource exploitation, redistribution of resources, or modification of growth allocation and allometry introduced in this chapter.