Shifts in above‐ and below‐ground trait dissimilarity under competition mediate the future impact of neighbours Our findings reveal complementary above- and below-ground shifts in multidimensional trait dissimilarity in response to neighbours, providing new insight into potential mechanisms by which plants dea...

When trees compete, they don’t all respond the same way: they become more similar aboveground, but more different belowground. Our new paper shows that these opposite trait shifts can both ease competition and help species coexist. 🌳 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Above‐ and below‐ground trait coordination across 90 angiosperm and gymnosperm tree species in a common garden experiment This research highlights the significance of elucidating the mechanisms behind above-and below-ground organs. The varying trait coordination across clades indicates different resource acquisition str...

Just before the Xmas break🎉

In @journalofecology.bsky.social and led by Anvar Sanaei, we provide insight into #trait coordination across 90 common and future European #tree species👇

doi.org/10.1111/1365...

@agwirthweigelt.bsky.social @unileipzig.bsky.social @uni-freiburg.de

Intraspecific and intraindividual trait variability decrease with tree richness in a subtropical tree biodiversity experiment - Nature Communications In forests, trait expression is influenced by tree-tree interactions. Castro Sánchez-Bermejo et al. show how phenotypic variability of tree species decreases with tree diversity and contributes import...

In trees, intraspecific and intraindividual leaf trait variability decrease along a gradient of tree species richness and are an important part of functional diversity in forest stands,
Our new paper is already out in @natcomms.nature.com

doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Want to know more about it? 🧵

Competition‐Induced Trait Variability Obscures Trait–Growth Relationships of Tree Seedlings Our study reveals that competition fundamentally reshapes trait–growth relationships. Competition simultaneously increases individual trait variability while suppressing growth rates, forcing plants ....

Our new study highlights how competition-driven trait plasticity and growth suppression jointly obscure the link between plant functional traits and seedling growth.

Huge thanks to @cpcarmona.bsky.social and Guochun Shen for their invaluable guidance and collaboration! doi.org/10.1111/ele.70259

New Tansley Insight in New Phytologist: The path toward a unified plant trait space: synthesizing plant functional diversity.

Why a common trait space matters, how to build it, and what it enables.

With @e-beccari.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/nph....

#PlantTraits #FunctionalDiversity

Neighbourhood diversity increases tree growth in experimental forests more in wetter climates but not in wetter years - Nature Ecology & Evolution How tree diversity effects on ecosystem functioning vary along climatic gradients is unclear. Here, analysing data from 15 experimental forest sites, the authors show that tree growth responses to nei...

🗞️New publication🗞️

How do neighbourhood diversity effects on tree growth change with climatic conditions?🌳🌲🔆🌧️

We adress this question in our new study in @natecoevo.nature.com led by Liting Zheng.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

/w @liting-zheng.bsky.social, Peter Reich & #TreeDivNet

Excited to share our latest article that bridges species coexistence, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships and plant-soil feedbacks! 🎉🎉🎉

(A) Conceptual diagram of how early-season competition induces plastic responses in focal plants. (B) Species interactions are measured across a density gradient of resident competitors with no induction, with induction from individuals of the focal species or from the resident species.

New paper w/ Jonathan Levine and @exp-evoeco.bsky.social! We induced plastic responses in annual plants through early-life competition. These responses tended to make subsequent species interactions stronger and coexistence less likely.
Link: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Can’t wait to share a big seedling experiment (12,176 seedlings) I’m running in China👉 We are testing how trait variation & plasticity affect coexistence in changing environments. Woody plants aren’t easy — but we’re trying. This is also my first project funded by NSFC. Now waiting for them to grow.

Surprised to find a whole new world beyond Twitter! 🚪🔬
Still exploring… but hi BlueSky! 👋

unexpectedly opened a new world beyond Twitter! AND I was super lucky to have your kind help and support during my first research life abroad.

The first paper from #darkdivnet is out now! Huge thank you to all our >200 co-authors who helped to reveal dark diversity in different parts of the world! www.nature.com/articles/s41...