@article{01HT56905ZMF7DWJF6CMC3V9WV,
  abstract     = {{Purpose of ReviewInternational ambitions for massive afforestation and restoration are high. To make these investments sustainable and resilient under future climate change, science is calling for a shift from planting monocultures to mixed forests. But what is the scientific basis for promoting diverse plantations, and what is the feasibility of their establishment and management? As the largest global network of tree diversity experiments, TreeDivNet is uniquely positioned to answer these pressing questions. Building on 428 peer-reviewed TreeDivNet studies, combined with the results of a questionnaire completed by managers of 32 TreeDivNet sites, we aimed to answer the following questions: (i) How and where have TreeDivNet experiments enabled the relationship between tree diversity and tree performance (including productivity, survival, and pathogen damage) to be studied, and what has been learned? (ii) What are the remaining key knowledge gaps in our understanding of the relationship between tree diversity and tree performance? and (iii) What practical insights can be gained from the TreeDivNet experiments for operational, real-world forest plantations?Recent FindingsWe developed a conceptual framework that identifies the variety of pathways through which target tree performance is related to local neighbourhood diversity and mapped the research efforts for each of those pathways. Experimental research on forest mixtures has focused primarily on direct tree diversity effects on productivity, with generally positive effects of species and functional diversity on productivity. Fewer studies focused on indirect effects mediated via biotic growing conditions (e.g. soil microbes and herbivores) and resource availability and uptake. Most studies examining light uptake found positive effects of species diversity. For pests and diseases, the evidence points mostly towards lower levels of infection for target trees when growing in mixed plantations. Tree diversity effects on the abiotic growing conditions (e.g. microclimate, soil properties) and resource-use efficiency have been less well studied to date. The majority of tree diversity experiments are situated in temperate forests, while (sub)tropical forests, and boreal forests in particular, remain underrepresented.SummaryTreeDivNet provides evidence in favour of mixing tree species to increase tree productivity while identifying a variety of different processes that drive these diversity effects. The design, scale, age, and management of TreeDivNet experiments reflect their focus on fundamental research questions pertaining to tree diversity-ecosystem function relationships and this scientific focus complicates translation of findings into direct practical management guidelines. Future research could focus on (i) filling the knowledge gaps related to underlying processes of tree diversity effects to better design plantation schemes, (ii) identifying optimal species mixtures, and (iii) developing practical approaches to make experimental mixed plantings more management oriented.}},
  author       = {{Depauw, Leen and De Lombaerde, Emiel and  Dhiedt, Els and Blondeel, Haben and  Abdala-Roberts, Luis and  Auge, Harald and  Barsoum, Nadia and  Bauhus, Juergen and  Chu, Chengjin and  Damtew, Abebe and  Eisenhauer, Nico and  Fagundes, Marina V. and  Ganade, Gislene and  Gendreau-Berthiaume, Benoit and  Godbold, Douglas and  Gravel, Dominique and  Guillemot, Joannes and  Hajek, Peter and  Hector, Andrew and  Herault, Bruno and  Jactel, Herve and  Koricheva, Julia and  Kreft, Holger and  Liu, Xiaojuan and  Mereu, Simone and  Messier, Christian and  Muys, Bart and  Nock, Charles A. and  Paquette, Alain and  Parker, John D. and  Parker, William C. and  Paterno, Gustavo B. and  Perring, Michael P. and  Ponette, Quentin and  Potvin, Catherine and  Reich, Peter B. and  Rewald, Boris and  Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael and  Schnabel, Florian and  Sousa-Silva, Rita and  Weih, Martin and  Zemp, Delphine Clara and Verheyen, Kris and Baeten, Lander}},
  issn         = {{2198-6436}},
  journal      = {{CURRENT FORESTRY REPORTS}},
  keywords     = {{FINE-ROOT PRODUCTION,FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY,SUBTROPICAL FOREST,ASSOCIATIONAL RESISTANCE,NITROGEN ACQUISITION,GENOTYPIC DIVERSITY,TRAIT VARIATION,RICHNESS,BIODIVERSITY,COMMUNITY,Mixed forest plantations,Tree diversity,TreeDivNet,Tree performance,Tree species mixing,Productivity,Afforestation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--20}},
  title        = {{Enhancing tree performance through species mixing : review of a quarter-century of TreeDivNet experiments reveals research gaps and practical insights}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-023-00208-y}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

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