Dominance and rarity in tree communities across the globe: Patterns, predictors and threats
Authors: Hordijk Iris , Bialic‐Murphy Lalasia , Lauber Thomas , Routh Devin , Poorter Lourens , Rivers Malin C. , ter Steege Hans , Liang Jingjing , Reich Peter B. , de‐Miguel Sergio , Nabuurs Gert‐Jan , Gamarra Javier G. P. , Chen Han Y. H. , Zhou Mo , Wiser Susan K. , Pretzsch Hans , Paquette Alain , Picard Nicolas , Hérault Bruno , Bastin Jean‐Francois , Alberti Giorgio , Abegg Meinrad , Adou Yao Yves C. , Almeyda Zambrano Angelica M. , Alvarado Braulio V. , Alvarez‐Davila Esteban , Alvarez‐Loayza Patricia , Alves Luciana F. , Ammer Christian , Antón‐Fernández Clara , Araujo‐Murakami Alejandro , Arroyo Luzmila , Avitabile Valerio , Aymard Corredor Gerardo A. , Baker Timothy , Banki Olaf , Barroso Jorcely , Bastian Meredith L. , Birigazzi Luca , Birnbaum Philippe , Bitariho Robert , Boeckx Pascal , Bongers Frans , Bouriaud Olivier , Brancalion Pedro H. S. , Brandl Susanne , Brienen Roel , Broadbent Eben N. , Bruelheide Helge , Bussotti Filippo , Gatti Roberto Cazzolla , Cesar Ricardo G. , Cesljar Goran , Chazdon Robin , Chisholm Chelsea , Cienciala Emil , Clark Connie J. , Clar David B. , Colletta Gabriel , Coomes David , Valverde Fernando Cornejo , Corral‐Rivas Jose J. , Crim Philip , Cumming Jonathan , Dayanandan Selvadurai , de Gasper André L. , Decuyper Mathieu , Derroire Géraldine , DeVries Ben , Djordjevic Ilija , Iêda Amaral , Dourdain Aurélie , Dolezal Jiri , Obiang Nestor Laurier Engone , Enquist Brian , Eyre Teresa , Fandohan Adandé Belarmain , Fayle Tom M. , Ferreira Leandro V. , Feldpausch Ted R. , Finér Leena , Fischer Markus , Fletcher Christine , Frizzera Lorenzo , Gianelle Damiano , Glick Henry B. , Harris David , Hector Andrew , Hemp Andreas , Hengeveld Geerten , Herbohn John , Hillers Annika , Honorio Coronado Eurídice N. , Hui Cang , Cho Hyunkook , Ibanez Thomas , Jung Ilbin , Imai Nobuo , Jagodzinski Andrzej M. , Jaroszewicz Bogdan , Johannsen Vivian , Joly Carlos A. , Jucker Tommaso , Karminov Viktor , Kartawinata Kuswata , Kearsley Elizabeth , Kenfack David , Kennard Deborah , Kepfer‐Rojas Sebastian , Keppel Gunnar , Khan Mohammed Latif , Killeen Timothy , Kim Hyun Seok , Kitayama Kanehiro , Köhl Michael , Korjus Henn , Kraxner Florian , Laarmann Diana , Lang Mait , Lewis Simon , Lu Huicui , Lukina Natalia , Maitner Brian , Malhi Yadvinder , Marcon Eric , Marimon Beatriz Schwantes , Marimon‐Junior Ben Hur , Marshall Andrew Robert , Martin Emanuel , Martynenko Olga , Meave Jorge A. , Melo‐Cruz Omar , Mendoza Casimiro , Merow Cory , Miscicki Stanislaw , Mendoza Abel Monteagudo , Moreno Vanessa , Mukul Sharif A. , Mundhenk Philip , Nava‐Miranda Maria G. , Neill David , Neldner Victor , Nevenic Radovan , Ngugi Michael , Niklaus Pascal A. , Oleksyn Jacek , Ontikov Petr , Ortiz‐Malavasi Edgar , Pan Yude , Parada‐Gutierrez Alexander , Parfenova Elena , Park Minjee , Parren Marc , Parthasarathy Narayanaswamy , Peri Pablo L. , Pfautsch Sebastian , Phillips Oliver L. , Piedade Maria Teresa , Piotto Daniel , Pitman Nigel C. A. , Polo Irina , Poulsen Axel Dalberg , Poulsen John R. , Arevalo Freddy Ramirez , Restrepo‐Correa Zorayda , Rodeghiero Mirco , Rolim Samir , Roopsind Anand , Rovero Francesco , Rutishauser Ervan , Saikia Purabi , Salas‐Eljatib Christian , Schall Peter , Schepaschenko Dmitry , Scherer‐Lorenzen Michael , Schmid Bernhard , Schöngart Jochen , Searle Eric B. , Seben Vladimír , Serra‐Diaz Josep M. , Sheil Douglas , Shvidenko Anatoly , Silva‐Espejo Javier , Silveira Marcos , Singh James , Sist Plinio , Slik Ferry , Sonké Bonaventure , Souza Alexandre F. , Stereńczak Krzysztof , Svenning Jens‐Christian , Svoboda Miroslav , Swanepoel Ben , Targhetta Natalia , Tchebakova Nadja , Thomas Raquel , Tikhonova Elena , Umunay Peter , Usoltsev Vladimir , Valencia Renato , Valladares Fernando , van der Plas Fons , Van Do Tran , Van Nuland Michael E. , Martinez Rodolfo Vasquez , Verbeeck Hans , Viana Helder , Vibrans Alexander C. , Vieira Simone , von Gadow Klaus , Wang Hua‐Feng , Watson James , Werner Gijsbert D. A. , Wittmann Florian , Wortel Verginia , Zagt Roderick , Zawila‐Niedzwiecki Tomasz , Zhang Chunyu , Zhao Xiuhai , Zhu Zhi‐Xin , Zo‐Bi Irie Casimir , Maynard Daniel S. , Crowther Thomas W. 
Published: July 2024

Aim

Ecological and anthropogenic factors shift the abundances of dominant and rare tree species within local forest communities, thus affecting species composition and ecosystem functioning. To inform forest and conservation management it is important to understand the drivers of dominance and rarity in local tree communities. We answer the following research questions: (1) What are the patterns of dominance and rarity in tree communities? (2) Which ecological and anthropogenic factors predict these patterns? And (3) what is the extinction risk of locally dominant and rare tree species?

Location

Global.

Time period

1990–2017.

Major taxa studied

Trees.

Methods

We used 1.2 million forest plots and quantified local tree dominance as the relative plot basal area of the single most dominant species and local rarity as the percentage of species that contribute together to the least 10% of plot basal area. We mapped global community dominance and rarity using machine learning models and evaluated the ecological and anthropogenic predictors with linear models. Extinction risk, for example threatened status, of geographically widespread dominant and rare species was evaluated.

Results

Community dominance and rarity show contrasting latitudinal trends, with boreal forests having high levels of dominance and tropical forests having high levels of rarity. Increasing annual precipitation reduces community dominance, probably because precipitation is related to an increase in tree density and richness. Additionally, stand age is positively related to community dominance, due to stem diameter increase of the most dominant species. Surprisingly, we find that locally dominant and rare species, which are geographically widespread in our data, have an equally high rate of elevated extinction due to declining populations through large‐scale land degradation.

Main conclusions

By linking patterns and predictors of community dominance and rarity to extinction risk, our results suggest that also widespread species should be considered in large‐scale management and conservation practices.