DOI: 10.5061/dryad.55gb7
title: Data from: Intraspecific variability in growth response to environmental fluctuations modulates the stabilizing effect of species diversity on forest growth

description: 1.Differences between species in their response to environmental
 fluctuations cause asynchronized growth series, suggesting that species
 diversity may help communities buffer the effects of environmental
 fluctuations. However, within-species variability of responses may impact
 the stabilizing effect of growth asynchrony. 2.We used tree ring data to
 investigate the diversity-stability relationship and its underlying
 mechanisms within the temperate and boreal mixed woods of Eastern Canada.
 We worked at the individual tree level to take into account the
 intraspecific variability of responses to environmental fluctuations. 3.We
 found that species diversity stabilized growth in forest ecosystems. The
 asynchrony of species’ response to climatic fluctuations and to insect
 outbreaks explained this effect. We also found that the intraspecific
 variability of responses to environmental fluctuations was high, making
 the stabilizing effect of diversity highly variable. 4.Synthesis. Our
 results are consistent with previous studies suggesting that the
 asynchrony of species’ response to environmental fluctuations drives the
 stabilizing effect of diversity. The intraspecific variability of these
 responses modulates the stabilizing effect of species diversity.
 Interactions between individuals, variation in tree size and spatial
 heterogeneity of environmental conditions could play a critical role in
 the stabilizing effect of diversity.
description: Climatic
 data01 - Climatic data for
 each site. File names in the 01_CLIM folder: climABI.csv, climBIC.csv,
 climD1823D1847.csv (given their geographical proximity, D1823 and D1847
 received the same climatic data), climSUT.csv. These files contain
 climatic variables for the 1953-2013 period. Climatic variables are coded
 with letters: T: monthly mean temperatures P: total monthly precipitation
 S: total monthly snowfall DD: total monthly degree day DC: monthly mean
 drought-code GSL: growth season length. Numbers following the variables
 letters indicate the number of the month associated with the variable.
 Negative values refer to a month of the previous year. GSL6 refers to the
 current GSL and GSL-6 refers to the previous GSL.01_CLIM.zipSpecies codes02 - Species codes. File name: 02_species_codes.xlsx. This file contains correspondence between the species codes and the species latin names. A unique coding was used for cored individuals among sites. “Non-cored” individuals received another coding depending on the site.02_species_codes.xlsxInsect outbreak dates03 - Insect outbreak dates. File name: 03_outbreaks_dates.xlsx. This file contains the forest tent caterpillar and spruce budworm outbreak dates for each site.03_outbreaks_dates.xlsxDistance among trees04 - Distances among trees on each site. File names in the 04_DIST folder: distABI.csv, distBIC.csv, distD1823.csv, distD1847.csv, distSUT.csv. These files contain the distances (&lt; 20 m) between the cored trees (rows) and all their neighbours (columns). Trees ID are coded with their species code followed by a number.04_DIST.zipTree size05 - Tree size on each site. File names in the 05_DBH folder: dbhABI.csv, dbhBIC.csv, dbhD1823.csv, dbhD1847.csv, dbhSUT.csv. These files contain the diameter at breast height (mm) of all living trees. Trees ID are coded with their species code followed by a number.05_DBH.zipTree ring data06 - Tree ring data. 20 files in the 06_TRD folder. File names are coded with species initials followed by the name of the site. These files contain ring width measurement for all trees kept for the analyses. Trees ID are coded with a site code (1: D1823, 2: D1847, 3: ABI, 4:BIC, 5: SUT) followed by their species code, followed by a number.06_TRD.zip