Productivity of temperate broad-leaved forest stands differing in tree species diversity

Understanding the effects of tree species diversity on biomass and production of forests is fundamental for carbon sequestration strategies, particularly in the perspective of the current climate change. However, the diversity-productivity relationship in old-growth forests is not well understood. We quantified biomass and above-ground production in nine forest stands with increasing tree species diversity from monocultures of beech to stands consisting of up to five deciduous tree species (Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia spp., Carpinus betulus, Acer spp.) to examine (a) if mixed stands are more productive than monospecific stands, (b) how tree species differ in the productivity of stem wood, leaves and fruits, and (c) if beech productivity increases with tree diversity due to lower intraspecific competition and complementary resource use. Total above-ground biomass and wood production decreased with increasing tree species diversity. In Fagus and Fraxinus, the basal area-related wood productivity exceeded those of the co-occurring tree species, while Tilia had the highest leaf productivity. Fagus trees showed no elevated production per basal area in the mixed stands. We found no evidence of complementary resource use associated with biomass production. We conclude that above-ground productivity of old-growth temperate deciduous forests depend more on tree species-specific traits than on tree diversity itself.