Memories of Trees Past: Coexistence Implications of Legacy Conspecific Density Dependence

Authors

• Lukas J. Magee, University of Florida
• Daniel J.B. Smith, University of Texas - Austin
• David Bauman, Université Montpellier
• Po-Ju Ke, National Taiwan University
• Helene C. Muller-Laudau, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
• Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Smithsonian Tropical Research Insititue
• Jessica Shue, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
• David A. Orwig, Harvard University
• Sean M. McMahon, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
• Stephanie Bohlman, University of Florida - Gainesville
• Raelene M. Crandall, University of Florida - Gainesville
• Ben Weinstein, University of Florida - Gainesville
• Sergio Marconi, University of Florida - Gainesville
• Jeremy W. Lichstein, University of Florida - Gainesville
• James F. Gillooly, University of Florida - Gainesville
• Robert Bagchi, University Of Connecticut
• Joseph A. LaManna, Marquette UniversityFollow
• Daniel J. Johnson, University of Florida - Gainesville

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2025

Publisher

Wiley

Source Publication

Ecology Letters

Source ISSN

1461-023x

Abstract

The Janzen-Connell Hypothesis posits that plant species diversity is maintained by a reduction in seedling survival near living conspecific trees relative to heterospecifics–known as negative conspecific density dependence (CDD). CDD facilitates coexistence if stronger than heterospecific density dependence (HDD). However, whether and how long CDD persists after trees die is unknown. In a three-year study across three forests, we monitored seedling survival near living and dead trees, both conspecific and heterospecific, across a seven-year chrono-sequence since tree death. CDD persisted for at least 5 years after tree death (‘legacy CDD’), and most species showed stronger CDD relative to HDD through time. We used our empirical findings to parametrize a theoretical community dynamics model. Our model suggests that both stabilising niche differences and fitness differences persist after tree death. While legacy CDD can facilitate coexistence, fitness differences often overwhelmed niche differences, making competitive exclusion the most likely outcome.

Comments

Published version. Ecology Letters, Vol. 28, No. 10 (October 2025). DOI. This article is © John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Used with permission.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Magee, Lukas J.; Smith, Daniel J.B.; Bauman, David; Ke, Po-Ju; Muller-Laudau, Helene C.; Anderson-Teixeira, Kristina J.; Shue, Jessica; Orwig, David A.; McMahon, Sean M.; Bohlman, Stephanie; Crandall, Raelene M.; Weinstein, Ben; Marconi, Sergio; Lichstein, Jeremy W.; Gillooly, James F.; Bagchi, Robert; LaManna, Joseph A.; and Johnson, Daniel J., "Memories of Trees Past: Coexistence Implications of Legacy Conspecific Density Dependence" (2025). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 1027.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/1027