Data from: Disturbance history mediates climate change effects on subtropical forest biomass and dynamics

The responses of forest communities to interacting anthropogenic
disturbances like climate change and logging are poorly known. Subtropical
forests have been heavily modified by humans and their response to climate
change is poorly understood. We investigated the nine year-change observed
in a mixed conifer-hardwood Atlantic forest mosaic that included both
mature and selectively-logged forest patches in subtropical South America.
We used demographic monitoring data within 10 1 ha plots that were
subjected to distinct management histories (plots logged until 1955, until
1987, and unlogged) to test the hypothesis that climate change affected
forest structure and dynamics differentially depending on past
disturbances. We determined the functional group of all species based on
life-history affinities as well as many functional traits like leaf size,
specific leaf area, wood density, total height, stem slenderness, and seed
size data for the 66 most abundant species. Analysis of climate data
revealed that minimum temperatures and rainfall have been increasing in
the last few decades of the 20th century. Floristic composition differed
mainly with logging history categories, with only minor change over the
nine annual census intervals. Aboveground biomass increased in all plots,
but increases were higher in mature unlogged forests, which showed signs
of forest growth associated with increased CO2, temperature, and
rainfall/treefall gap disturbance at the same time. Logged forests showed
arrested succession as indicated by reduced abundances of Pioneers and
biomass-accumulators like Large Seeded Pioneers and Araucaria, as well as
reduced functional diversity. Management actions aimed at creating
regeneration opportunities for long-lived pioneers are needed to restore
community functional diversity, and ecosystem services such as increased
aboveground biomass accumulation. We conclude that the effects of climate
drivers on the dynamics of Brazilian mixed Atlantic forests vary with
land-use legacies, and can differ importantly from the ones prevalent in
better known tropical forests.