Temporal trends in system-level indices of successional progress in LC.

Summary of system-level indices describing successional progress in LC. Indices for early (phases 2/3: early/late spring), intermediate (phase 4: CWP), and late (phases 5/6: summer/autumn) succession are averages across the respective phase. Annual avg. is the arithmetic average across phases 1–7. The standard deviation indicates the seasonal variability. Indices 1–5 apply to hypothesis H1, 6–9 to H2, 10–15 to H3. 1uni  =  unimodal curve, bi  =  bimodal curve, up  =  upward trend, down  =  downward trend, const  =  constant trend. 2Hypo  =  Hypothesis. A “+” (“−“) indicates that the trend of the index supported (opposed) the respective hypothesis. 3g detritus equivalents/gC.