Harvard Forest CNDD seedling experiment 2019

To test the strength of density dependence and whether it affects seedling community diversity in a temperate forest, we experimentally planted 1200 seedlings of four ectomycorrhizal tree species beneath conspecific and heterospecific adults and tracked their survival and changes to the diversity of the planted seedling community. We found that experimental seedling mortality was always higher under conspecific adults, which increased seedling community diversity in one of six treatments.