Land-use legacies influence tree water-use efficiency and nitrogen dynamics in recently established European forests

1. Forest regrowth following farmland (agriculture and pasture) abandonment has been positively associated with a number of processes including the regulation of hydrological cycling, the enhancement of soil functioning, and an increase in forest productivity and carbon (C) sequestration. Although these changes in ecosystem functioning post-farmland abandonment have been observed in multiple locations and studies, the ecophysiological basis underpinning these patterns remains unclear. Here, we examine whether increased forest expansion following pastureland abandonment is associated with greater water-use efficiency (WUE) and legacies from previous land use in terms of nitrogen (N) availability.

2. We thus explored differences in leaf traits and N availability between recently established (post-1950) beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests on former pastureland and long-established beech forests (pre-1950). The investigated leaf traits were leaf specific area (SLA), leaf N concentration (...