Forest Diversity Shields Iberian Woodlands from Disturbance Damage

Iberian Magpie

24-10-2025

After watching, Kingfisher nods: “Ah, marvelous. Through its idle wandering, the butterfly helped the carp go on feeding. Wuwei gives birth to youwei.”
Zhuangzi shakes his head: “Not quite. The carp now loves wandering too. Crossing the rock and swimming on—that’s play.”

In Kingfisherish Wandering [1]

© Wix

As climate change amplifies the frequency and intensity of wildfires, pest outbreaks, and human-driven disturbances, forests worldwide face growing threats to their stability and productivity [2-4]. A new study by Rebollo et al. [5] in the Journal of Ecology shows that biodiversity—both in structure and function—plays a crucial role in buffering Iberian forests against these shocks, sustaining their productivity and carbon storage capacity.

Using data from 12,075 permanent plots across mainland Spain (1986–2019), the researchers examined how disturbances such as harvesting, fire, and biotic damage affect above-ground forest productivity. They found that harvesting and fire decreased productivity by roughly 95% and 144% on average, respectively. Yet, forests with greater structural diversity—variation in tree sizes and layers—showed a remarkable ability to recover or maintain productivity after such events. Similarly, functional diversity, reflecting differences in species’ traits (e.g., leaf type, growth rate, drought tolerance), helped maintain productivity, particularly in harvested forests.

The study revealed that structural diversity often provided a stronger buffer than functional diversity. Heterogeneous forests—those mixing tall canopy trees with smaller understorey species—made better use of light and nutrients, allowing rapid regeneration after disturbance [6]. In contrast, monocultures or even-age stands, particularly those dominated by needle-leaved species, were more vulnerable to fires and pest damage [7].

These findings illuminate a deeper lesson about Nature Quotient (NQ)—our collective capacity to recognize and emulate nature’s balance [8]. Promoting structural and functional diversity should be central to forest management and climate adaptation strategies. Doing so strengthens not only the forests’ productivity and carbon sink functions but also our own moral and spiritual alignment with nature’s harmony—key to achieving enduring peace with the living world [9,10].

References

[1] Nguyen MH. (2025). Kingfisherish Wandering. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVLLLXNW/

[2] Coops NC, et al. (2020). Change in forest condition: Characterizing non-stand replacing disturbances using time series satellite imagery. Forest Ecology and Management, 474, 118370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118370

[3] Patacca M, et al. (2023). Significant increase in natural disturbance impacts on European forests since 1950. Global Change Biology, 29(5), 1359-1376. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16531

[4] Astigarraga J, et al. (2020). Evidence of non-stationary relationships between climate and forest responses: Increased sensitivity to climate change in Iberian forests. Global Change Biology, 26(9), 5063–5076. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15198 

[5] Rebollo P, et al. (2025). Diversity modulates above-ground productivity in response to disturbances: The case of Iberian forests. Journal of Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70183

[6] Mohr J, et al. (2024). Are uneven-aged forests in Central Europe less affected by natural disturbances than even-aged forests? Forest Ecology and Management, 559, 121816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121816

[7] Jactel H, Moreira X, Castagneyrol B. (2021). Tree diversity and forest resistance to insect pests: Patterns, mechanisms, and prospects. Annual Review of Entomology, 66, 277–296. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ento-041720-075234

[8] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[9] Tran TT. (2025). Flying beyond didacticism: The creative environmental vision of ‘Wild Wise Weird’. Young Voices of Science. https://youngvoicesofscience.org/?p=1963

[10] Nguyen MH, Ho MT, La VP. (2025). On “An” (安): Inner peace through uncertainty, nature quotient, and harmony with Dao. http://books.google.com/books/about?id=NIKMEQAAQBAJ