Understanding the factors controlling productivity is crucial for modelling current and predicting future forest growth and carbon sequestration potential. Although abiotic conditions exert a strong influence on productivity, it is becoming increasingly evident that plant community composition can dramatically influence ecosystem processes. However, much of our understanding of these processes in forests comes from correlative studies or field experiments in short-statured, short-lived vegetation. Here, we present the background, design and implementation success of the Australian Forest Evenness Experiment (AFEX), which was designed to investigate the influence of community composition on the processes that contribute to forest productivity. Eighty 25 × 25-m plots, covering 5 ha in a logged, burnt forest coupe in south-eastern Tasmania were sown with four tree species, namely Eucalyptus delegatensis R.T.Baker, E. regnans F.Muell., Acacia dealbata Link and Pomaderris apetala Labill., in varying combinations to provide a range of evenness levels with each of the four species as target dominant. Despite some differences between sown composition and realised composition 1year after sowing, a substantial range of community evenness and local neighbourhood densities and compositions existed in the experiment. Thus, this site provides a unique opportunity to determine the influence of local neighbourhood composition on a range of ecological processes.

中文翻译：

---

测试群落组成对凉爽温带桉树林生产力的影响：澳大利亚森林均匀度实验 (AFEX)

了解控制生产力的因素对于模拟当前和预测未来森林生长和碳固存潜力至关重要。尽管非生物条件对生产力有很大影响，但越来越明显的是，植物群落组成可以显着影响生态系统过程。然而，我们对森林中这些过程的大部分理解来自于对矮小、短命植被的相关研究或田间试验。在这里，我们介绍了澳大利亚森林均匀度实验 (AFEX) 的背景、设计和实施成功，该实验旨在调查群落组成对有助于森林生产力的过程的影响。80 个 25 × 25 米的地块，覆盖 5 公顷的伐木，在塔斯马尼亚州东南部被烧毁的森林轿跑车上播种了四种树种，即 Eucalyptus delegatensis RTBaker、E. regnans F.Muell.、Acacia dealbata Link 和 Pomaderris apetala Labill.，以不同的组合提供各种均匀度水平四个物种为目标优势。尽管播种后 1 年播种的组成和实现的组成之间存在一些差异，但实验中存在很大范围的社区均匀度和当地社区密度和组成。因此，该站点提供了一个独特的机会来确定当地社区构成对一系列生态过程的影响。以不同的组合提供一系列均匀度水平，四种物种中的每一种都作为目标优势。尽管播种后 1 年播种的组成和实现的组成之间存在一些差异，但实验中存在很大范围的社区均匀度和当地社区密度和组成。因此，该站点提供了一个独特的机会来确定当地社区构成对一系列生态过程的影响。以不同的组合提供一系列均匀度水平，四种物种中的每一种都作为目标优势。尽管播种后 1 年播种的组成和实现的组成之间存在一些差异，但实验中存在很大范围的社区均匀度和当地社区密度和组成。因此，该站点提供了一个独特的机会来确定当地社区构成对一系列生态过程的影响。