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Volume 17
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Article

Climate and Competition Effects on Basal Area Growth Vary with Beech–Fir Mixture and Stand Structure

by
Soraya Versace
1,*,
Michele Innangi
1,
Marco Ottaviano
1,
Bruno Lasserre
1,2,
Mirko Di Febbraro
1,
Francesco Parisi
1,2,
Marco Marchetti
3,
Gherardo Chirici
2,4,5,
Giovanni D’Amico
4,
Walter Mattioli
6,
Giancarlo Papitto
7 and
Roberto Tognetti
8
1
Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy
2
NBFC—National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
3
Department of Architecture and Design, Sapienza University of Rome, 00196 Rome, Italy
4
Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, 50145 Florence, Italy
5
Fondazione per il Futuro delle Città, 50121 Florence, Italy
6
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, 00166 Rome, Italy
7
Arma dei Carabinieri, Comando Unità Forestali, Ambientali e Agroalimentari, 00187 Rome, Italy
8
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano—Bozen, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Forests 2026, 17(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010011 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 30 October 2025 / Revised: 11 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 December 2025 / Published: 21 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Ecology and Management)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Mixed stands enhance climate resilience and ecosystem service provision through functional diversity, but their productivity depends on intra- and interspecific competition, forest structure, stand density, and site conditions. In this study, we analyzed the effects of competition and aridity on the growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in mixed and pure stands, using data from 38 plots of the Italian National Forest Inventory (NFI, 2015). To understand the variables influencing European beech growth, tree-level basal area increment models were applied, incorporating different competition structures (intraspecific, interspecific, size-symmetric, and size-asymmetric) and aridity index (De Martonne). Results showed that size-asymmetric intraspecific competition negatively affected European beech growth, highlighting low self-tolerance, especially in pure stands where growth was lower than in mixed stands. In mixed stands, European beech growth was shaped by size-dependent competition and the relative dominance of coexisting species, benefiting from size-asymmetric and hindered by size-symmetric interactions. Additionally, European beech growth was shaped by aridity and stand structure (Gini coefficient and density), with drought sensitivity mitigated in mixed stands and enhanced growth in structurally diverse, low-density stands. This study highlights how species interactions, aridity, and stand structure jointly shape tree growth, underscoring their importance for climate-adaptive forest management.
Keywords: mountain forests; mixed stands; climate; competitive interactions; national forest inventory; linear mixed effect models mountain forests; mixed stands; climate; competitive interactions; national forest inventory; linear mixed effect models

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MDPI and ACS Style

Versace, S.; Innangi, M.; Ottaviano, M.; Lasserre, B.; Di Febbraro, M.; Parisi, F.; Marchetti, M.; Chirici, G.; D’Amico, G.; Mattioli, W.; et al. Climate and Competition Effects on Basal Area Growth Vary with Beech–Fir Mixture and Stand Structure. Forests 2026, 17, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010011

AMA Style

Versace S, Innangi M, Ottaviano M, Lasserre B, Di Febbraro M, Parisi F, Marchetti M, Chirici G, D’Amico G, Mattioli W, et al. Climate and Competition Effects on Basal Area Growth Vary with Beech–Fir Mixture and Stand Structure. Forests. 2026; 17(1):11. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010011

Chicago/Turabian Style

Versace, Soraya, Michele Innangi, Marco Ottaviano, Bruno Lasserre, Mirko Di Febbraro, Francesco Parisi, Marco Marchetti, Gherardo Chirici, Giovanni D’Amico, Walter Mattioli, and et al. 2026. "Climate and Competition Effects on Basal Area Growth Vary with Beech–Fir Mixture and Stand Structure" Forests 17, no. 1: 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010011

APA Style

Versace, S., Innangi, M., Ottaviano, M., Lasserre, B., Di Febbraro, M., Parisi, F., Marchetti, M., Chirici, G., D’Amico, G., Mattioli, W., Papitto, G., & Tognetti, R. (2026). Climate and Competition Effects on Basal Area Growth Vary with Beech–Fir Mixture and Stand Structure. Forests, 17(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010011

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