Aims and Scope Forest Ecosystems is an open access,peer-reviewed journal publishing scientific communications from any discipline that can provide interesting contributions about the structure and dynamics of "na...Aims and Scope Forest Ecosystems is an open access,peer-reviewed journal publishing scientific communications from any discipline that can provide interesting contributions about the structure and dynamics of "natural" and "domesticated" forest ecosystems,and their services to people.The journal welcomes innovative science as well as application-oriented work that will enhance understanding of woody plant communities.Very specific studies are welcome if they are part of a thematic series that provides some holistic perspective that is of general interest.展开更多
Fertilization or atmospheric deposition of nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)to terrestrial ecosystems can alter soil N(P)availability and the nature of nutrient limitation for plant growth.Changing the allocation of leaf P...Fertilization or atmospheric deposition of nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)to terrestrial ecosystems can alter soil N(P)availability and the nature of nutrient limitation for plant growth.Changing the allocation of leaf P fractions is potentially an adaptive strategy for plants to cope with soil N(P)availability and nutrient-limiting conditions.However,the impact of the interactions between imbalanced anthropogenic N and P inputs on the concentrations and allocation proportions of leaf P fractions in forest woody plants remains elusive.We conducted a metaanalysis of data about the concentrations and allocation proportions of leaf P fractions,specifically associated with individual and combined additions of N and P in evergreen forests,the dominant vegetation type in southern China where the primary productivity is usually considered limited by P.This assessment allowed us to quantitatively evaluate the effects of N and P additions alone and interactively on leaf P allocation and use strategies.Nitrogen addition(exacerbating P limitation)reduced the concentrations of leaf total P and different leaf P fractions.Nitrogen addition reduced the allocation to leaf metabolic P but increased the allocation to other fractions,while P addition showed opposite trends.The simultaneous additions of N and P showed an antagonistic(mutual suppression)effect on the concentrations of leaf P fractions,but an additive(summary)effect on the allocation proportions of leaf P fractions.These results highlight the importance of strategies of leaf P fraction allocation in forest plants under changes in environmental nutrient availability.Importantly,our study identified critical interactions associated with combined N and P inputs that affect leaf P fractions,thus aiding in predicting plant acclimation strategies in the context of intensifying and imbalanced anthropogenic nutrient inputs.展开更多
Increasing temperatures and severe droughts threaten forest vitality globally.Prediction of forest response to climate change requires knowledge of the spatiotemporal patterns of monthly or seasonal climatic impacts o...Increasing temperatures and severe droughts threaten forest vitality globally.Prediction of forest response to climate change requires knowledge of the spatiotemporal patterns of monthly or seasonal climatic impacts on the growth of tree species,likely driven by local climatic aridity,climate trends,edaphic conditions,and the climatic adaption of tree species.The ability of tree species to cope with changing climate and the effects of environmental variables on growth trends and growth-climate relationships across diverse bioclimatic regions are still poorly understood for many species.This study investigated radial growth trends,interannual growth variability,and growth-climate sensitivity of two dominant tree species,Pinus tabulaeformis(PT)and Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica(PS),across a broad climatic gradient with a variety of soil properties in temperate Northern China.Using a network of 83 tree ring chronologies(54 for PT and 29 for PS)from 1971 to 2010,we documented that both species maintained constant growth trends at wet sites,while both displayed rapid declines at dry sites.We reported the species-specific drivers of spatial heterogeneity in growth trends,interannual growth variability,and growth-climate relationships.Calculated climatic variables and soil properties were identified as the most critical factors affecting the growth trends and growth-climate relationships.However,climatic variables play more essential roles than soil properties in determining the spatial heterogeneity of the growth-climate relationship.Lower clay content and higher soil nutrient regimes can exacerbate the moisture-related susceptibility of tree growth.Our findings highlight that soil properties emerged as important modulating factors to predict the drought vulnerability of forests in addition to climatic variables.Considering the continued climate warmingdrying trend in the future,both pines will face a more severe growth decline and increase in drought vulnerability at drier sites with lower clayed soil or higher nutrient regimes.展开更多
With the rapid economic development and continuous expansion of human activities,forest degradation—characterized by reduced forest stock within the forest including declining carbon storage—poses significant threat...With the rapid economic development and continuous expansion of human activities,forest degradation—characterized by reduced forest stock within the forest including declining carbon storage—poses significant threats to ecosystem stability.Understanding the current status of forest degradation and assessing potential carbon stocks in China are of strategic importance for making forest restoration efforts and enhancing carbon sequestration capacity.In this study,we used the national forest inventory data from 2009 to 2018 to develop a set of standard measures for assessing degraded forests across China,based on five key indicators:forest accumulation growth rate(FAGR),forest recruitment rate(FRR),tree species reduction rate(TSRR),forest canopy cover reduction rate(FCCRR),and forest disaster level(FDL).Additionally,we estimated standing carbon stock,potential carbon stock,and theoretical space to grow by developing a stand growth model,which accounts for stand density across different site classes,to evaluate the restoration potential of degraded forests.The results indicate that degraded forest area in China is 36.15 million hectares,accounting for 20.10% of a total forest area.Standing carbon stock and potential carbon stock of degraded forests in China are 23.93 million tons and 61.90 million tons,respectively.Overall,degraded forest varies significantly across different regions.The results highlight the important trade-offs among environmental factors,policy decisions,and forest conditions,providing a robust foundation for developing measures to enhance forest quality.展开更多
Forest structure is fundamental in determining ecosystem function,yet the impact of bamboo invasion on these structural characteristics remains unclear.We investigated 219 invasion transects at 41 sites across the dis...Forest structure is fundamental in determining ecosystem function,yet the impact of bamboo invasion on these structural characteristics remains unclear.We investigated 219 invasion transects at 41 sites across the distribution areas of Moso bamboo(Phyllostachys edulis)in China to explore the effects of bamboo invasion on forest structural attributes and diameter–height allometries by comparing paired plots of bamboo,mixed bamboo-tree,and non-bamboo forests along the transects.We found that bamboo invasion decreased the mean and maximum diameter at breast height,maximum height,and total basal area,but increased the mean height,stem density,and scaling exponent for stands.Bamboo also had a higher scaling exponent than tree,particularly in mixed forests,suggesting a greater allocation of biomass to height growth.As invasion intensity increased,bamboo allometry became more plastic and decreased significantly,whereas tree allometry was indirectly promoted by increasing stem density.Additionally,a humid climate may favour the scaling exponents for both bamboo and tree,with only minor contributions from topsoil moisture and nitrogen content.The inherent superiority of diameter–height allometry allows bamboo to outcompete tree and contributes to its invasive success.Our findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the causes and consequences of bamboo invasion.展开更多
Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first tim...Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first time studied the proportion of HW in the trunk and the distribution of carbon and extractives in sapwood(SW)and HW of 70–80 year old Pinus sylvestris L.trees under different growing conditions in the pine forests of North-West Russia.Method:We have examined the influence of conditions and tree position in stand(dominant,intermediate and suppressed trees)in the ecological series:blueberry pine forest(Blu)–lingonberry pine forest(Lin)–lichen pine forest(Lic).We have analyzed the influence of climate conditions in the biogeographical series of Lin:the middle taiga subzone–the northern taiga subzone–the transition area of the northern taiga subzone and tundra.Results:We found that the carbon concentration in HW was 1.6%–3.4%higher than in SW,and the difference depended on growing conditions.Carbon concentration in HW increased with a decrease in stand productivity(Blu-Lin-Lic).In medium-productive stands,the carbon concentration in SW was higher in intermediate and supressed trees compared to dominant trees.In the series from south to north,carbon concentration in HW increased by up to 2%,while in SW,it rose by 2.7%–3.8%.Conclusions:Our results once again emphasized the need for an empirical assessment of the accurate carbon content in aboveground wood biomass,including various forest growing conditions,to better understand the role of boreal forests in carbon storage.展开更多
The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for...The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for the life form category'chamaephytes'.Unfortunately,this incorrect term was used throughout the article following the nomenclature of this official database:in one instance in the main text,in Fig.3 and its caption,in Fig.5,and in two instances in the supplementary material.展开更多
The article deals with forest communities that develop on small surfaces on steep gradients of the geomorphologically diverse landscape of the Kras plateau.They appear in small depressions called dolines,where a steep...The article deals with forest communities that develop on small surfaces on steep gradients of the geomorphologically diverse landscape of the Kras plateau.They appear in small depressions called dolines,where a steep gradient of ecological conditions appears over a small spatial scale.We tried to detect the turnover of forest communities on this small scale and steep gradient with small plots(microplots)of 4 m^(2)arranged in a continuous transect.We sampled only the ground layer and estimated the cover of each vascular plant species.The main problem was that we could not sample vegetation plots in standard sizes,which would allow a standard classification procedure.We built an expert system based on all of the relevant standard vegetation plots from the region and applied this system on a microplot matrix.We classified one third of microplots in this way,but the remainder were classified by semi-supervised k-means clustering.We thus established 8 communities that appear in dolines and compared their characteristics and ecological conditions by Ellenberg indicator values.Our results show that oak-hornbeam forests can be found in the bottom of dolines.Towards the bottom of deeper dolines,mesophilous ravine forests dominated by sycamore on rocky places,and sessile oak forests on deeper soils appear.On lower slopes,thermophilous ravine forests dominated by limes appear on rocky places.Upper slopes are dominated by Turkey oak,hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests and shrub formations.Turkey oak forests can be found on rather deeper soils than hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests.At the top,hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests can be found that build the zonal vegetation of the region.On rock walls vegetation of rock crevices can be found.The high biodiversity of the region supports the idea that diverse karstic features might have the potential for formation of refugia in future foreseen climate change,related to the potential of karstic relief to create diverse climatic conditions.展开更多
Forest ecosystems are important for biodiversity conservation and human societies,but are under pressure due to climate change and human interventions.This applies to natural forests as well as tree plantations.The la...Forest ecosystems are important for biodiversity conservation and human societies,but are under pressure due to climate change and human interventions.This applies to natural forests as well as tree plantations.The latter are globally widespread and therefore gaining increasing importance for biodiversity conservation.However,even after dieback due to increasing disturbance frequencies,such plantations are primarily managed for economic returns,leading to growing conflicts among stakeholders.In particular,the impact of forest management on biodiversity is being discussed.This study investigates the effects of five management approaches in a landscape severely affected by spruce(Picea abies L.)dieback on beetle diversity,conservation,and community composition.We considered direct effects of management and indirect effects of environmental parameters separately in ground-dwelling and flight-active beetles.Beetle diversity was strongly affected by forest management,with nonintervention deadwood stands being most beneficial for beetles.In addition,we show indirect effects of environmental factors.In general,parameters related to salvage logging(e.g.open canopies,tree stumps)influenced beetle diversity and conservation negatively,while positive effects were found for soil nutrient availability and plant species richness.Community composition differed strongly among management categories and indicated a lack of landscape connectivity for open habitat species,as we found only low proportions of such species even on salvage-logged sites.We propose a mixture of management approaches after bark beetle outbreaks,including a substantial proportion of non-intervention deadwood stands,to increase landscape heterogeneity and connectivity.This may increase overall biodiversity while addressing the concerns of both forestry and species conservation.展开更多
Sequencing of environmental samples has great potential for biodiversity research,but its application is limited by the lack of reliable DNA barcode databases for species identifications.Such a database has been creat...Sequencing of environmental samples has great potential for biodiversity research,but its application is limited by the lack of reliable DNA barcode databases for species identifications.Such a database has been created for epiphytic lichens of Europe,allowing us to compare the results of environmental sequencing with standard taxonomic surveys.The species undetected by taxonomic surveys(what we term the ghost component)amount to about half of the species actually present in hectare plots of Central European forests.Some of these,which currently occur only as diaspores or weakly developed thalli,are likely to be favoured in the course of global change.The ghost component usually represents a larger fraction in managed forests than in old-growth unmanaged forests.The total species composition of different plots is much more similar than suggested by taxonomic surveys alone.On a regional scale,this supports the well-known statement that“everything is everywhere,but,the environment selects”.展开更多
Background The full lifespan of long-lived trees includes a seedling phase,during which a seed germinates and grows to a size large enough to be measured in forest inventories.Seedling populations are usually studied ...Background The full lifespan of long-lived trees includes a seedling phase,during which a seed germinates and grows to a size large enough to be measured in forest inventories.Seedling populations are usually studied separately from adult trees,and the seedling lifespan,from seed to sapling,is poorly known.In the 50-ha Barro Colorado forest plot,we started intensive censuses of seeds and seedlings in 1994 in order to merge seedling and adult demography and document complete lifespans.Methods In 17 species abundant in seedling censuses,we subdivided populations into six size classes from seed to 1cm dbh,including seeds plus five seedling stages.The smallest seedling class was subdivided by age.Censuses in two consecutive years provided transition matrices describing the probability that a seedling in one stage moved to another one year later.For each species,we averaged the transition matrix across 25 censuses and used it to project the seedling lifespan,from seed until 1cm dbh or death.Results The predicted mean survival rate of seeds to 1cm dbh varied 1000-fold across species,from 2.9×10^(−6)to 4.4×10^(−3);the median was 2.0×10^(−4).The seedling lifespan,or the average time it takes a seed to grow to 1cm dbh,varied across species from 5.1 to 53.1 years,with a median of 20.3 years.In the median species,the 10%fastest-growing seeds would reach 1cm dbh in 9.0 years,and the slowest 10%in 34.6 years.Conclusions Combining seedling results with our previous study of lifespan after 1cm dbh,we estimate that the focal species have full lifespans varying from 41 years in a gap-demanding pioneer to 320 years in one shade-tolerant species.Lifetime demography can contribute precise survival rates and lifespans to forestry models.展开更多
Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental condit...Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental conditions that facilitate the persistence of species during environmental changes and exhibit unique ecoevolutionary dynamics.However,our knowledge about how topographic complexity and related ecoevolutionary selective forces influence the functional and phylogenetic signatures of species assemblages in microrefugia is very limited.Although the conceptual framework on the systematic integration of plant functional traits into the study of refugia is well established,more empirical studies on functional trait composition and functional diversity in refugia are urgently needed for more effective conservation.Here we analyzed the distribution of various plant functional traits and phylogenetic patterns in microhabitats(south-and north-facing slopes,and bottoms)of 30 large topographic depressions(i.e.doline microrefugia)and microhabitats of the surrounding plateaus in two distant forested karst regions.We found that plant assemblages in the understory of dolines and their surroundings are characterized by unique functional values and combinations of traits.Doline bottoms had the highest functional diversity among doline microhabitats and supported plant assemblages with considerably different trait compositions from the plateaus.Bottoms also had the highest phylogenetic diversity.These results suggest that topographic complexity in forested dolines has a significant effect on the distribution of plant functional traits in the understory.High functional and phylogenetic diversity in doline bottoms can have important consequences for the long-term survival of plant populations,highlighting that these microhabitats may provide a higher resilience and support an adaptive community-level response to natural and anthropogenic stressors.Understanding mechanisms that drive the survival of species within microrefugia is required to determine the best conservation and management strategies.展开更多
We tested the effectiveness of the gradual removal of Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.)in former plantations of this species in Roztocze National Park(SE Poland)to support the restoration of natural herbaceous flora and...We tested the effectiveness of the gradual removal of Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.)in former plantations of this species in Roztocze National Park(SE Poland)to support the restoration of natural herbaceous flora and forest structure.We compared 0.5-ha study plots subjected to selective removal of pine trees with control plots excluded from any kind of human intervention for half a century.The observed changes in forest floor vegetation in the converted plots showed naturalization towards habitat-specific species.However,differences in the spatial distribution of trees between the treatment and control plots showed no universal pattern and revealed subtle but positive shifts from regular to random or clustered patterns.The mean tree diameters were higher in plots subjected to Scots pine removal,which resulted from the vigorous growth of tree species,consistent with habitat types.We conclude that forest restoration through the removal of planted trees can support the naturalization of former Scots pine plantations in protected areas.However,the selection of an appropriate method and its intensity are of vital importance.Methods that resemble typical management practices,such as selection thinning,are not always the best approach,as they may preserve or even increase the regular distribution of trees.Therefore,for restoration purposes,we recommend testing other methods that increase spatial heterogeneity,including systematic cutting or emulating natural disturbances.In addition,low-intensity thinning may not be sufficient to support the restoration of natural forest floor vegetation and the variability in forest stand structure.展开更多
A tree's basal area(BA)and wood volume scale exponentially with tree diameter in species-specifc patterns.Recent observed increases in tree growth suggest these allometric relationships are shifting in response to...A tree's basal area(BA)and wood volume scale exponentially with tree diameter in species-specifc patterns.Recent observed increases in tree growth suggest these allometric relationships are shifting in response to climate change,rising CO_(2) levels,and/or changes in forest management.We analyzed 9,214 cores from nine conifer and 11 broadleaf species grown in managed mixed-species stands in the upper Midwest to quantify how well diameter(diameter at breast height(DBH))serves to predict BA growth and above-ground wood and carbon(C).These samples include many large trees.We ft mixed models to predict BA growth and above-ground biomass/C from diameter,tree height,and the BA of nearby trees while controlling for site effects.Models account for 55%–83%of the variance in log(recent growth),improving predictions over earlier models.Growth-diameter scaling exponents covary with certain leaf and stem(but not wood)functional traits,reflecting growth strategies.LogBA increment scales linearly with log(diameter)as trees grow bigger in 16/20 species and growth actually accelerates in Quercus rubra L.Three other species plateau in growth.Growth only decelerates in red pine,Pinus resinosa Ait.Growth in whole-tree,above-ground biomass,and C accelerate even more strongly with diameter(mean exponent:2.08 vs.1.30 for BA growth).Sustained BA growth and accelerating wood/C growth contradict the common assumption that tree growth declines in bigger trees.Yield tables and silvicultural guidelines should be updated to reflect these current relationships.Such revisions will favor delaying harvests in many managed stands to increase wood production and enhance ecosystem values including C fxation and storage.Further research may resolve the relative roles of thinning,climatic conditions,nitrogen inputs,and rising CO2 levels on changing patterns of tree growth.展开更多
Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition r...Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition reduction to increase water availability and,as a result,alleviate drought stress.This study investigates the effect of competition intensity on drought stress and tree growth in European beech(Fagus sylvatica)and pedunculate oak(Quercus robur).We deployed 72 point dendrometers,placed along a competition intensity gradient,in National Park Brabantse Wouden(Belgium),to measure daily minimum tree water deficit(TWD_(min))as a drought stress proxy and daily radial growth at tree level.Our results revealed species-dependent effects of competition intensity(CI).For European beech,competition reductions positively influenced growth and alleviated(1<CI<2)or aggravated(CI<0.5)drought stress.For pedunculate oak,competition intensity did not affect drought stress or growth along the investigated gradient.Environmental variables consistently affected TWDmin and growth of both species.Precipitation reduced TWDmin and increased growth,while vapor pressure deficit led to opposite trends.Thus,environmental conditions and competition can play a critical role in forest dynamics,especially in light of climate change.However,reducing competition through increased management efforts does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution to alleviating drought stress.Additionally,there seems to be a trade-off between reducing drought stress and improving tree growth in European beech:tree growth continuously benefited from competition reductions,while under low competition(CI<0.5)drought stress increased.Revisiting or reviving long-term thinning intensity trials encompassing various regions,species,and soil types will be needed to gain comprehensive insights into mitigating drought stress through management interventions under different local stand conditions.展开更多
Accurate,reliable,and regularly updated information is necessary for targeted management of forest stands.This information is usually obtained from sample-based field inventory data.Due to the time-consuming and costl...Accurate,reliable,and regularly updated information is necessary for targeted management of forest stands.This information is usually obtained from sample-based field inventory data.Due to the time-consuming and costly procedure of forest inventory,it is imperative to generate and use the resulting data optimally.Integrating field inventory information with remote sensing data increases the value of field approaches,such as national forest inventories.This study investigated the optimal integration of forest inventory data with aerial image-based canopy height models(CHM)for forest growing stock estimation.For this purpose,fixed-area and angle-count plots from a forest area in Austria were used to assess which type of inventory system is more suitable when the field data is integrated with aerial image analysis.Although a higher correlation was observed between remotely predicted growing stocks and field inventory values for fixed-area plots,the paired t-test results revealed no statistical difference between the two methods.The R2 increased by 0.08 points and the RMSE decreased by 7.7 percentage points(24.8m^(3)·ha^(−1))using fixed-area plots.Since tree height is the most critical variable essential for modeling forest growing stock using aerial images,we also compared the tree heights obtained from CHM to those from the typical field inventory approach.The result shows a high correlation(R^(2)=0.781)between the tree heights extracted from the CHM and those measured in the field.However,the correlation decreased by 0.113 points and the RMSE increased by 4.2 percentage points(1.04m)when the allometrically derived tree heights were analyzed.Moreover,the results of the paired t-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference between the tree heights extracted from CHM and those measured in the field,but there is a significant statistical difference when the CHM-derived and the allometrically-derived heights were compared.This proved that image-based CHM can obtain more accurate tree height information than field inventory estimations.Overall,the results of this study demonstrated that image-based CHM can be integrated into the forest inventory data at large scales and provide reliable information on forest growing stock.The produced maps reflect the variability of growth conditions and developmental stages of different forest stands.This information is required to characterize the status and changes,e.g.,in forest structure diversity,parameters for volume,and can be used for forest aboveground biomass estimation,which plays an important role in managing and controlling forest resources in mid-term forest management.This is of particular interest to forest managers and forest ecologists.展开更多
Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually include...Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually includes a number of tenets or criteria. The most important tenet of CCF is the requirement to abandon the practice of largescale clearfelling in favour of selective thinning/harvesting and natural regeneration methods.Methods: CCF is commonly believed to have its main origin in an academic debate that was conducted through publications in a number of European and North American countries towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Our findings are exclusively based on a literature review of the history of CCF and they revealed that the European origins of CCF go much further back to a form of farm forestry that started to be practised in Central Europe in the 17th century. Eventually, this type of farm forestry led to the formation of the single-tree selection system as we know it today. Another influential tradition line contributing to modern CCF is individual-based forest management, which breaks forest stands down into small neighbourhood-based units. The centres of these units are dominant frame trees which form the framework of a forest stand. Consequently, management is only carried out in the local neighbourhood of frame trees. Individual-based forest management also modified inflexible area-control approaches of plantation forest management in favour of the flexible sizecontrol method.Results and conclusions: We found evidence that the three aforementioned tradition lines are equally important and much interacted in shaping modern CCF. Since CCF is an international accomplishment, it is helpful to thoroughly study the drivers and causes of such concepts. Understanding the gradual evolution can give valuable clues for the introduction and adaptation of CCF in countries where the concept is new.展开更多
A growing recognition that uneven-aged silviculture can offer multiple benefits to forested ecosystems has encouraged some landowners in the southern region of the United States to convert even-aged pine stands into m...A growing recognition that uneven-aged silviculture can offer multiple benefits to forested ecosystems has encouraged some landowners in the southern region of the United States to convert even-aged pine stands into multi-aged stands.For shade-intolerant pines of the southern United States,however,few studies have examined residual tree growth following silvicultural treatments that convert even-aged stands to multi-aged stands.Understanding the growth response of residual trees to different kinds of stand conversion treatments is critical to stand development and sustainability,as trees must be recruited into larger size classes during the conversion process to develop the desired stand structure and maintain productivity.In this study,we utilized a replicated,long-term silvicultural experimental trial in the southeastern United States to assess the effects of two cutting treatments(dispersed"single tree cutting"that created small canopy gaps and the"patch cutting"that created 0.1-0.8ha patch openings)and an uncut control on the 14-year growth(~cutting cycle length)of residual longleaf pine(Pinus palustris Mill.)trees.We found that tree growth,measured as mean basal area increment(BAI),was significantly higher following patch cutting(mean BAI of 16.97cm^(2))compared to both the single tree cutting(13.33cm^(2))and the uncut control(12.68cm^(2))(p<0.001).In patch cutting,the size of the patch opening,the location of trees surrounding the patch opening,and the position of the tree canopy all had a significant effect on BAI.Trees surrounding patch openings of 0.4ha exhibited greater growth,with a mean BAI of 19.24cm^(2),compared to those surrounding 0.1 and 0.8ha patch openings,which had mean BAI values of 15.89 and 15.71cm^(2),respectively(p<0.001).The position of a tree around the patch opening also influenced tree growth,as residual trees more to the North,South,and East sides exhibited significantly higher mean BAI than trees on the West side of the patch openings(p<0.001).However,distance from the patch opening border did not significantly affect the mean BAI(p=0.522).In all treatments,dominant and co-dominant trees exhibited higher BAI than intermediate and overtopped trees,indicating that tree canopy position significantly influenced tree growth(p<0.001).Understanding how residual trees grow after these silvicultural treatments is crucial for thoroughly assessing their efficacy with longleaf pine.This study's findings will enhance our understanding of stand dynamics during stand conversion and help land managers anticipate the growth of longleaf pine into larger size categories after single tree and patch cuttings.展开更多
The level of genetic variation within a breeding population affects the effectiveness of selection strategies for genetic improvement.The relationship between genetic variation level within Pinus tabuliformis breeding...The level of genetic variation within a breeding population affects the effectiveness of selection strategies for genetic improvement.The relationship between genetic variation level within Pinus tabuliformis breeding populations and selection strategies or selection effectiveness is not fully investigated.Here,we compared the selection effectiveness of combined and individual direct selection strategies using half-and full-sib families produced from advanced-generation P.tabuliformis seed orchard as our test populations.Our results revealed that,within half-sib families,average diameter at breast height(DBH),tree height,and volume growth of superior individuals selected by the direct selection strategy were higher by 7.72%,18.56%,and 31.01%,respectively,than those selected by the combined selection strategy.Furthermore,significant differences(P<0.01)were observed between the two strategies in terms of the expected genetic gains for average tree height and volume.In contrast,within full-sib families,the differences in tree average DBH,height,and volume between the two selection strategies were relatively minor with increase of 0.17%,2.73%,and 2.21%,respectively,and no significant differences were found in the average expected genetic gains for the studied traits.Half-sib families exhibited greater phenotypic and genetic variation,resulting in improved selection efficiency with the direct selection strategy but also introduced a level of inbreeding risk.Based on genetic distance estimates using molecular markers,our comparative seed orchard design analysis showed that the Improved Adaptive Genetic Programming Algorithm(IAPGA)reduced the average inbreeding coefficient by 14.36% and 14.73% compared to sequential and random designs,respectively.In conclusion,the combination of the direct selection strategy with IAPGA seed orchard design aimed at minimizing inbreeding offered an efficient approach for establishing advanced-generation P.tabuliformis seed orchards.展开更多
The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusivel...The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusively on larger overstorey trees(≥5 or≥10cm stem diameter),overlooking the contribution of small trees and shrubs in the understorey,which can comprise a significant portion of total biomass and diversity.Here,we evaluate the contribution of both large overstorey and small understorey woody plants to species diversity and above-ground biomass(AGB),with 17 plots(0.5-1ha)across five sites representing both extremes of rainfall gradient spanning the Miombo ecoregion,in northeast Namibia(500-700mm mean annual precipitation,MAP)and southern Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)(>1,200mm MAP).Mean AGB per site ranged from 21 to 119Mg·ha^(-1),increasing with rainfall,while the proportional AGB contribution of small trees,saplings,and shrubs decreased.In dry Namibia,small trees,saplings,and shrubs(<5cm DBH)contributed up to 28.2%of total AGB(mean±standard deviation:18.3%±3.4%),whereas in wet DRC,they contributed only up to 2.5%(2.3%±1.4%).Namibian sites,on average,contained a large proportion of woody species diversity exclusively in small trees and shrubs(<5cm DBH),with 55 species representing 59.4%of the total diversity.In contrast,DRC sites had higher overall small woody plant diversity(66 species)but fewer species found exclusively as small individuals(25.2%),with many saplings that grow to larger trees.Understorey composition also differed,with saplings of overstorey trees dominating in DRC,while shrubs dominated in Namibia.Our findings show that woody biomass and diversity in dry woodlands are substantially underestimated when studies focus only on larger trees.This highlights the need to consider all woody vegetation to better understand woody plant diversity and biomass variation.展开更多
文摘Aims and Scope Forest Ecosystems is an open access,peer-reviewed journal publishing scientific communications from any discipline that can provide interesting contributions about the structure and dynamics of "natural" and "domesticated" forest ecosystems,and their services to people.The journal welcomes innovative science as well as application-oriented work that will enhance understanding of woody plant communities.Very specific studies are welcome if they are part of a thematic series that provides some holistic perspective that is of general interest.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41473068)supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2022M722667)。
文摘Fertilization or atmospheric deposition of nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)to terrestrial ecosystems can alter soil N(P)availability and the nature of nutrient limitation for plant growth.Changing the allocation of leaf P fractions is potentially an adaptive strategy for plants to cope with soil N(P)availability and nutrient-limiting conditions.However,the impact of the interactions between imbalanced anthropogenic N and P inputs on the concentrations and allocation proportions of leaf P fractions in forest woody plants remains elusive.We conducted a metaanalysis of data about the concentrations and allocation proportions of leaf P fractions,specifically associated with individual and combined additions of N and P in evergreen forests,the dominant vegetation type in southern China where the primary productivity is usually considered limited by P.This assessment allowed us to quantitatively evaluate the effects of N and P additions alone and interactively on leaf P allocation and use strategies.Nitrogen addition(exacerbating P limitation)reduced the concentrations of leaf total P and different leaf P fractions.Nitrogen addition reduced the allocation to leaf metabolic P but increased the allocation to other fractions,while P addition showed opposite trends.The simultaneous additions of N and P showed an antagonistic(mutual suppression)effect on the concentrations of leaf P fractions,but an additive(summary)effect on the allocation proportions of leaf P fractions.These results highlight the importance of strategies of leaf P fraction allocation in forest plants under changes in environmental nutrient availability.Importantly,our study identified critical interactions associated with combined N and P inputs that affect leaf P fractions,thus aiding in predicting plant acclimation strategies in the context of intensifying and imbalanced anthropogenic nutrient inputs.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Plan of China(No.2022YFE0127900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32071558,32171559)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation Key Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China(No.2023ZD23)the Hulunbuir Science and Technology Plan Project(No.SF2022001)the Fundamental Research Funds of CAF(CAFYBB2023ZA002).
文摘Increasing temperatures and severe droughts threaten forest vitality globally.Prediction of forest response to climate change requires knowledge of the spatiotemporal patterns of monthly or seasonal climatic impacts on the growth of tree species,likely driven by local climatic aridity,climate trends,edaphic conditions,and the climatic adaption of tree species.The ability of tree species to cope with changing climate and the effects of environmental variables on growth trends and growth-climate relationships across diverse bioclimatic regions are still poorly understood for many species.This study investigated radial growth trends,interannual growth variability,and growth-climate sensitivity of two dominant tree species,Pinus tabulaeformis(PT)and Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica(PS),across a broad climatic gradient with a variety of soil properties in temperate Northern China.Using a network of 83 tree ring chronologies(54 for PT and 29 for PS)from 1971 to 2010,we documented that both species maintained constant growth trends at wet sites,while both displayed rapid declines at dry sites.We reported the species-specific drivers of spatial heterogeneity in growth trends,interannual growth variability,and growth-climate relationships.Calculated climatic variables and soil properties were identified as the most critical factors affecting the growth trends and growth-climate relationships.However,climatic variables play more essential roles than soil properties in determining the spatial heterogeneity of the growth-climate relationship.Lower clay content and higher soil nutrient regimes can exacerbate the moisture-related susceptibility of tree growth.Our findings highlight that soil properties emerged as important modulating factors to predict the drought vulnerability of forests in addition to climatic variables.Considering the continued climate warmingdrying trend in the future,both pines will face a more severe growth decline and increase in drought vulnerability at drier sites with lower clayed soil or higher nutrient regimes.
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2021YFD2200405(S.R.L.))Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31971653).
文摘With the rapid economic development and continuous expansion of human activities,forest degradation—characterized by reduced forest stock within the forest including declining carbon storage—poses significant threats to ecosystem stability.Understanding the current status of forest degradation and assessing potential carbon stocks in China are of strategic importance for making forest restoration efforts and enhancing carbon sequestration capacity.In this study,we used the national forest inventory data from 2009 to 2018 to develop a set of standard measures for assessing degraded forests across China,based on five key indicators:forest accumulation growth rate(FAGR),forest recruitment rate(FRR),tree species reduction rate(TSRR),forest canopy cover reduction rate(FCCRR),and forest disaster level(FDL).Additionally,we estimated standing carbon stock,potential carbon stock,and theoretical space to grow by developing a stand growth model,which accounts for stand density across different site classes,to evaluate the restoration potential of degraded forests.The results indicate that degraded forest area in China is 36.15 million hectares,accounting for 20.10% of a total forest area.Standing carbon stock and potential carbon stock of degraded forests in China are 23.93 million tons and 61.90 million tons,respectively.Overall,degraded forest varies significantly across different regions.The results highlight the important trade-offs among environmental factors,policy decisions,and forest conditions,providing a robust foundation for developing measures to enhance forest quality.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31988102)Yunnan Province Major Program for Basic Research Project(No.202101BC070002)+1 种基金Yunnan Province Science and Technology Talents and Platform Program(No.202305AA160014)Yunnan Province Key Research and Development Program of China(No.202303AC100009)。
文摘Forest structure is fundamental in determining ecosystem function,yet the impact of bamboo invasion on these structural characteristics remains unclear.We investigated 219 invasion transects at 41 sites across the distribution areas of Moso bamboo(Phyllostachys edulis)in China to explore the effects of bamboo invasion on forest structural attributes and diameter–height allometries by comparing paired plots of bamboo,mixed bamboo-tree,and non-bamboo forests along the transects.We found that bamboo invasion decreased the mean and maximum diameter at breast height,maximum height,and total basal area,but increased the mean height,stem density,and scaling exponent for stands.Bamboo also had a higher scaling exponent than tree,particularly in mixed forests,suggesting a greater allocation of biomass to height growth.As invasion intensity increased,bamboo allometry became more plastic and decreased significantly,whereas tree allometry was indirectly promoted by increasing stem density.Additionally,a humid climate may favour the scaling exponents for both bamboo and tree,with only minor contributions from topsoil moisture and nitrogen content.The inherent superiority of diameter–height allometry allows bamboo to outcompete tree and contributes to its invasive success.Our findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the causes and consequences of bamboo invasion.
基金carried out within the framework of the most important innovative project of state importance“Development of a system of ground-based and remote monitoring of carbon pools and greenhouse gas fluxes on the territory of the Russian Federation,…”(No.123030300031-6)in the northern taiga subzone and on the border of tundra and taiga under the state assignment of the Forest Institute of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences(FMEN-2021-0018)with the partial financial support from RSF(grant no.21-14-00204)。
文摘Background:The heartwood(HW)proportion in the trunk of mature trees is an important characteristic not only for wood quality but also for assessing the role of forests in carbon sequestration.We have for the first time studied the proportion of HW in the trunk and the distribution of carbon and extractives in sapwood(SW)and HW of 70–80 year old Pinus sylvestris L.trees under different growing conditions in the pine forests of North-West Russia.Method:We have examined the influence of conditions and tree position in stand(dominant,intermediate and suppressed trees)in the ecological series:blueberry pine forest(Blu)–lingonberry pine forest(Lin)–lichen pine forest(Lic).We have analyzed the influence of climate conditions in the biogeographical series of Lin:the middle taiga subzone–the northern taiga subzone–the transition area of the northern taiga subzone and tundra.Results:We found that the carbon concentration in HW was 1.6%–3.4%higher than in SW,and the difference depended on growing conditions.Carbon concentration in HW increased with a decrease in stand productivity(Blu-Lin-Lic).In medium-productive stands,the carbon concentration in SW was higher in intermediate and supressed trees compared to dominant trees.In the series from south to north,carbon concentration in HW increased by up to 2%,while in SW,it rose by 2.7%–3.8%.Conclusions:Our results once again emphasized the need for an empirical assessment of the accurate carbon content in aboveground wood biomass,including various forest growing conditions,to better understand the role of boreal forests in carbon storage.
文摘The authors regret that an error occurred during the preparation of their article:One of the official databases,which was used for functional trait collections,contained an incorrect term–'chametophytes'–for the life form category'chamaephytes'.Unfortunately,this incorrect term was used throughout the article following the nomenclature of this official database:in one instance in the main text,in Fig.3 and its caption,in Fig.5,and in two instances in the supplementary material.
基金supported by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency(grant numbers ARIS P1-0236,ARIS P6-0101,ARIS J6-2592).
文摘The article deals with forest communities that develop on small surfaces on steep gradients of the geomorphologically diverse landscape of the Kras plateau.They appear in small depressions called dolines,where a steep gradient of ecological conditions appears over a small spatial scale.We tried to detect the turnover of forest communities on this small scale and steep gradient with small plots(microplots)of 4 m^(2)arranged in a continuous transect.We sampled only the ground layer and estimated the cover of each vascular plant species.The main problem was that we could not sample vegetation plots in standard sizes,which would allow a standard classification procedure.We built an expert system based on all of the relevant standard vegetation plots from the region and applied this system on a microplot matrix.We classified one third of microplots in this way,but the remainder were classified by semi-supervised k-means clustering.We thus established 8 communities that appear in dolines and compared their characteristics and ecological conditions by Ellenberg indicator values.Our results show that oak-hornbeam forests can be found in the bottom of dolines.Towards the bottom of deeper dolines,mesophilous ravine forests dominated by sycamore on rocky places,and sessile oak forests on deeper soils appear.On lower slopes,thermophilous ravine forests dominated by limes appear on rocky places.Upper slopes are dominated by Turkey oak,hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests and shrub formations.Turkey oak forests can be found on rather deeper soils than hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests.At the top,hophornbeam-pubescent oak forests can be found that build the zonal vegetation of the region.On rock walls vegetation of rock crevices can be found.The high biodiversity of the region supports the idea that diverse karstic features might have the potential for formation of refugia in future foreseen climate change,related to the potential of karstic relief to create diverse climatic conditions.
基金supported by Forschungsanstalt für Waldo kologie und Forstwirtschaft(FAWF)of Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz(FF 5.3-01-2021)。
文摘Forest ecosystems are important for biodiversity conservation and human societies,but are under pressure due to climate change and human interventions.This applies to natural forests as well as tree plantations.The latter are globally widespread and therefore gaining increasing importance for biodiversity conservation.However,even after dieback due to increasing disturbance frequencies,such plantations are primarily managed for economic returns,leading to growing conflicts among stakeholders.In particular,the impact of forest management on biodiversity is being discussed.This study investigates the effects of five management approaches in a landscape severely affected by spruce(Picea abies L.)dieback on beetle diversity,conservation,and community composition.We considered direct effects of management and indirect effects of environmental parameters separately in ground-dwelling and flight-active beetles.Beetle diversity was strongly affected by forest management,with nonintervention deadwood stands being most beneficial for beetles.In addition,we show indirect effects of environmental factors.In general,parameters related to salvage logging(e.g.open canopies,tree stumps)influenced beetle diversity and conservation negatively,while positive effects were found for soil nutrient availability and plant species richness.Community composition differed strongly among management categories and indicated a lack of landscape connectivity for open habitat species,as we found only low proportions of such species even on salvage-logged sites.We propose a mixture of management approaches after bark beetle outbreaks,including a substantial proportion of non-intervention deadwood stands,to increase landscape heterogeneity and connectivity.This may increase overall biodiversity while addressing the concerns of both forestry and species conservation.
基金supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic(Grant Nos.SS01010270,SS06010420)by a long-term research development grant RVO(Grant No.67985939)。
文摘Sequencing of environmental samples has great potential for biodiversity research,but its application is limited by the lack of reliable DNA barcode databases for species identifications.Such a database has been created for epiphytic lichens of Europe,allowing us to compare the results of environmental sequencing with standard taxonomic surveys.The species undetected by taxonomic surveys(what we term the ghost component)amount to about half of the species actually present in hectare plots of Central European forests.Some of these,which currently occur only as diaspores or weakly developed thalli,are likely to be favoured in the course of global change.The ghost component usually represents a larger fraction in managed forests than in old-growth unmanaged forests.The total species composition of different plots is much more similar than suggested by taxonomic surveys alone.On a regional scale,this supports the well-known statement that“everything is everywhere,but,the environment selects”.
基金funded by the Environmental Seed Arrival and Interspecific Associations in Seedling Sciences Program of the Smithsonian Institutionthe National Science Foundation (DEB-0075102,DEB-0823728,DEB-0640386,DEB-1242622,DEB-1464389)the Andrew Mellon Foundation,The Ohio State University,and Yale University
文摘Background The full lifespan of long-lived trees includes a seedling phase,during which a seed germinates and grows to a size large enough to be measured in forest inventories.Seedling populations are usually studied separately from adult trees,and the seedling lifespan,from seed to sapling,is poorly known.In the 50-ha Barro Colorado forest plot,we started intensive censuses of seeds and seedlings in 1994 in order to merge seedling and adult demography and document complete lifespans.Methods In 17 species abundant in seedling censuses,we subdivided populations into six size classes from seed to 1cm dbh,including seeds plus five seedling stages.The smallest seedling class was subdivided by age.Censuses in two consecutive years provided transition matrices describing the probability that a seedling in one stage moved to another one year later.For each species,we averaged the transition matrix across 25 censuses and used it to project the seedling lifespan,from seed until 1cm dbh or death.Results The predicted mean survival rate of seeds to 1cm dbh varied 1000-fold across species,from 2.9×10^(−6)to 4.4×10^(−3);the median was 2.0×10^(−4).The seedling lifespan,or the average time it takes a seed to grow to 1cm dbh,varied across species from 5.1 to 53.1 years,with a median of 20.3 years.In the median species,the 10%fastest-growing seeds would reach 1cm dbh in 9.0 years,and the slowest 10%in 34.6 years.Conclusions Combining seedling results with our previous study of lifespan after 1cm dbh,we estimate that the focal species have full lifespans varying from 41 years in a gap-demanding pioneer to 320 years in one shade-tolerant species.Lifetime demography can contribute precise survival rates and lifespans to forestry models.
基金funded by the National Research,Development and Innovation Office(NKFIH FK 142428 grant)The contribution of Z.B.was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and by the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research,Development and Innovation Fund(ÚNKP-23-5-SZTE-697)+2 种基金K.F.was supported by the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research,Development and Innovation Fund(ÚNKP-23-3-SZTE-441)C.T.was supported by the NKFIH K 146137 grantA.E-V.was supported by the long-term research development project of the Czech Academy of Sciences(RVO 67985939).
文摘Topographic complexity supports the maintenance of a high diversity of microhabitats,which may act as important‘safe havens’-or microrefugia-for biodiversity.Microrefugia are sites with specific environmental conditions that facilitate the persistence of species during environmental changes and exhibit unique ecoevolutionary dynamics.However,our knowledge about how topographic complexity and related ecoevolutionary selective forces influence the functional and phylogenetic signatures of species assemblages in microrefugia is very limited.Although the conceptual framework on the systematic integration of plant functional traits into the study of refugia is well established,more empirical studies on functional trait composition and functional diversity in refugia are urgently needed for more effective conservation.Here we analyzed the distribution of various plant functional traits and phylogenetic patterns in microhabitats(south-and north-facing slopes,and bottoms)of 30 large topographic depressions(i.e.doline microrefugia)and microhabitats of the surrounding plateaus in two distant forested karst regions.We found that plant assemblages in the understory of dolines and their surroundings are characterized by unique functional values and combinations of traits.Doline bottoms had the highest functional diversity among doline microhabitats and supported plant assemblages with considerably different trait compositions from the plateaus.Bottoms also had the highest phylogenetic diversity.These results suggest that topographic complexity in forested dolines has a significant effect on the distribution of plant functional traits in the understory.High functional and phylogenetic diversity in doline bottoms can have important consequences for the long-term survival of plant populations,highlighting that these microhabitats may provide a higher resilience and support an adaptive community-level response to natural and anthropogenic stressors.Understanding mechanisms that drive the survival of species within microrefugia is required to determine the best conservation and management strategies.
基金financially supported by a grant from the Forest Fund of the Polish State Forests(Grant No.EZ.0290.1.16.2021).
文摘We tested the effectiveness of the gradual removal of Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.)in former plantations of this species in Roztocze National Park(SE Poland)to support the restoration of natural herbaceous flora and forest structure.We compared 0.5-ha study plots subjected to selective removal of pine trees with control plots excluded from any kind of human intervention for half a century.The observed changes in forest floor vegetation in the converted plots showed naturalization towards habitat-specific species.However,differences in the spatial distribution of trees between the treatment and control plots showed no universal pattern and revealed subtle but positive shifts from regular to random or clustered patterns.The mean tree diameters were higher in plots subjected to Scots pine removal,which resulted from the vigorous growth of tree species,consistent with habitat types.We conclude that forest restoration through the removal of planted trees can support the naturalization of former Scots pine plantations in protected areas.However,the selection of an appropriate method and its intensity are of vital importance.Methods that resemble typical management practices,such as selection thinning,are not always the best approach,as they may preserve or even increase the regular distribution of trees.Therefore,for restoration purposes,we recommend testing other methods that increase spatial heterogeneity,including systematic cutting or emulating natural disturbances.In addition,low-intensity thinning may not be sufficient to support the restoration of natural forest floor vegetation and the variability in forest stand structure.
文摘A tree's basal area(BA)and wood volume scale exponentially with tree diameter in species-specifc patterns.Recent observed increases in tree growth suggest these allometric relationships are shifting in response to climate change,rising CO_(2) levels,and/or changes in forest management.We analyzed 9,214 cores from nine conifer and 11 broadleaf species grown in managed mixed-species stands in the upper Midwest to quantify how well diameter(diameter at breast height(DBH))serves to predict BA growth and above-ground wood and carbon(C).These samples include many large trees.We ft mixed models to predict BA growth and above-ground biomass/C from diameter,tree height,and the BA of nearby trees while controlling for site effects.Models account for 55%–83%of the variance in log(recent growth),improving predictions over earlier models.Growth-diameter scaling exponents covary with certain leaf and stem(but not wood)functional traits,reflecting growth strategies.LogBA increment scales linearly with log(diameter)as trees grow bigger in 16/20 species and growth actually accelerates in Quercus rubra L.Three other species plateau in growth.Growth only decelerates in red pine,Pinus resinosa Ait.Growth in whole-tree,above-ground biomass,and C accelerate even more strongly with diameter(mean exponent:2.08 vs.1.30 for BA growth).Sustained BA growth and accelerating wood/C growth contradict the common assumption that tree growth declines in bigger trees.Yield tables and silvicultural guidelines should be updated to reflect these current relationships.Such revisions will favor delaying harvests in many managed stands to increase wood production and enhance ecosystem values including C fxation and storage.Further research may resolve the relative roles of thinning,climatic conditions,nitrogen inputs,and rising CO2 levels on changing patterns of tree growth.
基金supported by the Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek(FWO)[grant number 1S16824N]the Cost Action CLEANFOREST[E-COST-GRANT-CA21138-c4968ca1].
文摘Droughts pose significant threats to forest ecosystems globally.Effective forest management strategies,adapted to local conditions,are needed to mitigate negative drought impacts.One proposed strategy is competition reduction to increase water availability and,as a result,alleviate drought stress.This study investigates the effect of competition intensity on drought stress and tree growth in European beech(Fagus sylvatica)and pedunculate oak(Quercus robur).We deployed 72 point dendrometers,placed along a competition intensity gradient,in National Park Brabantse Wouden(Belgium),to measure daily minimum tree water deficit(TWD_(min))as a drought stress proxy and daily radial growth at tree level.Our results revealed species-dependent effects of competition intensity(CI).For European beech,competition reductions positively influenced growth and alleviated(1<CI<2)or aggravated(CI<0.5)drought stress.For pedunculate oak,competition intensity did not affect drought stress or growth along the investigated gradient.Environmental variables consistently affected TWDmin and growth of both species.Precipitation reduced TWDmin and increased growth,while vapor pressure deficit led to opposite trends.Thus,environmental conditions and competition can play a critical role in forest dynamics,especially in light of climate change.However,reducing competition through increased management efforts does not seem to be a one-size-fits-all solution to alleviating drought stress.Additionally,there seems to be a trade-off between reducing drought stress and improving tree growth in European beech:tree growth continuously benefited from competition reductions,while under low competition(CI<0.5)drought stress increased.Revisiting or reviving long-term thinning intensity trials encompassing various regions,species,and soil types will be needed to gain comprehensive insights into mitigating drought stress through management interventions under different local stand conditions.
基金supported by grants provided within the research project»EO4Forest:Use of multi-temporal Sentinel-2 and VHR Pleiades stereo data for sustainable forest monitoring and management«funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action,Environ-ment,Energy,Mobility,Innovation and Technology(BMK)within the FFG Austrian Space Applications Program ASAP 12(grant agreement number 854027).
文摘Accurate,reliable,and regularly updated information is necessary for targeted management of forest stands.This information is usually obtained from sample-based field inventory data.Due to the time-consuming and costly procedure of forest inventory,it is imperative to generate and use the resulting data optimally.Integrating field inventory information with remote sensing data increases the value of field approaches,such as national forest inventories.This study investigated the optimal integration of forest inventory data with aerial image-based canopy height models(CHM)for forest growing stock estimation.For this purpose,fixed-area and angle-count plots from a forest area in Austria were used to assess which type of inventory system is more suitable when the field data is integrated with aerial image analysis.Although a higher correlation was observed between remotely predicted growing stocks and field inventory values for fixed-area plots,the paired t-test results revealed no statistical difference between the two methods.The R2 increased by 0.08 points and the RMSE decreased by 7.7 percentage points(24.8m^(3)·ha^(−1))using fixed-area plots.Since tree height is the most critical variable essential for modeling forest growing stock using aerial images,we also compared the tree heights obtained from CHM to those from the typical field inventory approach.The result shows a high correlation(R^(2)=0.781)between the tree heights extracted from the CHM and those measured in the field.However,the correlation decreased by 0.113 points and the RMSE increased by 4.2 percentage points(1.04m)when the allometrically derived tree heights were analyzed.Moreover,the results of the paired t-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference between the tree heights extracted from CHM and those measured in the field,but there is a significant statistical difference when the CHM-derived and the allometrically-derived heights were compared.This proved that image-based CHM can obtain more accurate tree height information than field inventory estimations.Overall,the results of this study demonstrated that image-based CHM can be integrated into the forest inventory data at large scales and provide reliable information on forest growing stock.The produced maps reflect the variability of growth conditions and developmental stages of different forest stands.This information is required to characterize the status and changes,e.g.,in forest structure diversity,parameters for volume,and can be used for forest aboveground biomass estimation,which plays an important role in managing and controlling forest resources in mid-term forest management.This is of particular interest to forest managers and forest ecologists.
基金supported by the Swedish Government Research Council for Sustainable Development(Formas)grant#2023-00994.
文摘Background: Continuous Cover Forestry(CCF) is a type of forest management that is based on ecological, environmental, and biological principles. Specific definitions of CCF greatly vary and the concept usually includes a number of tenets or criteria. The most important tenet of CCF is the requirement to abandon the practice of largescale clearfelling in favour of selective thinning/harvesting and natural regeneration methods.Methods: CCF is commonly believed to have its main origin in an academic debate that was conducted through publications in a number of European and North American countries towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Our findings are exclusively based on a literature review of the history of CCF and they revealed that the European origins of CCF go much further back to a form of farm forestry that started to be practised in Central Europe in the 17th century. Eventually, this type of farm forestry led to the formation of the single-tree selection system as we know it today. Another influential tradition line contributing to modern CCF is individual-based forest management, which breaks forest stands down into small neighbourhood-based units. The centres of these units are dominant frame trees which form the framework of a forest stand. Consequently, management is only carried out in the local neighbourhood of frame trees. Individual-based forest management also modified inflexible area-control approaches of plantation forest management in favour of the flexible sizecontrol method.Results and conclusions: We found evidence that the three aforementioned tradition lines are equally important and much interacted in shaping modern CCF. Since CCF is an international accomplishment, it is helpful to thoroughly study the drivers and causes of such concepts. Understanding the gradual evolution can give valuable clues for the introduction and adaptation of CCF in countries where the concept is new.
基金The USDA NIFA McIntire Stennis project#1014653 and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences funded the research presented in this publication.
文摘A growing recognition that uneven-aged silviculture can offer multiple benefits to forested ecosystems has encouraged some landowners in the southern region of the United States to convert even-aged pine stands into multi-aged stands.For shade-intolerant pines of the southern United States,however,few studies have examined residual tree growth following silvicultural treatments that convert even-aged stands to multi-aged stands.Understanding the growth response of residual trees to different kinds of stand conversion treatments is critical to stand development and sustainability,as trees must be recruited into larger size classes during the conversion process to develop the desired stand structure and maintain productivity.In this study,we utilized a replicated,long-term silvicultural experimental trial in the southeastern United States to assess the effects of two cutting treatments(dispersed"single tree cutting"that created small canopy gaps and the"patch cutting"that created 0.1-0.8ha patch openings)and an uncut control on the 14-year growth(~cutting cycle length)of residual longleaf pine(Pinus palustris Mill.)trees.We found that tree growth,measured as mean basal area increment(BAI),was significantly higher following patch cutting(mean BAI of 16.97cm^(2))compared to both the single tree cutting(13.33cm^(2))and the uncut control(12.68cm^(2))(p<0.001).In patch cutting,the size of the patch opening,the location of trees surrounding the patch opening,and the position of the tree canopy all had a significant effect on BAI.Trees surrounding patch openings of 0.4ha exhibited greater growth,with a mean BAI of 19.24cm^(2),compared to those surrounding 0.1 and 0.8ha patch openings,which had mean BAI values of 15.89 and 15.71cm^(2),respectively(p<0.001).The position of a tree around the patch opening also influenced tree growth,as residual trees more to the North,South,and East sides exhibited significantly higher mean BAI than trees on the West side of the patch openings(p<0.001).However,distance from the patch opening border did not significantly affect the mean BAI(p=0.522).In all treatments,dominant and co-dominant trees exhibited higher BAI than intermediate and overtopped trees,indicating that tree canopy position significantly influenced tree growth(p<0.001).Understanding how residual trees grow after these silvicultural treatments is crucial for thoroughly assessing their efficacy with longleaf pine.This study's findings will enhance our understanding of stand dynamics during stand conversion and help land managers anticipate the growth of longleaf pine into larger size categories after single tree and patch cuttings.
基金financially supported by the Biological BreedingNational Science and Technology Major Project(2023ZD0405806)the National Key R&D Program for the 14th Five-Year Plan in China(2022YFD2200304).
文摘The level of genetic variation within a breeding population affects the effectiveness of selection strategies for genetic improvement.The relationship between genetic variation level within Pinus tabuliformis breeding populations and selection strategies or selection effectiveness is not fully investigated.Here,we compared the selection effectiveness of combined and individual direct selection strategies using half-and full-sib families produced from advanced-generation P.tabuliformis seed orchard as our test populations.Our results revealed that,within half-sib families,average diameter at breast height(DBH),tree height,and volume growth of superior individuals selected by the direct selection strategy were higher by 7.72%,18.56%,and 31.01%,respectively,than those selected by the combined selection strategy.Furthermore,significant differences(P<0.01)were observed between the two strategies in terms of the expected genetic gains for average tree height and volume.In contrast,within full-sib families,the differences in tree average DBH,height,and volume between the two selection strategies were relatively minor with increase of 0.17%,2.73%,and 2.21%,respectively,and no significant differences were found in the average expected genetic gains for the studied traits.Half-sib families exhibited greater phenotypic and genetic variation,resulting in improved selection efficiency with the direct selection strategy but also introduced a level of inbreeding risk.Based on genetic distance estimates using molecular markers,our comparative seed orchard design analysis showed that the Improved Adaptive Genetic Programming Algorithm(IAPGA)reduced the average inbreeding coefficient by 14.36% and 14.73% compared to sequential and random designs,respectively.In conclusion,the combination of the direct selection strategy with IAPGA seed orchard design aimed at minimizing inbreeding offered an efficient approach for establishing advanced-generation P.tabuliformis seed orchards.
基金funded by the following grants:the Natural Environ-ment Research Council-Funded SECO Project(NE/T01279X/1)the Fostering Research&Intra-African Knowledge Transfer Through Mobility&Education(FRAME)Conservation Action Research Network(CARN)through the ASPIRE Grant Programme.
文摘The Miombo ecoregion covers eastern and southern Africa,with variations in plant species composition,structure,and biomass across a broad precipitation gradient.Most studies of woody plant communities focus exclusively on larger overstorey trees(≥5 or≥10cm stem diameter),overlooking the contribution of small trees and shrubs in the understorey,which can comprise a significant portion of total biomass and diversity.Here,we evaluate the contribution of both large overstorey and small understorey woody plants to species diversity and above-ground biomass(AGB),with 17 plots(0.5-1ha)across five sites representing both extremes of rainfall gradient spanning the Miombo ecoregion,in northeast Namibia(500-700mm mean annual precipitation,MAP)and southern Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC)(>1,200mm MAP).Mean AGB per site ranged from 21 to 119Mg·ha^(-1),increasing with rainfall,while the proportional AGB contribution of small trees,saplings,and shrubs decreased.In dry Namibia,small trees,saplings,and shrubs(<5cm DBH)contributed up to 28.2%of total AGB(mean±standard deviation:18.3%±3.4%),whereas in wet DRC,they contributed only up to 2.5%(2.3%±1.4%).Namibian sites,on average,contained a large proportion of woody species diversity exclusively in small trees and shrubs(<5cm DBH),with 55 species representing 59.4%of the total diversity.In contrast,DRC sites had higher overall small woody plant diversity(66 species)but fewer species found exclusively as small individuals(25.2%),with many saplings that grow to larger trees.Understorey composition also differed,with saplings of overstorey trees dominating in DRC,while shrubs dominated in Namibia.Our findings show that woody biomass and diversity in dry woodlands are substantially underestimated when studies focus only on larger trees.This highlights the need to consider all woody vegetation to better understand woody plant diversity and biomass variation.
