Old-growth forests uniquely support biodiversity while serving as some of the planet's most important carbon stocks.The influence of tree and stand age on carbon flux dynamics remains debated—an urgent question a...Old-growth forests uniquely support biodiversity while serving as some of the planet's most important carbon stocks.The influence of tree and stand age on carbon flux dynamics remains debated—an urgent question as climate-driven disturbances may reshape forest age structures and in situ carbon storage.To clarify these relationships in Fagus sylvatica,systems,we examined a unique dataset of 3,503 tree ring series from 190 plots across some of the best preserved old-growth forests from five southern European countries.By employing a dendrochronological approach and integrating key environmental variables,including elevation,slope,temperature,and the presence of large-diameter trees(≥60 cm),we analyzed the complex relationships between tree/stand age within a plot(represented by plot-level mean values,hereafter“stand age”)and aboveground carbon stock across live,standing,and lying deadwood pools.The average stand age was 220 years,with 230 tC⋅ha^(-1) of carbon stored in aboveground biomass and necromass.We found a positive correlation between age and carbon storage at both the individual tree and plot levels.Notably,the presence of large-diameter trees was the strongest indicator of carbon stock,with carbon accumulation peaking at about 30%large-tree stems proportion before stabilising,while younger beech trees(below 100 years old)had a smaller contribution to carbon storage.We found no evidence of a decline in carbon stock with advancing stand age across the studied sites.Despite the ecological importance of old-growth forests,many of them remain unprotected and are disappearing across Europe.Our findings highlight the importance of preserving old-growth forests to maximize their role as long-term ecosystem carbon reservoirs.展开更多
Atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO2] has increased dramatically within the current life spans of long-lived trees and old forests. Consider that a 500-year-old tree in the early twenty-first century has spent 70% of its l...Atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO2] has increased dramatically within the current life spans of long-lived trees and old forests. Consider that a 500-year-old tree in the early twenty-first century has spent 70% of its life growing under preindustrial levels of [CO2], which were 30% lower than current levels. Here we address the question of whether old trees have already responded to the rapid rise in [CO2] occurring over the past 150 years. In spite of limited data, aging trees have been shown to possess a substantial capacity for increased net growth after a period of post-maturity growth decline. Observations of renewed growth and physiological function in old trees have, in some instances, coincided with Industrial Age increases in key environmental resources, including [CO2], suggesting the potential for continued growth in old trees as a function of continued global climate change.展开更多
We analyze the structure and composition of old-growth wet evergreen forest of Nelliampathy hills, the chain of hills lying immediately south of Palghat Gap, in the southern Western Ghats of India. We sampled 30 plots...We analyze the structure and composition of old-growth wet evergreen forest of Nelliampathy hills, the chain of hills lying immediately south of Palghat Gap, in the southern Western Ghats of India. We sampled 30 plots of 0.1 ha each （50 m × 20 m） at six locations enumerating all plants ？ 10 cm girth at breast height. We pooled the data and computed various structural parameters. There were 152 species of 120 genera and 51 families of the study area. Of these, 118 （77%） were trees, 24 were climbers （16%） and 10 were shrubs （7%）. Species richness varied from 58–99 per 0.5 ha sample and Shannon indices of diversity ranged from 4.4 to 5.2. Fifty-nine per cent （89 species） of the species were Indian Sub-continent elements and 34% （51 species） are endemic to the Western Ghats. Fifteen species are listed in various threat categories. Aglaia and Litsea were the most species-rich genera. Numbers of families ranged from 27–43 per 0.5 ha sample. Euphorbiaceae and Lauraceae were the most species-rich families. Stand density varied from 1714 to 2244 stems·ha？1 and basal area from 53.6 to 102.1 m2·ha？1. The vegetation was dominated by 3–6 species and six dominance patterns characterized the species composition within the hill complex. The old-growth evergreen forests of Nelliampathy exist as small fragments rich in biodiversity and can be used as benchmarks for comparison with disturbed forests.展开更多
基金supported by the Czech University of Life Sciences(Internal Grant Agency:A_12_24,43110/1312/3103)the Czech Science Foundation(Grant GACR No.21-27454S)+3 种基金Technology Agency of the Czech Republic(TACR No.SS06010420)provided by the CLIMB-FOREST project(No.101060554)project FORbEST(No.101181878)funded under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme。
文摘Old-growth forests uniquely support biodiversity while serving as some of the planet's most important carbon stocks.The influence of tree and stand age on carbon flux dynamics remains debated—an urgent question as climate-driven disturbances may reshape forest age structures and in situ carbon storage.To clarify these relationships in Fagus sylvatica,systems,we examined a unique dataset of 3,503 tree ring series from 190 plots across some of the best preserved old-growth forests from five southern European countries.By employing a dendrochronological approach and integrating key environmental variables,including elevation,slope,temperature,and the presence of large-diameter trees(≥60 cm),we analyzed the complex relationships between tree/stand age within a plot(represented by plot-level mean values,hereafter“stand age”)and aboveground carbon stock across live,standing,and lying deadwood pools.The average stand age was 220 years,with 230 tC⋅ha^(-1) of carbon stored in aboveground biomass and necromass.We found a positive correlation between age and carbon storage at both the individual tree and plot levels.Notably,the presence of large-diameter trees was the strongest indicator of carbon stock,with carbon accumulation peaking at about 30%large-tree stems proportion before stabilising,while younger beech trees(below 100 years old)had a smaller contribution to carbon storage.We found no evidence of a decline in carbon stock with advancing stand age across the studied sites.Despite the ecological importance of old-growth forests,many of them remain unprotected and are disappearing across Europe.Our findings highlight the importance of preserving old-growth forests to maximize their role as long-term ecosystem carbon reservoirs.
基金Supported by Discovery Project Number DP0879531 of the Australian Research Councila University of Western Sydney International Research Schemes Initiative (IRIS) (71827)+2 种基金the National Science Foundation, Divisionof Integrative Organismal Systems (0517521)sabbatical support from Boston University to NGPfrom the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre.
文摘Atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO2] has increased dramatically within the current life spans of long-lived trees and old forests. Consider that a 500-year-old tree in the early twenty-first century has spent 70% of its life growing under preindustrial levels of [CO2], which were 30% lower than current levels. Here we address the question of whether old trees have already responded to the rapid rise in [CO2] occurring over the past 150 years. In spite of limited data, aging trees have been shown to possess a substantial capacity for increased net growth after a period of post-maturity growth decline. Observations of renewed growth and physiological function in old trees have, in some instances, coincided with Industrial Age increases in key environmental resources, including [CO2], suggesting the potential for continued growth in old trees as a function of continued global climate change.
基金support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India
文摘We analyze the structure and composition of old-growth wet evergreen forest of Nelliampathy hills, the chain of hills lying immediately south of Palghat Gap, in the southern Western Ghats of India. We sampled 30 plots of 0.1 ha each （50 m × 20 m） at six locations enumerating all plants ？ 10 cm girth at breast height. We pooled the data and computed various structural parameters. There were 152 species of 120 genera and 51 families of the study area. Of these, 118 （77%） were trees, 24 were climbers （16%） and 10 were shrubs （7%）. Species richness varied from 58–99 per 0.5 ha sample and Shannon indices of diversity ranged from 4.4 to 5.2. Fifty-nine per cent （89 species） of the species were Indian Sub-continent elements and 34% （51 species） are endemic to the Western Ghats. Fifteen species are listed in various threat categories. Aglaia and Litsea were the most species-rich genera. Numbers of families ranged from 27–43 per 0.5 ha sample. Euphorbiaceae and Lauraceae were the most species-rich families. Stand density varied from 1714 to 2244 stems·ha？1 and basal area from 53.6 to 102.1 m2·ha？1. The vegetation was dominated by 3–6 species and six dominance patterns characterized the species composition within the hill complex. The old-growth evergreen forests of Nelliampathy exist as small fragments rich in biodiversity and can be used as benchmarks for comparison with disturbed forests.
