Extreme disturbance activity is a signature of anthropogenic environmental change. Empirical information describing the historical normative limits of disturbance regimes provides baseline data that facilitates the de...Extreme disturbance activity is a signature of anthropogenic environmental change. Empirical information describing the historical normative limits of disturbance regimes provides baseline data that facilitates the detection of contemporary trends in both disturbances and community-level responses. Quantifying the attributes of historical disturbances is challenging due to their transient episodic nature, with decades-to centurieslong intervals between recurrences. Unmanaged primary forests that support centuries-old trees therefore serve as unique reference systems for quantifying past disturbance regimes. We surveyed relict stands of primary beech-dominated forests over wide environmental gradients in the Carpathian Mountains of Europe. We collected core samples from 3,026 trees in 208 field survey plots distributed across 13 forest stands in two countries. We used dendrochronological methods to analyze time-series of annually-resolved ring-width variation and to identify anomalous growth patterns diagnostic of past forest canopy removal. A 180-year record(1810–1990) of spatially and temporally explicit disturbance events(n =333) was compiled and used to derive s tatistical attributes of the disturbance regime. We quantified disturbance severity(canopy area lost), patch size, and return intervals. Our analyses describe a complex regime where a background of relatively frequent, smallscale, low-to intermediate-severity disturbance was punctuated by episodic large-scale high-severity events. Even the most severe events were non-catastrophic at a stand level, leaving significant residual tree cover that supported a continuity of ecological function. We did not detect evidence for an expected climate-induced intensification of disturbance with time, but methodological limitations precluded an assessment of disturbance activity in the decades since 1990.展开更多
Primary forests are spatially diverse terrestrial ecosystems with unique characteristics,being naturally regenerative and heterogeneous,which supports the stability of their carbon storage through the accumulation of ...Primary forests are spatially diverse terrestrial ecosystems with unique characteristics,being naturally regenerative and heterogeneous,which supports the stability of their carbon storage through the accumulation of live and dead biomass.Yet,little is known about the interactions between biomass stocks,tree genus diversity and structure across a temperate montane primary forest.Here,we investigated the relationship between tree structure(variability in basal area and tree size),genus-level diversity(abundance,tree diversity)and biomass stocks in temperate primary mountain forests across Central and Eastern Europe.We used inventory data from726 permanent sample plots from mixed beech and spruce across the Carpathian Mountains.We used nonlinear regression to analyse the spatial variability in forest biomass,structure,and genus-level diversity and how they interact with plot-level tree age,disturbances,temperature and altitude.We found that the combined effects of genus and structural indices were important for addressing the variability in biomass across different spatial scales.Local processes in disturbance regimes and uneven tree age support forest hete rogeneity and the accumulation of live and dead biomass through the natural regeneration,growth and decay of the forest ecosystem.Structural complexities in basal area index,supporte d by genus-level abundance,positively influence total biomass stocks,which was modulated by tree age and disturbances.Spruce forests showed higher tree density and basal area than mixed beech forests,though mixed beech still contributes significantly to biomass across landscapes.Forest heterogeneity was strongly influenced by complexities in forest composition(tree genus diversity,structure).We addressed the importance of primary forests as stable carbon stores,achieved through structure and diversity.Safeguarding such ecosystems is critical for ensuring the stability of the primary forest,carbon store and biodiversity into the future.展开更多
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
基金supported by the Czech Science Foundation project GACR21-27454STechnology Agency of the Czech Republic(project Center for Landscape and Biodiversity,SS02030018).
文摘Extreme disturbance activity is a signature of anthropogenic environmental change. Empirical information describing the historical normative limits of disturbance regimes provides baseline data that facilitates the detection of contemporary trends in both disturbances and community-level responses. Quantifying the attributes of historical disturbances is challenging due to their transient episodic nature, with decades-to centurieslong intervals between recurrences. Unmanaged primary forests that support centuries-old trees therefore serve as unique reference systems for quantifying past disturbance regimes. We surveyed relict stands of primary beech-dominated forests over wide environmental gradients in the Carpathian Mountains of Europe. We collected core samples from 3,026 trees in 208 field survey plots distributed across 13 forest stands in two countries. We used dendrochronological methods to analyze time-series of annually-resolved ring-width variation and to identify anomalous growth patterns diagnostic of past forest canopy removal. A 180-year record(1810–1990) of spatially and temporally explicit disturbance events(n =333) was compiled and used to derive s tatistical attributes of the disturbance regime. We quantified disturbance severity(canopy area lost), patch size, and return intervals. Our analyses describe a complex regime where a background of relatively frequent, smallscale, low-to intermediate-severity disturbance was punctuated by episodic large-scale high-severity events. Even the most severe events were non-catastrophic at a stand level, leaving significant residual tree cover that supported a continuity of ecological function. We did not detect evidence for an expected climate-induced intensification of disturbance with time, but methodological limitations precluded an assessment of disturbance activity in the decades since 1990.
基金funded by the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague(Internal Grant Agency:A_03_22-43110/1312/3101)the Czech Science(GACR 21-27454S)。
文摘Primary forests are spatially diverse terrestrial ecosystems with unique characteristics,being naturally regenerative and heterogeneous,which supports the stability of their carbon storage through the accumulation of live and dead biomass.Yet,little is known about the interactions between biomass stocks,tree genus diversity and structure across a temperate montane primary forest.Here,we investigated the relationship between tree structure(variability in basal area and tree size),genus-level diversity(abundance,tree diversity)and biomass stocks in temperate primary mountain forests across Central and Eastern Europe.We used inventory data from726 permanent sample plots from mixed beech and spruce across the Carpathian Mountains.We used nonlinear regression to analyse the spatial variability in forest biomass,structure,and genus-level diversity and how they interact with plot-level tree age,disturbances,temperature and altitude.We found that the combined effects of genus and structural indices were important for addressing the variability in biomass across different spatial scales.Local processes in disturbance regimes and uneven tree age support forest hete rogeneity and the accumulation of live and dead biomass through the natural regeneration,growth and decay of the forest ecosystem.Structural complexities in basal area index,supporte d by genus-level abundance,positively influence total biomass stocks,which was modulated by tree age and disturbances.Spruce forests showed higher tree density and basal area than mixed beech forests,though mixed beech still contributes significantly to biomass across landscapes.Forest heterogeneity was strongly influenced by complexities in forest composition(tree genus diversity,structure).We addressed the importance of primary forests as stable carbon stores,achieved through structure and diversity.Safeguarding such ecosystems is critical for ensuring the stability of the primary forest,carbon store and biodiversity into the future.
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)Technology Agency of the Czech Republic(TACR No.SS06010420)+2 种基金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.
