Intermediate disturbances drive long‐term fluctuation in old‐growth forest biomass: an 84‐yr temperate forest record

Abstract:Plant survival and growth in tropical rain forest are affected by different biotic and abiotic forces. As time elapses and plants grow the relative importance of such forces as regeneration inhibitors and/or facilitators may change according to habitat and species. To detect within- and among-species divergences in performance over time in different habitats we followed, for nearly a decade, the survival, growth and herbivory of seedlings of the native tree species: Chrysophyllum pomiferum, Micropholis venulosa and Pouteria caimito. In Central Amazonia, young seedlings were planted into old-growth and secondary forests dominated by Vismia spp. One year after planting, C. pomiferum ranked first (i.e. fast growth, fewer dead and less herbivory) for both habitats, followed by M. venulosa and P. caimito. Initial trends changed over time. In the long term, M. venulosa ranked first for both habitats, followed by C. pomiferum and P. caimito ranked consistently lowest. Within-species divergences in growth and herbivory were greater in secondary forest. Initial seedling responses cannot always be used to predict species persistence in the long term. Contrary to previous estimations, old-growth-forest species can persist under Vismia spp. stands, at least when planted.

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Older eastern white pine trees and stands sequester carbon for many decades and maximize cumulative carbon

10.1101/2020.10.27.358044 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Robert T. Leverett ◽

Susan A. Masino ◽

William R. Moomaw

Keyword(s):

New England ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Safety Net ◽

White Pine ◽

Eastern White Pine ◽

Old Growth ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Large Trees ◽

Natural Climate

AbstractPre-settlement New England was heavily forested, with some trees exceeding 2 m in diameter. New England’s forests have regrown since farm abandonment and represent what is arguably the most successful regional reforestation on record; the region has recently been identified as part of the “Global Safety Net.” Remnants and groves of primary “old-growth” forest demonstrate that native tree species can live for hundreds of years and continue to add to the biomass and structural and ecological complexity of forests. Forests are an essential natural climate solution for accumulating and storing atmospheric CO2, and some studies emphasize young, fast-growing trees and forests whereas others highlight high carbon storage and accumulation rates in old trees and intact forests. To address this question directly within New England we leveraged long-term, accurate field measurements along with volume modeling of individual trees and intact stands of eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) and compared our results to models developed by the U.S. Forest Service. Our major findings complement, extend, and clarify previous findings and are three-fold: 1) intact eastern white pine forests continue to sequester carbon and store high cumulative carbon above ground; 2) large trees dominate above-ground carbon storage and can sequester significant amounts of carbon for hundreds of years; 3) productive pine stands can continue to sequester high amounts of carbon for well over 150 years. Because the next decades are critical in addressing the climate crisis, and the vast majority of New England forests are less than 100 years old, and can at least double their cumulative carbon, a major implication of this work is that maintaining and accumulating maximal carbon in existing forests – proforestation - is a powerful near-term regional climate solution. Furthermore, old and old-growth forests are rare, complex and highly dynamic and biodiverse, and dedication of some forests to proforestation will also protect natural selection, ecosystem integrity and full native biodiversity long-term. In sum, strategic policies that grow and protect existing forests in New England will optimize a proven, low cost, natural climate solution for meeting climate and biodiversity goals now and in the critical coming decades.

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Dissolved organic carbon production and flux under long-term litter manipulations in a Pacific Northwest old-growth forest

Biogeochemistry ◽

10.1007/s10533-020-00667-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 149 (1) ◽

pp. 75-86

Author(s):

Lucas R. Evans ◽

Derek Pierson ◽

Kate Lajtha

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽

Pacific Northwest ◽

Old Growth ◽

Carbon Production ◽

Old Growth Forest

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A long-term tree ring beech chronology from a high-elevation old-growth forest of Central Italy

Dendrochronologia ◽

10.1078/1125-7865-00036 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 13-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

G. Piovesan ◽

M. Bernabei ◽

A. Di Filippo ◽

M. Romagnoli ◽

B. Schirone

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Central Italy ◽

High Elevation ◽

Old Growth ◽

Old Growth Forest

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Collaborate in conservation: A method for volunteer-scientist teams to monitor plant community composition long-term in a private old-growth forest

Nature Precedings ◽

10.1038/npre.2011.5527.1 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Erin Fleming ◽

Nelson Galvis ◽

Bette Loiselle ◽

Julia Nerbonne

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Plant Community ◽

Plant Community Composition ◽

Old Growth ◽

Old Growth Forest

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Retention Forestry Supports Bird Diversity in Managed, Temperate Hardwood Floodplain Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10040300 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 300 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ivo Machar ◽

Martin Schlossarek ◽

Vilem Pechanec ◽

Lubos Uradnicek ◽

Ludek Praus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hardwood Forests ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Floodplain Forests ◽

Forest Stands ◽

Old Growth ◽

Clear Cutting ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Oak Trees ◽

Retention Forestry

The retention forestry approach is considered as one of the potentially effective tools for sustainable forest management for conservation of biodiversity in managed temperate and boreal forests. Retention of old-growth forest structures (e.g., very large old living trees) in forest stands during clear-cutting provides maintenance of key habitats for many old-growth forest interior-species. Most of ecological studies on green tree retention (GTR) consequences for biodiversity have been focused on birds. However, the long-term studies of GTR impacts on forest birds are very poor. In this paper, we focused on assessment of the long-term consequences of leaving legacy oak trees on the cut areas for bird diversity 18–22 years after clear-cutting in managed temperate European hardwood floodplain forests. Results based on bird counting using mapping of bird nesting territories revealed a key importance of legacy oak trees for maintaining bird diversity in the study area. These results are widely applicable for managed temperate hardwood forests with serious dominance of oak (Quercus sp.) in forest stands. Legacy oak trees in this habitat type are keystone structures for bird diversity. Retention approach focused on these trees is potentially an important conservation tool for preserving forest bird diversity and other associated species in temperate hardwood forests managed by clear-cutting.

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Long-term impact of a major ice storm on tree mortality in an old-growth forest

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2019.06.018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 448 ◽

pp. 386-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Élise Deschênes ◽

Marie-Hélène Brice ◽

Jacques Brisson

Keyword(s):

Tree Mortality ◽

Ice Storm ◽

Old Growth ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Long Term Impact

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Bird Occupancy of a Neotropical Forest Fragment Is Mostly Stable over 17 Years but Influenced by Forest Age

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13020050 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Marconi Campos-Cerqueira ◽

W. Douglas Robinson ◽

Gabriel Augusto Leite ◽

T. Mitchell Aide

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Barro Colorado Island ◽

Tropical Species ◽

Forest Age ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Old Growth ◽

Data Set ◽

Old Growth Forest

The effects of forest degradation, fragmentation, and climate change occur over long time periods, yet relatively few data are available to evaluate the long-term effects of these disturbances on tropical species occurrence. Here, we quantified changes in occupancy of 50 bird species over 17 years on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, a model system for the long-term effects of habitat fragmentation. The historical data set (2002–2005) was based on point counts, whereas the contemporary data set (2018) was based on acoustic monitoring. For most species, there was no significant change in occupancy; however, the occupancy of four species (Tinamus major, Polioptila plumbea, Myiarchus tuberculifer, and Ceratopipra mentalis) increased significantly, and the occupancy of three species (Saltator grossus, Melanerpes pucherani, and Cyanoloxia cyanoides) decreased significantly. Forest age explained the majority of occupancy variation and affected the occupancy of more bird species than survey period or elevation. Approximately 50% of the species seem to favor old-growth forest, and 15 species (30%) had a significantly higher occupancy in old-growth forest sites. Elevation had no significant impact on the occupancy of the majority of bird species. Although BCI has been a protected reserve for approximately 100 years, land-use legacies (i.e., forest age) continue to influence bird distribution.

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The long-term dynamics of the old-growth structure in the National Nature Reserve Badínsky prales

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/139/2020-jfs ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (No. 12) ◽

pp. 501-510

Author(s):

Ladislav Šumichrast ◽

Jaroslav Vencurik ◽

Ján Pittner ◽

Stanislav Kucbel

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Relative Density ◽

Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽

Basal Area ◽

Importance Value ◽

Old Growth ◽

Stand Volume ◽

Structure Dynamics ◽

Old Growth Forest

The main goal of this paper was to evaluate structure dynamics in the fir-beech, old-growth forest Badínsky prales. Measurements were taken on four permanent research plots (0.5 ha each) between 1970 and 2018, typically in ten-year intervals. In order to assess long-term structure dynamics, this study used basic stand characteristics and selected structural indices – the relative density (RD), coefficient of homogeneity (H), and structural complexity index (SCI). Species composition was quantified by the relative importance value (RIV), and a detrended correspondence analysis was carried out for the visualisation of long-term changes. The long-term mean of the stand volume reached 634 ± 99 m3·ha−1, and the mean of the basal area was 36.6 ± 4.0 m2·ha–1. Calculated values of the coefficient of homogeneity (1.46–2.54) were similar to values in other old-growth forests with a comparable tree species composition. An increasing trend in beech RIV values was observed; on the other hand, fir RIV values fell by approximately 20%–25%. In 2018, maximal values of the basal area, stand volume and relative density were recorded. These high values may indicate better growth conditions due to climate change, as well as fewer disturbance events in the last few decades.

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