Patterns of tree growth in a single tree selection silver fir–European beech forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matija Klopcic ◽  
Andrej Boncina
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection

scholarly journals Disentangling the Legacies of Climate and Management on Tree Growth

Ecosystems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Marqués ◽  
Drew M. P. Peltier ◽  
J. Julio Camarero ◽  
Miguel A. Zavala ◽  
Jaime Madrigal-González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Ring Formation ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Past Climate ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Ecological Memory ◽  
Historical Forest

AbstractLegacies of past climate conditions and historical management govern forest productivity and tree growth. Understanding how these processes interact and the timescales over which they influence tree growth is critical to assess forest vulnerability to climate change. Yet, few studies address this issue, likely because integrated long-term records of both growth and forest management are uncommon. We applied the stochastic antecedent modelling (SAM) framework to annual tree-ring widths from mixed forests to recover the ecological memory of tree growth. We quantified the effects of antecedent temperature and precipitation up to 4 years preceding the year of ring formation and integrated management effects with records of harvesting intensity from historical forest management archives. The SAM approach uncovered important time periods most influential to growth, typically the warmer and drier months or seasons, but variation among species and sites emerged. Silver fir responded primarily to past climate conditions (25–50 months prior to the year of ring formation), while European beech and Scots pine responded mostly to climate conditions during the year of ring formation and the previous year, although these responses varied among sites. Past management and climate interacted in such a way that harvesting promoted growth in young silver fir under wet and warm conditions and in old European beech under drier and cooler conditions. Our study shows that the ecological memory associated with climate legacies and historical forest management is species-specific and context-dependent, suggesting that both aspects are needed to properly evaluate forest functioning under climate change.

scholarly journals Comparison of Spatially and Nonspatially Explicit Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models for Norway Spruce Individual Tree Growth under Single-Tree Selection

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1338
Author(s):  
Simone Bianchi ◽  
Mari Myllymaki ◽  
Jouni Siipilehto ◽  
Hannu Salminen ◽  
Jari Hynynen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Individual Tree Growth ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Background and Objectives: Continuous cover forestry is of increasing importance, but operational forest growth models are still lacking. The debate is especially open if more complex spatial approaches would provide a worthwhile increase in accuracy. Our objective was to compare a nonspatial versus a spatial approach for individual Norway spruce tree growth models under single-tree selection cutting. Materials and Methods: We calibrated nonlinear mixed models using data from a long-term experiment in Finland (20 stands with 3538 individual trees for 10,238 growth measurements). We compared the use of nonspatial versus spatial predictors to describe the competitive pressure and its release after cutting. The models were compared in terms of Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute bias (MAB), both with the training data and after cross-validation with a leave-one-out method at stand level. Results: Even though the spatial model had a lower AIC than the nonspatial model, RMSE and MAB of the two models were similar. Both models tended to underpredict growth for the highest observed values when the tree-level random effects were not used. After cross-validation, the aggregated predictions at stand level well represented the observations in both models. For most of the predictors, the use of values based on trees’ height rather than trees’ diameter improved the fit. After single-tree selection cutting, trees had a growth boost both in the first and second five-year period after cutting, however, with different predicted intensity in the two models. Conclusions: Under the research framework here considered, the spatial modeling approach was not more accurate than the nonspatial one. Regarding the single-tree selection cutting, an intervention regime spaced no more than 15 years apart seems necessary to sustain the individual tree growth. However, the model’s fixed effect parts were not able to capture the high growth of the few fastest-growing trees, and a proper estimation of site potential is needed for uneven-aged stands.

scholarly journals Preferences for Northern Hardwood Silviculture among Family Forest Owners in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C Helman ◽  
Matthew C Kelly ◽  
Mark D Rouleau ◽  
Yvette L Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Family Forest Owners ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Upper Peninsula ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Family Forest ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Abstract Managing northern hardwood forests using high-frequency, low-intensity regimes, such as single-tree selection, favors shade-tolerant species and can reduce tree species diversity. Management decisions among family forest owners (FFO) can collectively affect species and structural diversity within northern hardwood forests at regional scales. We surveyed FFOs in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan to understand likely future use of three silvicultural treatments—single-tree selection, shelterwood, and clearcut. Our results indicate that FFOs were most likely to implement single-tree selection and least likely to implement clearcut within the next 10 years. According to logistic regression, prior use of a treatment and perceived financial benefits significantly increased the odds for likely use for all three treatments. Having received professional forestry assistance increased likely use of single-tree selection but decreased likely use of shelterwood. We discuss these results within the context of species diversity among northern hardwood forests throughout the region.

scholarly journals How Does Radial Growth of Water-Stressed Populations of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Trees Vary under Multiple Drought Events?

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Tamalika Chakraborty ◽  
Albert Reif ◽  
Andreas Matzarakis ◽  
Somidh Saha
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Fagus Sylvatica L ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Neighborhood Competition

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) trees are becoming vulnerable to drought, with a warming climate. Existing studies disagree on how radial growth varies in European beech in response to droughts. We aimed to find the impact of multiple droughts on beech trees’ annual radial growth at their ecological drought limit created by soil water availability in the forest. Besides, we quantified the influence of competition and canopy openness on the mean basal area growth of beech trees. We carried out this study in five near-natural temperate forests in three localities of Germany and Switzerland. We quantified available soil water storage capacity (AWC) in plots laid in the transition zone from oak to beech dominated forests. The plots were classified as ‘dry’ (AWC < 60 mL) and ‘less-dry’ (AWC > 60 mL). We performed dendroecological analyses starting from 1951 in continuous and discontinuous series to study the influence of climatic drought (i.e., precipitation-potential evapotranspiration) on the radial growth of beech trees in dry and less-dry plots. We used observed values for this analysis and did not use interpolated values from interpolated historical records in this study. We selected six drought events to study the resistance, recovery, and resilience of beech trees to drought at a discontinuous level. The radial growth was significantly higher in less-dry plots than dry plots. The increase in drought had reduced tree growth. Frequent climatic drought events resulted in more significant correlations, hence, increased the dependency of tree growth on AWC. We showed that the recovery and resilience to climatic drought were higher in trees in less-dry plots than dry plots, but it was the opposite for resistance. The resistance, recovery, and resilience of the trees were heterogeneous between the events of drought. Mean growth of beech trees (basal area increment) were negatively impacted by neighborhood competition and positively influenced by canopy openness. We emphasized that beech trees growing on soil with low AWC are at higher risk of growth decline. We concluded that changes in soil water conditions even at the microsite level could influence beech trees’ growth in their drought limit under the changing climate. Along with drought, neighborhood competition and lack of light can also reduce beech trees’ growth. This study will enrich the state of knowledge about the ongoing debate on the vulnerability of beech trees to drought in Europe.

scholarly journals Carbon Stock of European Beech Forest; A Case at M. Pizzalto, Italy

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 159-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Taghavi Bayat ◽  
Hein van Gils ◽  
Michael Weir
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Stock ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Beech Forest

scholarly journals Biotic and Abiotic Determinants of Soil Organic Matter Stock and Fine Root Biomass in Mountain Area Temperate Forests—Examples from Cambisols under European Beech, Norway Spruce and Silver Fir (Carpathians, Central Europe)

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 823
Author(s):  
Anna Zielonka ◽  
Marek Drewnik ◽  
Łukasz Musielok ◽  
Marcin K. Dyderski ◽  
Dariusz Struzik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Fine Root Biomass ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Beech Forests

Forest ecosystems significantly contribute to the global organic carbon (OC) pool, exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity in this respect. Some of the components of the OC pool in a forest (woody aboveground biomass (wAGB), coarse root biomass (CRB)) can be relatively easily estimated using readily available data from land observation and forest inventories, while some of the components of the OC pool are very difficult to determine (fine root biomass (FRB) and soil organic matter (SOM) stock). The main objectives of our study were to: (1) estimate the SOM stock; (2) estimate FRB; and (3) assess the relationship between both biotic (wAGB, forest age, foliage, stand density) and abiotic factors (climatic conditions, relief, soil properties) and SOM stocks and FRB in temperate forests in the Western Carpathians consisting of European beech, Norway spruce, and silver fir (32 forest inventory plots in total). We uncovered the highest wAGB in beech forests and highest SOM stocks under beech forest. FRB was the highest under fir forest. We noted a considerable impact of stand density on SOM stocks, particularly in beech and spruce forests. FRB content was mostly impacted by stand density only in beech forests without any discernible effects on other forest characteristics. We discovered significant impacts of relief-dependent factors and SOM stocks at all the studied sites. Our biomass and carbon models informed by more detailed environmental data led to reduce the uncertainty in over- and underestimation in Cambisols under beech, spruce, and fir forests for mountain temperate forest carbon pools.

Fifty years of partial harvesting in a mixed mesophytic forest: composition and productivity

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 985-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M Schuler
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
Northern Red Oak ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Periodic Growth ◽  
Mesophytic Forest ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Long-term silvicultural trials contribute to sustainable forest management by providing a better scientific understanding of how forest ecosystems respond to periodic timber harvesting. In this study, species composition, diversity, and net periodic growth of tree species in a mixed mesophytic forest in the central Appalachians were evaluated after about a half century of management. Three partial cutting practices on 18 research compartments and on 3 unmanaged reference compartments were evaluated (1951–2001) on 280 ha. Single-tree selection, diameter-limit harvesting, and timber harvesting in 0.162-ha patches were assessed on three northern red oak site index50 (SI) classes: 24, 21, and 18. Shannon–Weiner's diversity index (H′) declined from the first (1951–1959) to last (1987–2001) measurements and was related to both SI (P = 0.004) and treatment (P = 0.009). Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) were the two most abundant species in recent years (1987–2001); in contrast, in initial inventories (1951–1959), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.) were most abundant. Net periodic annual increment (PAI) of merchantable trees (DBH ≥12.7 cm) was related to both SI (P = 0.004) and treatment (P = 0.003). Mean PAI ranged from 4.6 m3·ha–1·year–1 for single-tree selection to 2.5 m3·ha–1·year–1 for unmanaged reference areas across all SI classes. The decline of oak species suggests that only intensive and specific forest management focused on maintaining oak species can obtain historical levels of diversity.

scholarly journals Modeliranje višinske in debelinske rasti dominantnih dreves ter ocenjevanje indeksov produkcijske sposobnosti gozdnih rastišč

2021 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Andrej Bončina ◽  
Vasilije Trifković ◽  
Živa Bončina
Keyword(s):  
Growth Models ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Beech Forests ◽  
Sessile Oak ◽  
Diameter Increment

Modeling the height and diameter growth of trees is an important part of forest management. Growth models provide the basis for determining the thinning regime, target tree dimensions and optimal proportions of developmental phases of forest stands. We developed individual height growth models for dominant Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in two forest types (sessile oak-European beech forests and pre-Alpine silver fir-European beech forests). Based on the models, the site productivity index (SPI), defined as the dominant tree height at a diameter of 45 cm, was determined for spruce and beech in both forest types. Based on the diameter increment of the dominant trees, the age of trees in regard to their diameter was calculated, which was the basis for Height-Age modeling. The site productivity index (SPI) of spruce in sessile oak-beech forests and pre-Alpine silver fir-European beech forests is higher than that of beech: 31.3 and 29.7 vs 28.7 and 27.9, respectively. Estimated site indices (SI; dominant tree height at the age of 100 years) in sessile oak- European beech forests and pre-Alpine silver fir-European beech forests were 33.4 and 32.0 for spruce, and 29.0 and 27.0 for beech, respectively. Using the described procedure, it is possible to determine indices of site productivity of spruce and beech (SI and SPI) in the selected forest habitat types. Testing the procedure in other forest types and for other tree species is suggested.

scholarly journals Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) demographic response to hardwood forests managed under the selection system

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Geleynse ◽  
Erica Nol ◽  
Dawn M. Burke ◽  
Ken A. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Nest Survival ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Timing Of Breeding ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Foraging Site ◽  
Brown Creeper

The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838) has been identified as one of the most sensitive passerines to partial forest harvest in North America. The effect of selection logging on Brown Creeper density, nest timing, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection was examined in five silviculture treatments (intensive group selection, typical group selection, old single-tree selection, recent single-tree selection, and control forests) of Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada. As Brown Creeper nests under the bark of large, decaying trees, we hypothesized that Brown Creeper density, timing of breeding, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection would be negatively affected by silviculture through the removal of large, decaying trees as part of providing safe conditions for loggers. We monitored 101 nests of Brown Creeper during the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons, mapped territories to estimate density, and conducted foraging surveys. Brown Creeper density was reduced by about 42% in logged stands compared with control stands. Despite that, silviculture did not significantly alter timing of breeding or nest survival. However, the loss of large trees through partial harvesting meant that Brown Creeper nested closer to adjacent, small forested wetlands and often in balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) in treated stands. In control stands, Brown Creeper nested further from forested wetlands, disproportionately in greater numbers in upland hardwoods, and preferentially in the bark of snags of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton). The change in the species of tree used for nesting and the general forest type as a result of logging also resulted in consequences for the selection of foraging substrates. To maintain higher densities of Brown Creeper in logged stands in Algonquin Park, we recommend retaining larger diameter yellow birch, both snags and live trees, preferably within strategically located uncut reserves based on habitat supply planning, that maintains patches roughly the size of Brown Creeper territories (10 ha).

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