Abiotic and biotic determinants of height growth of Picea abies regeneration in small forest gaps in the Swiss Alps

Early seedling establishment of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in small forest gaps was studied in drier, subalpine P. abies ecosystems in the Swiss Alps. Study sites were on steep south and north slopes. Average gap size was 15 m x 20 m on the south slope and 15 m x 70 m on the north slope. Sowing trials established on different microsites were observed for 2 or 3 years. Direct sunlight was assessed with hemispherical photography. Emergence was better on the north slope than on the south slope. On the south slope, emergence was higher on the mineral soil than on the organic layer and was negatively associated with direct sunlight, especially during the noon period. On both slopes, drought due to rainfall interception at the gap edge negatively affected emergence. The limiting factor for survival and growth on the south slope was drought (on the organic layer), whereas on the north slope lack of direct radiation and pathogenic fungi developing in the snowpack were limiting. The early regeneration niche on the south slope was narrower than on the north slope.

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Development and dynamics of mountain spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karsten) stand regeneration

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/98/2013-jfs ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 60 (No. 2) ◽

pp. 61-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K. Malík ◽

J. Remeš ◽

S. Vacek ◽

V. Štícha

Keyword(s):

Picea Abies ◽

Bark Beetle ◽

Natural Regeneration ◽

National Park ◽

Height Growth ◽

Seedling Height ◽

Artificial Regeneration ◽

Class Differences ◽

The Past ◽

Tree Layer

We summarized development and dynamics of natural regeneration in mountain spruce forests in areas affected by bark beetle gradation in the &Scaron;umava National Park. Detailed measurements of the regeneration were carried out using Field-Map technology (www.fieldmap.com) on ten permanent research plots. Research plots included the forests with decaying tree layer, stands in partial decline and stands with a generally healthy, or only partially damaged tree layer. Differences in rates of regeneration are very significant between the particular types of plots, especially in the youngest age class. Differences are also evident in the seedling height under varying treatments. The highest numbers of recruits (9,880 per ha) were found under intact overstorey canopies, while the fastest height growth occurred on clearcuts. This study also investigated and evaluated artificial regeneration done in the past.  

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A selection experiment for height growth with cuttings of Picea abies (L.) Karst

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1080/02827588609382420 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 1 (1-4) ◽

pp. 293-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Hans Roulund ◽

Hubert Wellendorf ◽

Martin Werner

Keyword(s):

Picea Abies ◽

Height Growth ◽

Selection Experiment

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Growth response of Norway spruce saplings in two forest gaps in the Swiss Alps to artificial browsing, infection with black snow mold, and competition by ground vegetation

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x06-156 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (11) ◽

pp. 2782-2793 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Catherine Cunningham ◽

Niklaus E Zimmermann ◽

Veronika Stoeckli ◽

Harald Bugmann

Keyword(s):

Snow Cover ◽

Norway Spruce ◽

Model Performance ◽

Swiss Alps ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Strong Impact ◽

European Alps ◽

Snow Mold ◽

Forest Gaps ◽

Sapling Growth

Black snow mold (Herpotrichia juniperi (Duby) Petr.) infection and browsing byungulates influence the growth of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) saplings in subalpine forests in the European Alps. To isolate the impacts of artificial browsing (clipping of shoots) and snow mold infection on growth, we conducted a 2 year field experiment with planted saplings in two forest gaps in the subalpine zone of the Swiss Alps. In the first year (2003) saplings responded slightly positively to clipping and negatively to snow mold infection; sapling growth behavior was site-specific (ANOVA, r2 = 0.35). In 2004, saplings responded negatively to clipping, snow mold infection, long-lasting snow cover, and shading by ground vegetation (ANOVA, r2 = 0.59). The difference in mean annual growth rates between noninfected and infected saplings was large; long-lasting snow was found to enhance snow mold coverage. Removing these variables from general linear models strongly reduced model performance (d2 = 0.32 for the full model, d2 = 0.23 for no clipping, d2 = 0.16 for no snow cover). Sapling growth was negatively related to shading by ground vegetation, especially in 2004. We conclude that these biotic factors have a strong impact on growth, both individually and in combination, and that their effect is enhanced by interaction with environmental factors such as snow duration.

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Morphology and phenology in Picea abies seedlings in response to split short day treatments

BALTIC FORESTRY ◽

10.46490/vol25iss1pp038 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Inger Sundheim Fløistad ◽

A Granhus

Keyword(s):

Picea Abies ◽

Height Growth ◽

Bud Break ◽

Negative Effects ◽

High Frequencies ◽

Short Day ◽

Collar Diameter ◽

Forest Nurseries ◽

Starting Date ◽

Root Collar

Short-day (SD) treatment is used by forest nurseries to induce growth cessation in Picea abies seedlings. SD treatment may however increase the risk of reflushing in autumn and earlier bud break the following spring. We tested how different starting dates and durations of SD treatment influenced on morphological and phenological traits. Regardless of timing and duration of the SD treatment, height growth was reduced compared to the untreated controls. Seedlings given split SD (7+7 days interrupted with two weeks in long days) had less height growth than all other treatments. Root collar diameter growth was significantly less in control seedlings than in seedlings exposed to early (7 or 14 days) or split (7+7 days) SD treatment. There were also differences in the frequency of reflushing and bud break timing among the SD treated seedlings, dependent on duration and starting date. If the SD treatment started early, a continuous 14-day SD treatment was not sufficient to avoid high frequencies of reflushing. However, by splitting the SD treatment into two periods of 7+7 days these negative effects were largely avoided, although spring bud break occurred earlier than in the controls.

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Two males, one female: triplet-style mating behaviour in the Darwin wasp Xorides ater (Gravenhorst, 1829) (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Xoridinae) in the Swiss Alps

Alpine Entomology ◽

10.3897/alpento.5.64803 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 15-22

Author(s):

Mark R. Shaw ◽

Madalene Giannotta ◽

Andrés F. Herrera-Flórez ◽

Seraina Klopfstein

Keyword(s):

Picea Abies ◽

Mating Behaviour ◽

Swiss Alps ◽

Wood Boring ◽

Video Material

The Darwin wasp Xorides ater is a solitary idiobiont ectoparasitoid of wood-boring beetle larvae. It occurs across the Palaearctic, and in Switzerland seems to be restricted to areas above 980 m altitude. Very little is known about its biology and behaviour. We here report three separate instances of a female X. ater mating simultaneously with two males, observed on the same occasion on a Picea abies woodpile near Lenk, Switzerland. Only two copulae that involved one male and one female were observed at the same time, which might indicate that this mating mode is rather common in X. ater. We illustrate our observations with photo and video material and compare it to mating behaviour known from other species of Darwin wasps.

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