Forest regeneration in northeastern Poland following a catastrophic blowdown

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1172-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorota Dobrowolska
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Species Structure ◽  
Tree Vitality

The aims of the investigation were to (i) quantify the changes in natural regeneration and stand structure, (ii) determine the role of deadwood in the process of regeneration following the disturbance, and (iii) determine the effect of disturbance severity on tree recruitment. The study was conducted in the Szast Protected Forest, which was established after a blowdown in 2002. The results showed that the trees were mainly wind-snapped. The basal area of the slightly disturbed stands increased over time. Herb cover increased, whereas moss cover decreased in 2011. The disturbance severity influenced the density of tree species regeneration, moss and herb ground cover, species diversity, average tree height, tree vitality, and damage caused by herbivores. The density of natural regeneration increased and new species became established after the disturbance. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was the dominant tree species during the regeneration process except in the severely disturbed stand from which wood had been removed; in this case, birch was the dominant species. Wind disturbance increased species diversity and created a new forest with a particular species structure and trees that varied in age and height. The results of this study will be useful for foresters and policymakers to change the existing approaches to large-scale disturbances in the Polish forests.

scholarly journals Stand Structure, Regeneration Status and Distribution Patterns of Six Important Tree Species along Altitudinal Gradients at the Kilum-Ijim Forest Reserve, Cameroon

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-57
Author(s):  
Franklin Bantar Nworo ◽  
Njoh Roland Ndah ◽  
Egbe Enow Andrew
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Altitudinal Gradients ◽  
Regeneration Status

Tropical montane forests are considered to be one of the most species diverse ecosystems. These areas pose specific edaphic and environmental characteristics which enable these areas to harbour wide varieties of organisms. Some of these organisms are threatened and others are endemic to the area. The quest for food and other resources has resulted to indiscriminate exploitation of these montane forest. This study aimed to investigate the stand structure, distribution patterns and regeneration status of six tree species (Nuxia congesta, Pittosporum mannii, Podocarpu slatifolius, Prunus africana, Schefflera abyssinica and Syzygium guineense) along altitudinal gradients in the Kilum-Ijim Forest Reserve, Cameroon. A total of six study plots of one hectare (100 x100 m) each were laid across a 120 m elevation gradient. Two plots were established at each altitudinal gradient with elevations 2377 m, 2437 m and 2497 m. Measurements were taken for tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH 1.3 m) for the tree and poles. The digital Vernier callipers were used to measure collar diameters of seedlings and saplings. The highest tree density of 385 stems/ha was recorded for N. congesta at altitude 2497 m while the least was 20 stems/ha for S. abyssinica at altitude 2377m. The highest seedling density was 1563 stems/ha recorded for P. mannii at altitude 2377m and the least was noted for S. abyssinica at all the three altitudinal gradients.  Nuxia congesta had the highest basal area of 8809.23m2/ha at altitude 2437 m and the least of 74.82m2/ha for P. latifolius at altitude 2437 m.  The highest IVI occurred in N. congesta (131.91) was recorded at altitude 2377 m and the least (24.91) occurred in P. latifolius at altitude 2437 m. The spatial distributions of studied tree species were generally clumped and irregular. The regenerations of species were generally poor, though fair regenerations were noticed for N. congesta and P. mannii. The results showed that the six tree species were highly disturbed by anthropogenic activities. It is therefore imperative to develop and implement effective conservation measures to sustain the biodiversity of this reserve.

scholarly journals Height-diameter allometry of tropical forest trees

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Feldpausch ◽  
L. Banin ◽  
O. L. Phillips ◽  
T. R. Baker ◽  
S. L. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
True Value

Abstract. Tropical tree height-diameter (H:D) relationships may vary by forest type and region making large-scale estimates of above-ground biomass subject to bias if they ignore these differences in stem allometry. We have therefore developed a new global tropical forest database consisting of 39 955 concurrent H and D measurements encompassing 283 sites in 22 tropical countries. Utilising this database, our objectives were: 1. to determine if H:D relationships differ by geographic region and forest type (wet to dry forests, including zones of tension where forest and savanna overlap). 2. to ascertain if the H:D relationship is modulated by climate and/or forest structural characteristics (e.g. stand-level basal area, A). 3. to develop H:D allometric equations and evaluate biases to reduce error in future local-to-global estimates of tropical forest biomass. Annual precipitation coefficient of variation (PV), dry season length (SD), and mean annual air temperature (TA) emerged as key drivers of variation in H:D relationships at the pantropical and region scales. Vegetation structure also played a role with trees in forests of a high A being, on average, taller at any given D. After the effects of environment and forest structure are taken into account, two main regional groups can be identified. Forests in Asia, Africa and the Guyana Shield all have, on average, similar H:D relationships, but with trees in the forests of much of the Amazon Basin and tropical Australia typically being shorter at any given D than their counterparts elsewhere. The region-environment-structure model with the lowest Akaike's information criterion and lowest deviation estimated stand-level H across all plots to within amedian −2.7 to 0.9% of the true value. Some of the plot-to-plot variability in H:D relationships not accounted for by this model could be attributed to variations in soil physical conditions. Other things being equal, trees tend to be more slender in the absence of soil physical constraints, especially at smaller D. Pantropical and continental-level models provided less robust estimates of H, especially when the roles of climate and stand structure in modulating H:D allometry were not simultaneously taken into account.

scholarly journals Height-diameter allometry of tropical forest trees

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 7727-7793 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Feldpausch ◽  
L. Banin ◽  
O. L. Phillips ◽  
T. R. Baker ◽  
S. L. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Geographic Region ◽  
True Value

Abstract. Tropical tree height-diameter (H:D) relationships may vary by forest type and region making large-scale estimates of above-ground biomass subject to bias if they ignore these differences in stem allometry. We have therefore developed a new global tropical forest database consisting of 39 955 concurrent H and D measurements encompassing 283 sites in 22 tropical countries. Utilising this database, our objectives were:   1. to determine if H:D relationships differ by geographic region and forest type (wet to dry forests, including zones of tension where forest and savanna overlap).   2. to ascertain if the H:D relationship is modulated by climate and/or forest structural characteristics (e.g. stand-level basal area, A).   3. to develop H:D allometric equations and evaluate biases to reduce error in future local-to-global estimates of tropical forest biomass. Annual precipitation coefficient of variation (PV), dry season length (SD), and mean annual air temperature (TA) emerged as key drivers of variation in H:D relationships at the pantropical and region scales. Vegetation structure also played a role with trees in forests of a high A being, on average, taller at any given D. After the effects of environment and forest structure are taken into account, two main regional groups can be identified. Forests in Asia, Africa and the Guyana Shield all have, on average, similar H:D relationships, but with trees in the forests of much of the Amazon Basin and tropical Australia typically being shorter at any given D than their counterparts elsewhere. The region-environment-structure model with the lowest Akaike's information criterion and lowest deviation estimated stand-level H across all plots to within a median –2.7 to 0.9% of the true value. Some of the plot-to-plot variability in H:D relationships not accounted for by this model could be attributed to variations in soil physical conditions. Other things being equal, trees tend to be more slender in the absence of soil physical constraints, especially at smaller D. Pantropical and continental-level models provided only poor estimates of H, especially when the roles of climate and stand structure in modulating H:D allometry were not simultaneously taken into account.

Effect of local topographic heterogeneity on tree species assembly in an Acacia-dominated African savanna

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Musili Mutuku ◽  
David Kenfack
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Tree Species Diversity ◽  
Knee Height ◽  
Local Species ◽  
Topographic Heterogeneity

AbstractStand structure and tree species diversity patterns were examined plot-wide and among four topographically defined habitats (plateau, cliff, low plain and depressions) in a 120-ha permanent plot in an Acacia-dominated savanna in Mpala Ranch, central Kenya. The four habitats were defined by clustering the 3000 quadrats of 20 × 20 m in the plot based on their altitude, slope and convexity. Structural and floristic differences among the four habitats were examined and species-habitat associations were tested for the 30 most abundant species using torus translation randomization tests. The plot included 113 337 trees in 62 species with diameter at knee height ≥ 2 cm (18.4 species ha−1), 41 genera and 23 families. Fabaceae with the genus Acacia were the dominant family, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Ebenaceae. Tree density and basal area were twice as high on low plain and depressions than on the plateau. Species richness was highest in the cliff and was seven times higher than in the adjacent plateau. Half of the species assessed showed significant positive associations with one habitat and 21 showed significant negative associations with at least one habitat. The variation in stand structure and tree species diversity within the Mpala plot shows that topography is among the important drivers of local species distribution and hence the maintenance of tree diversity in savannas.

scholarly journals Plentern mit Kiefern – Ergebnisse aus den USA

2017 ◽  
Vol 168 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Guldin ◽  
Don C. Bragg ◽  
Andreas Zingg
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Volume Control ◽  
Pinus Echinata ◽  
Shortleaf Pine

Plentering with pines – results from the United States Until now, scientifically reliable data on plentering of light-demanding tree species in Europe have been lacking. This gap is filled with long-term trials from the USA, among others with southern yellow pines. In the southern state of Arkansas, two plots of 16 hectares were installed in 1936, in the context of a large-scale trial of mixed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Miller) stands, in which plentering has been applied using single-tree harvest of predominantly sawtimber-sized trees (dbh >30 cm) with natural regeneration. The aim of the experiment is to investigate the possibilities and limits of uneven-aged silviculture with shade-intolerant tree species, and whether this can be applied in cutover southern yellow pine stands in order to improve the stand structure, to increase growth, and to make periodic harvests possible. The two plots were in different initial states – one more or less fully stocked, the other with poor initial stocking. Since 1936, 18 complete surveys have been conducted where all trees 10 cm and larger were tallied by diameter. During that same time period, 14 plenter harvests have been carried out using the Volume Control-Guiding Diameter Limit method in both plots. In order to check the variability of stand structure within the 16-hectare stands, each was subdivided into four quarters, and the diameter distributions were compared within each quarter. The uneven- aged structure was checked by a sample of tree-ring counts. Both stands retained continuous canopy cover throughout the observation period. The initial differences in the number of stems, the basal area, the standing volume, the proportion of sawtimber, the average basal area and the mean quadratic diameter dg became alike in the course of time, which shows the flexibility of plentering and the tendency to develop stands where the harvest of growth appears to be sustainable. The dg of the harvest was initially slightly more than 20 cm, but is today more than 50 cm. The average total growth is 6 m3/ha and year. The results show that these stands are uneven-aged stands in an advanced stage of the transformation to plentering. We suspect that in the absence of a major natural disturbance event, the plentering approach in southern yellow pines will continue to be promising in the future.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Natural Regeneration: Implications for Landscape Restoration in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Siminski ◽  
Daisy Christiane Zambiazi ◽  
Karine Louise dos Santos ◽  
Alfredo Celso Fantini
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Floristic Similarity

This study aimed to understand post-agricultural natural forest regeneration in the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest and its possible role as a cost-effective, passive approach to forest restoration. The study characterized vegetation structure, floristic composition, and the dynamics of secondary forest chronosequences. Data were collected from 159 plots (10 × 10 m each) across forest remnants in Santa Catarina State, covering forest ages that ranged from 2 to 60 years of regeneration after swidden agriculture. Only areas with no signs of degradation were sampled in order to provide a description of vegetation characteristics that could be used to identify and monitor natural regeneration. A total of 11,455 woody plants were identified and classified into 334 species representing 71 families. As the succession process unfolds, the continuous turnover of species makes forests more diverse and structurally complex. Floristic similarity among forest types is observed during the early stages of succession, but decreases over time. Pioneer species dominate young secondary forests, representing about 40% of the basal area up to 10 years of regeneration. Shade-tolerant species start colonizing the sites at early ages; however, they become more important structural elements only after 30 years of succession. The observed patterns of forest structure and species diversity largely conform to the post-agricultural succession seen in many tropical forests. The high species diversity found in this study highlights the importance of natural regeneration as a strategy to restore ecosystems. Floristic data can be used as a reference for choosing suitable species for active restoration, as well as contributing to the design of integrated restoration strategies. We herein reinforce the potential of natural regeneration as part of large-scale restoration programs, which would be particularly attractive to family farmers by the low cost of supplies and labor.

scholarly journals Stand Stability of Pure and Mixed-Eucalyptus Forests of Different Tree Species in a Typhoon-Prone Area

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 458
Author(s):  
Haiyan Deng ◽  
Linlin Shen ◽  
Jiaqi Yang ◽  
Xiaoyong Mo
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Eucalyptus Plantation ◽  
Mixed Plantation ◽  
Preservation Rate

Background and Objectives: The stable stand structure of mixed plantations is the basis of giving full play to forest ecological function and benefit. However, the monocultural Eucalyptus plantations with large-scale and successive planting that caused ecological problems such as reduced species diversity and loss of soil nutrients have presented to be unstable and vulnerable, especially in typhoon-prone areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nonspatial structure difference and the stand stability of pure and mixed-Eucalyptus forests, to find out the best mixed pattern of Eucalyptus forests with the most stability in typhoon-prone areas. Materials and Methods: In this study, we randomly investigated eight plots of 30 m × 30 m in pure and mixed-Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake × E. grandis W. Hill) plantations of different tree species (Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser, Acacia mangium Willd., and Pinus elliottii var. Elliottii Engelm. × P. caribaea Morelet) on growth status, characterized and compared the distribution of nonspatial structure of the monoculture and mixtures, and evaluated the stand quality and stability from eight indexes of the nonspatial structure, including preservation rate, stand density, height, diameter, stem form, degree of stem inclination, tree-species composition, and age structure. Results: Eucalyptus surviving in the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and A. mangium (EA) and in the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and P. elliottii × P. caribaea (EP) were 5.0% and 7.6% greater than those in pure Eucalyptus plantation (EE), respectively, while only the stand preservation rate of EA was greater (+2.9%) than that of the pure Eucalyptus plantation. The proportions of all mixtures in the height class greater than 7 m were fewer than that of EE. The proportions of EA and mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and N. cadamba (EN) in the diameter class greater than 7 m were 10.6% and 7.8%, respectively, more than that of EE. EN had the highest ratio of branching visibly (41.0%), EA had the highest ratio of inclined stems (8.1%), and EP had the most straight and complete stem form (68.7%). The stand stability of the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus and A. mangium presented to be optimal, as its subordinate function value (0.76) and state value (ω = 0.61) of real stand were the largest. Conclusions: A. mangium is a superior tree species to mix with Eucalyptus for a more stable stand structure in the early growth stage to approach an evident and immense stability and resistance, which is of great significance for the forest restoration of Eucalyptus in response to extreme climate and forest management.

Tekstura drzewostanów naturalnych w polskich parkach narodowych na tle teorii dynamiki lasu

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Bartkowicz ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Gap Dynamics ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Mosaic Pattern ◽  
Spruce Forests ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Patch Mosaic

The aim of the study was to compare a patch-mosaic pattern in the old-growth forest stands developed in various climate and soil conditions occurring in different regions of Poland. Based on the assumption, that the patch-mosaic pattern in the forest reflect the dynamic processes taking place in it, and that each type of forest ecosystem is characterized by a specific regime of natural disturbances, the following hypotheses were formulated: (i) the patches with a complex structure in stands composed of latesuccessional, shade-tolerant tree species are more common than those composed of early-successional, light-demanding ones, (ii) the patch-mosaic pattern is more heterogeneous in optimal forest site conditions than in extreme ones, (iii) in similar site conditions differentiation of the stand structure in distinguished patches is determined by the successional status of the tree species forming a given patch, (iv) the successional trends leading to changes of species composition foster diversification of the patch structure, (v) differentiation of the stand structure is negatively related to their local basal area, especially in patches with a high level of its accumulation. Among the best-preserved old-growth forest remaining under strict protection in the Polish national parks, nineteen research plots of around 10 ha each were selected. In each plot, a grid (50 × 50 m) of circular sample subplots (with radius 12,62 m) was established. In the sample subplots, species and diameter at breast height of living trees (dbh ≥ 7 cm) were determined. Subsequently, for each sample subplot, several numerical indices were calculated: local basal area (G), dbh structure differentiation index (STR), climax index (CL) and successional index (MS). Statistical tests of Kruskal- Wallis, Levene and Generalized Additive Models (GAM) were used to verify the hypotheses. All examined forests were characterized by a large diversity of stand structure. A particularly high frequency of highly differentiated patches (STR > 0,6) was recorded in the alder swamp forest. The patch mosaic in the examined plots was different – apart from the stands with a strongly pronounced mosaic character (especially subalpine spruce forests), there were also stands with high spatial homogeneity (mainly fir forests). The stand structure in the distinguished patches was generally poorly related to the other studied features. Consequently, all hypotheses were rejected. These results indicate a very complex, mixed pattern of forest natural dynamics regardless of site conditions. In beech forests and lowland multi-species deciduous forests, small-scale disturbances of the gap dynamics type dominate, which are overlapped with less frequent medium-scale disturbances. In more difficult site conditions, large-scale catastrophic disturbances, which occasionally appear in communities formed under the influence of gap dynamics (mainly spruce forests) or cohort dynamics (mainly pine forests), gain importance.

scholarly journals Stand Structure, Productivity and Carbon Sequestration Potential of Oak Dominated Forests in Kumaun Himalaya

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 466-476
Author(s):  
Bijendra Lal ◽  
L.S. Lodhiyal
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Oak Tree ◽  
Quercus Leucotrichophora

Present study deals with stand structure, biomass, productivity and carbon sequestration in oak dominated forests mixed with other broad leaved tree species. The sites of studied forests were located in Nainital region between 29058’ N lat. and 79028’ E long at 1500-2150 m elevation. Tree density of forests ranged from 980-1100 ind.ha-1. Of this, oak trees shared 69-97%. The basal area of trees was 31.81 to 63.93 m2 ha-1. R. arboreum and Q. floribunda shared maximum basal area 16.45 and 16.32 m2 ha-1, respectively in forest site-1 and 2 while Quercus leucotrichophora shared maximum (35.69 m2 ha-1) in site-3. The biomass and primary productivity of tree species ranged from 481-569 t ha-1 and 16.9-20.9 t ha-1yr-1, respectively. Of this, biomass and primary productivity of oak tree species accounted for 81 to 95 and 78 to 98%, respectively. Carbon stock and carbon sequestration ranged from 228 to 270 t ha-1 and 8.0 to 9.9 t ha-1yr-1, respectively. The share of oak tree species ranged from 81 to 94.7 and 79 to 97%, respectively. The diversity of tree species ranged from 0.03 to 0.16 in forest sites-1, 2 and 3. The diversity of oak species was 0.08-0.16 in all the forest sites. Thus it is concluded that among the oak tree species, Quercus floribunda and Quercus leucotrichophora were highly dominated in the studied forests. The climax form of oak dominated trees in the studied forest sites depicted slightly lower richness and diversity of tree species compared to the forests in the region and elsewhere. As far as dry matter and carbon of forests is concerned, these estimates are close to the earlier reports of forests in the region. Therefore, studied forests have the potential to increase the diversity, productivity and carbon sequestration of forest tree species by providing the adequate scientific conservation and management inputs.

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