Gap disturbance regime in an old-growth Fagus–Abies forest in the Dinaric Mountains, Bosnia-Herzegovina

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 2728-2737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Nagel ◽  
Miroslav Svoboda
Keyword(s):  
Abies Alba ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Disturbance Regime ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Gap Formation ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Dinaric Mountains ◽  
Gap Disturbance

Due to the scarcity of old-growth forests in much of Europe, there is little quantitative information on disturbance processes that influence forest dynamics. However, this information is crucial for forest management that tries to emulate patterns and processes in natural forests. We quantified the gap disturbance regime in an old-growth forest dominated by European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) and silver fir ( Abies alba Miller) in the Dinaric Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We sampled 87 gaps in four stands using line-intercept sampling. The percentages of forest area in canopy gaps and expanded gaps ranged from 12% to 17.2% and 35.5% to 39.7%, respectively. Although many of the gaps were small (<100 m2) and formed from a single gapmaker, large canopy openings >1000 m2 with numerous gapmakers made up a disproportionate amount of the total gap area. More than half the gaps had more than one gapmaker and were often in separate decay classes, indicating gaps had expanded over time during separate disturbance events. Furthermore, 51% of all gapmakers were uprooted or wind-snapped, whereas only 22% died standing. These results suggest that wind disturbance plays an important role in creating intermediate to large canopy openings through both gap formation and gap expansion processes.

scholarly journals Species Association of the Dominant Tree Species in an Old-Growth Forest and Implications for Enrichment Planting for the Restoration of Natural Degraded Forest in Subtropical China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu ◽  
Zhu ◽  
Wang ◽  
Ma ◽  
Meng
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Subtropical China ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Species Association ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Enrichment Planting ◽  
Adult Trees

Subtropical natural forests are unique due to their ecological and economic functions. However, most of these forests are highly degraded, which impairs the ability to provide ecological and economic benefits. Enrichment planting is an important approach to restore natural degraded forests. Species arrangement is of great importance to inform enrichment planting. Species association refers to the interrelationship of different species occupying a habitat and is a static description of the organic connection formed by the interaction of species. Species association, therefore, provides a scientific basis for species arrangement in enrichment planting. Additionally, because an old-growth forest is a climax community that has attained great age without significant disturbance, the species association in an old-growth forest can provide valuable information on the reference conditions for forest management. In this study, the species association between dominant tree species (including saplings and adult trees) was investigated in an old-growth forest in the Gutianshan National Nature Reserve in Zhejiang province in subtropical China. The objective of the study was to inform species arrangement for enrichment planting. The result showed that the overall species association exhibited a significant net positive association, indicating a dynamic balance of stable structure and species composition in the old-growth forest. Additionally, the pairwise species association was examined using the χ2 test, the Dice index, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient; significant positive and negative pairwise species associations were detected. Based on the species association and the light requirements of the tree species, an optimal species arrangement was determined to support enrichment planting for restoring natural degraded forests. It is expected that the results of this study will contribute to the restoration of natural degraded forests in subtropical China.

scholarly journals Influence of soil properties on silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) growth in the Dinaric Mountains

2015 ◽  
Vol 337 ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Kobal ◽  
Helena Grčman ◽  
Marko Zupan ◽  
Tom Levanič ◽  
Primož Simončič ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Dinaric Mountains

Gap-phase structure of a subalpine old-growth forest

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 1730-1741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth P. Lertzman ◽  
Charles J. Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Phase Structure ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Coast Mountains ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
Gap Phase

We examined four stands in a subalpine old-growth forest in the Coast Mountains of southwestern British Columbia for gap-phase structure. Though the stands varied in the proportions of each species, all had a similar distribution of area under closed canopy and in gaps (overall means: 29% closed canopy, 52% expanded gap, 18% canopy gap). Median areas of canopy gaps and expanded gaps were 41 and 203 m2, respectively. Most gaps (90%) had more than one gap maker, and gap makers within a gap were often from mortality events separated in time. Half of all gap makers died standing, and only 13% were windthrown. Pacific silver fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) was represented among gap makers in a much higher proportion than among canopy trees in general (64 vs. 45%). The estimated forest turnover time varied from 280–1000 years, depending on assumptions about the time taken for gaps to be filled. Distinctive features of gap-phase structure and dynamics in this forest are the high proportion of area in gap, small gap size, multiple gap makers of varying stages of decay, and long tenure of gaps before they are filled.

scholarly journals The scuttle fly (Diptera: Phoridae) assemblages of a wildfire-affected hemiboreal old-growth forest in Tyresta (Sweden)

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Durska ◽  
James Bonet ◽  
Bert Viklund
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Dominance Structure ◽  
Disturbance Factor

In natural forests, fire is an important disturbance factor and many studies have been carried out concerning its effect on different ecosystems, but no studies have previously been done considering the scuttle flies in hemiboreal forests. Here, we carried out an ecological investigation of the scuttle fly assemblage in a hemiboreal old-growth forest in Tyresta National Park and Nature Reserve (Sweden) from material collected, using Malaise traps, after wildfires in 1997 and 1999. We evaluated abundances of species, dominance structure, species richness (by non-parametric species richness method — Chao 1) as well as phenology. The most abundant species of the dominant group (i.e. Megaselia pleuralis, M. nigriceps, M pulicaria-complex and M. brevicostalis) are multivoltine and saprophagous, displaying spring and late summer/autumn activity.

Relations between tree canopy composition and understorey vegetation in a European beech-sessile oak old growth forest in Western Romania

Biologia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Dölle ◽  
Any Mary Petritan ◽  
Iovu Adrian Biris ◽  
Ion Catalin Petritan
Keyword(s):  
European Beech ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Canopy Layer ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Sessile Oak ◽  
Old Growth Forest ◽  
Western Romania

AbstractThe diversity relationship between tree and herb layer has often been investigated, but the results are contradictory. Moreover, few studies of deciduous European species have been conducted to date in natural or near-natural forests, while such studies in old-growth forest with considerable co-dominance of oak are missing.In one of the best preserved natural European beech-sessile oak forests (Runcu-Grosi Natural Reserve, Western Romania) we investigated whether there is a correlation between canopy-layer diversity and herb-layer diversity. Structural diversity, vegetation composition, ecological and functional traits were evaluated. Our results show that the herb-layer diversity is higher under canopy with greater tree-layer diversity, and the diversity of both layers depend on whether the overstorey is dominated by beech or sessile oak. Herb layers of plots with oak co-dominance showed higher indicator values for light and temperature, and a higher proportion of graminoides and shrub species. In contrast, herb-layer in beech plots is dominated by juvenile trees, mainly beech and competitive herb species. Oak plots are characterised by a generally more evenly distributed herb-layer composition. Species richness of herb-layer was higher under a diversely structured overstorey, which was mainly achieved when oak was present in the canopy, and correlated negatively with litter thickness, which was highest in beech plots. We conclude that the identity of the dominant canopy species is most important for herb layer species composition and diversity. Furthermore, the plots with oak occurrence in the overstorey even with weak proportion (around 20% of stand basal area) features a higher biodiversity of species in the understorey.

Patterns between crown characteristics and radial increment in trees are similar during recovery and normal growth: a long-term example from old-growth forests

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1069-1077
Author(s):  
Rafał Podlaski
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Radial Increment ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forests ◽  
Crown Characteristics

Crown traits and competition attributes have an important effect on tree radial increment. Relationships among these elements are modeled using the distributions of the crown characteristics in a given calendar year, but these patterns can differ over time. The suitability of the patterns during recovery and normal growth was investigated using silver fir, Abies alba Mill., in old-growth forests. Generalized additive models (GAMs) for silver fir in the older (OG, trees aged 136–300 years) and younger (YG, trees aged 45–135 years) generations were developed. To test the validity of these GAMs, field data sets representing silver fir recovery and normal growth were used. For silver fir in OG, crown transparency had the largest effect on tree growth, explaining more than 25% of the variance. For silver fir in YG, relative crown length had the largest effect on tree growth, explaining more than 15% of the variance. The absolute relative prediction errors, AREmin and AREmax, were less than 0.03 and 1.50 mm, respectively. The developed GAMs are suitable during recovery and normal growth, but the GAMs were fitted to a relatively small area, neglecting climatic gradients and different disturbance types. This type of investigation should be continued on a larger scale.

Dynamics of Norway spruce and silver fir natural regeneration in a mixed stand under uneven-aged management

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Grassi ◽  
Gianfranco Minotta ◽  
Giustino Tonon ◽  
Umberto Bagnaresi
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Age Structure ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Gap Formation ◽  
Canopy Layer ◽  
Spatial Continuity

In a 0.75-ha plot in a Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) – silver fir (Abies alba Miller) stand in Comelico (Italian eastern Alps), we analysed (i) the distribution and growth of natural regeneration of Norway spruce and silver fir as affected by stand structure and (ii) the age structure of all saplings between 0.2 and 10 m in height in a 30-year-old gap. In both species, most natural regeneration was clumped and located at the margin of the gaps; however, fir saplings were more represented in understorey environments and less represented in gaps as compared with spruce. Age structure of natural regeneration in the selected gap revealed that the majority (75%) of saplings appeared after the formation of the gap; however, for regeneration taller than 2 m (which has a better chance of reaching the uppermost canopy layer), saplings already present at gap formation predominated. We conclude that (i) gap edges represent a preferential regeneration niche in this forest and (ii) saplings established before gap formation can play an important role in gap refilling. These results provide useful information to ensure, through silvicultural practices, favourable conditions for the temporal and spatial continuity of the regeneration process.

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