scholarly journals Mature stand developmental stage has ceased to constitute the most suitable habitat for the capercaillie in the Augustów Forest, Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanisław Drozdowski ◽  
Dorota Zawadzka ◽  
Grzegorz Zawadzki ◽  
Marcin Studnicki ◽  
Bogdan Brzeziecki
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Canopy Closure ◽  
Canopy Layer ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
Mature Stands

Abstract Background Forest management affects the habitat conditions for many forest-dwelling species. Among them, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is a rare forest grouse inhabiting old, mature forests. We compared the structure of forest habitat among 9 active and 9 abandoned leks in the Augustów Forest (North-Eastern Poland), within a radius of 1 km of the leks, defined as the Key Areas for the capercaillie in lowland temperate forest. Habitat measurements were conducted on 1779 circular plots. Assessments made on all plots related to 13 habitat variables measured or noted in the field, including stand structure, canopy closure, stand developmental stage, percentage of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), soil fertility and soil moisture, the share of undergrowth, the cover of shrubs, the cover of bilberry (Vaccinium sp.), and the presence of certain habitat elements important to the capercaillie. Results To compare the still-occupied and the abandoned KAs for the capercaillie, a logistic regression model was developed. The variables best explaining differences between these two categories were: the occurrence of undergrowth layers, canopy closure in the second canopy layer, and stand age. According to the model, with the increase of the shrub-layer cover as well as the density of trees, the probability of the presence of the capercaillie decreased. The capercaillie in the area of the Augustów Forest occupy mainly dry and poor, middle-aged, pine-dominated forests, with a moderate extent of stand canopy closure and only weakly-developed layers of undergrowth. Conclusions The filling-in of mature stands with sub-canopy trees and shrubs (the process which is stimulated by climate change and site eutrophication) causes structural changes, which are unfavourable to the capercaillie. This might explain why in the course of the recent decades the capercaillie has abandoned the oldest stands, distinguished by the presence of bigger shares of undergrowth. The capercaillie has shifted to younger stands, which reveal a lesser extent of canopy closure and a more limited development of understorey vegetation.

scholarly journals The Difficulty of Predicting Eastern Spruce Dwarf Mistletoe in Lowland Black Spruce: Model Benchmarking in Northern Minnesota, USA

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 843
Author(s):  
Ella R. Gray ◽  
Matthew B. Russell ◽  
Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Management Decisions ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Model Interpretation

Insects, fungi, and diseases play an important role in forest stand development and subsequently, forest management decisions and treatments. As these disturbance agents commonly occur within and across landscapes, modeling has often been used to inform forest planning and management decisions. However, models are rarely benchmarked, leaving questions about their utility. Here, we assessed the predictive performance of a Bayesian hierarchical model through on–the-ground sampling to explore what features of stand structure or composition may be important factors related to eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum Peck) presence in lowland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B. S. P.). Twenty-five state-owned stands included in the predictive model were sampled during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. Within each stand, data related to the presence of eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe, stand structure, and species composition were collected. The model accurately predicted eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe occurrence for 13 of the 25 stands. The amount of living and dead black spruce basal area differed significantly based on model prediction and observed infestation, but trees per hectare, total living basal area, diameter at breast height, stand age, and species richness were not significantly different. Our results highlight the benefits of model benchmarking to improve model interpretation as well as to inform our understanding of forest health problems across diverse stand conditions.

Forest floor dynamics in a chronosequence of hardwood stands in central Nova Scotia

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Wallace ◽  
B. Freedman
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
Ammonium N ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Mature Stands

A postclear-cutting chronosequence of hardwood stands in Nova Scotia was examined for patterns of forest floor weight, concentration of selected nutrients, rate of potential insitu litter decomposition (litterbags), and potential lab ammonification and nitrification. Some evidence was found that the forest floor experiences weight loss following clear-cutting. However, the large weight losses and clear pattern of recovery described by others for New Hampshire hardwood chronosequences were not observed. The lack of close agreement may have been a result of intra- and inter-stand variation in forest floor weight in our study. This spatial variation was greater than any effect as a result of clear-cutting. There was no significant relationship between insitu weight loss of leaves or twigs with stand age. No clear-cutting effect was observed in the laboratory for potential ammonification, which occurred readily in all stands (three clear-cuttings, three mature stands). Limed materials produced significantly more mineralized N (nitrate N + ammonium N) than did unlimed materials. Concentrations of ammonium N in F and H horizon field material were significantly higher on clear-cuttings than in mature stands. However, since this measurement reflects net rather than total production, it is not evidence that higher rates of ammonification occurred on clear-cuttings. Potential nitrification was not an important process in F and H horizon materials at their natural pH. Nitrification occurred readily in limed materials, but there were no significant differences among different aged stands. Concentrations of nitrate N in field F and H horizon material were low for all stands, with a mean of 9 ± 7 ppm (n = 350). However, in 7% of field samples, nitrate N ≥ 15 ppm was found; in 2%, ≥30 ppm was found.

Factors controlling epiphytic lichen biomass during postfire succession in black spruce boreal forests

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 2168-2179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Boudreault ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Darwyn Coxson
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Epiphytic Lichens ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Epiphytic Lichen ◽  
Structure Tree ◽  
Species Groups

Alectorioid lichens are the dominant group of epiphytic lichens in boreal forests. Epiphytic lichen richness and abundance generally increase with stand age and within-stand heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of time elapsed since the last fire, stand structure, tree size, tree age, and branch height for epiphytic lichen biomass of the boreal forest of western Quebec. We sampled 12 sites belonging to four forest age classes (from 50 to >200 years). We assessed epiphytic lichen biomass of three species groups ( Bryoria , Evernia , and Usnea ) on 12 trees in each site. Our results showed that biomass of Bryoria and Usnea was higher in intermediate stages (between 101 and 200 years) compared with younger (50–100 years) and older (>200 years) stages. Biomass of the three species groups was greater on larger diameter trees (>16 cm) compared with smaller ones (<16 cm). These results indicate that the protection of postfire stands aged between 101 and 200 year should be prioritized to maintain the functional role of epiphytic lichens in managed landscapes.

A longitudinal height–diameter model for Norway spruce in Finland

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Mehtätalo
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Canopy Layer ◽  
Mixed Model Approach ◽  
D Model

A height–diameter (H–D) model for Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) was estimated from longitudinal data. The Korf growth curve was used as the H–D curve. Firstly, H–D curves for each stand at each measurement time were fitted, and the trends in the parameters of the H–D curve were modeled. Secondly, the trends were included in the H–D model to estimate the whole model at once. To take the hierarchy of the data into account, a mixed-model approach was used. This makes it possible to calibrate the model for a new stand at a given point in time using sample tree height(s). The heights may be from different points in time and need not be from the point in time being predicted. The trends in the parameters of the H–D curve were not estimated as a function of stand age but as a function of the median diameter of basal area weighted diameter distribution (dGm). This approach was chosen because the stand ages may differ substantially among stands with similar current growth patterns. This is true especially with shade-tolerant tree species, which can regenerate and survive for several years beneath the dominant canopy layer and start rapid growth later. The growth patterns in stands with a given dGm, on the other hand, seem not to vary much. This finding indicates that the growth pattern of a stand does not depend on stand age but on mean tree size in the stand.

The relationship of stand structure with canopy transmittance: Simple models and practical methods for managing understory light conditions in eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)-dominated forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 90 (04) ◽  
pp. 489-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Pinus Strobus ◽  
Red Pine ◽  
Canopy Closure ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship of stand structural features with understory light levels, estimated by gap light index (GLI), was investigated in 22 second-growth eastern white (Pinus strobus L.) and red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.)-dominated stands in central Ontario that encompassed a broad range in density and basal area. Simple, empirical light models were developed to quantify the influence of several stand structural variables on canopy transmittance as estimated by GLI. Models were also derived to facilitate the operational identification of residual basal area, density, and percent canopy closure associated with target understory light levels that optimize the growth of white pine regeneration and its protection from weevil and blister rust when using the uniform shelterwood silvicultural system. Regression models indicated significant negative, nonlinear relationships of GLI with density, basal area, a stand density index, total crown area, and foliar biomass, while GLI was linearly related to percent canopy closure. Application of these models to identify density, basal area, and canopy closure values associated with target light levels for the regeneration and removal cuts of uniform shelterwoods demonstrates the use of this information to help guide management of white pine–red pine forests.

Long-term mortality rates and spatial patterns in an old-growth Pinus resinosa forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 809-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J. Silver ◽  
Shawn Fraver ◽  
Anthony W. D’Amato ◽  
Tuomas Aakala ◽  
Brian J. Palik
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Pinus Resinosa ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Dead Trees

Understanding natural mortality patterns and processes of forest tree species is increasingly important given projected changes in mortality owing to global change. With this need in mind, the rate and spatial pattern of mortality was assessed over an 89-year period in a natural-origin Pinus resinosa (Aiton)-dominated system to assess these processes through advanced stages of stand development (stand age 120–209 years). Average annual mortality rates fluctuated through time, yet were within the range reported in other studies (0.60%–3.88% depending on species and sampling interval). Tree mortality was attributed to multiple agents, including the senescence of the short-lived Pinus banksiana Lamb., windthrow, root-rot fungi (Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink), and perhaps infrequent droughts. Despite the often contagious nature of many disturbance agents, the overall spatial pattern of mortality events (the arrangement of dead trees within the fixed initial population of live trees) was random at all scales tested. Similarly, the current spatial pattern of dead trees was predominantly random, despite clustering at small scales (2–4 m). These findings underscore the importance of studying mortality rates, agents, and spatial patterns over long time periods to avoid misinterpreting stochastic mortality events, and their influence on longer term stand structure and development.

Tall Understorey Vegetation as a Factor in the Poor Development of Oak Seedlings Beneath Mature Stands

1994 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig G. Lorimer ◽  
Jonathan W. Chapman ◽  
William D. Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Understorey Vegetation ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Mature Stands ◽  
Oak Seedlings

Age Distribution and Reproduction of Intermountain Aspen Stands

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter F. Mueggler
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Decision Model ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Management Intervention ◽  
Mature Stands ◽  
Direct Management

Abstract Stand age and sucker reproduction was measured in 713 aspen-dominated forest plots on nine National Forests in Utah, southeastern Idaho, and western Wyoming. About 95% of the quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands are dominated by mature or over-mature trees. Almost one-sixth are in the 120-year or older age class and can be expected to deteriorate rapidly. The oldest aspen measured was 222 years. Stands in central and southern Utah are generally older than those in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming. A fourth of the stands had more than 2,000 suckers per acre; half had fewer than 800 per acre. Approximately a third of the essentially pure (i.e., not invaded by conifers), mature or over-mature stands may experience regeneration problems because they contain less than 500 suckers per acre. A decision model is presented that will assist managers in identifying stands that require direct management intervention to ensure their survival as aspen-dominated communities. West J. Appl. For. 4(2):41-45, April 1989.

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